A Pastoral Perspective on Illegal Immigration

“Those who oppose illegal immigration run the risk of viewing illegal immigrants as enemies, rather than as a mission field…. On the flip side, those who advocate increased immigrant rights must be careful not to promote attitudes of insubordination or contempt toward the government.” Cripplegate

Discussion

This is already 6 years old, though I suspect it was rated timely due to the recent ruling. Still good, though.

Dave Barnhart

illegal immigrants does NOT MEAN Christians should be silent on the potentially illegal actions of certain people in the government to allow in illegally visitors from foreign nations who happen to stay permanently.

I appreciate the article’s efforts to uphold law & order and simultaneously see people as souls to reach and aid. The peace has indeed worn well.

As for the public policy, it’s truly a mess. Like the tax code, it’s become a spaghetti bowl (or maybe barbed wire bowl??) nobody seems able to untangle because of all the conflicting interests involved. It’s too bad there isn’t some way to chuck the whole thing and start with a blank piece of paper.

Views expressed are always my own and not my employer's, my church's, my family's, my neighbors', or my pets'. The house plants have authorized me to speak for them, however, and they always agree with me.

It strikes me that “balance” is the key issue. Kindness to the foreigner, as Scripture tells us? Absolutely. But should immigrants pass a basic background and health check so we don’t end up importing crime and disease? I think that’s fair, too. And then we also ought to consider the rights of our own poor—allowing a LOT of unskilled labor does not do our poor any favors, to put it mildly, as it’s increase competition for them in the labor market.

(interesting fact; the # of people on various welfare programs corresponds well to both the # of illegal immigrants and also the # of people in single parent homes…..lot of fat on the table to grab if only we will)

Aspiring to be a stick in the mud.