Religious support of amnesty for illegal immigrants
By speakeasy
@speakeasy (4171)
United States
July 5, 2010 4:02pm CST
I was reading an article about all the religious leaders in Houston getting together and preaching sermons yesterday supporting immigration reform and amnesty for illegal aliens in this country.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/life/religion/new/6810414.html
And, I was pondering why religious leaders would support somthing which is harmful to their community and congregation especially since polls repeatedly show the majority of people in the US are against this stance.
After all, jobs are being taken by these illegal aliens when their own congregation members are unemployed. The money these illegal workers are earning is not going back into the community; because, these people are sending every penny they can possibly spare back to their home country - remittances to these countries are in the BILLIONS every year! They are taking up resources that could be used by their own congregation members - medical, food, schools, etc.
So, why would this one category of people (religious leaders) be so vocal in supporting this issue when getting involved in political issues can cost them their tax-free status?
Then, a light suddenly went on!
1) The illegal aliens coming here are NOT religious leaders - there is NO job competition!
2) The majority of the illegal immigrants are highly religious and attend religious services regularly while many Americans may be religious; but, don't attend regular services - religious leaders gain prestige when they have large congregations in attendance every week.
3) Many illegal aliens bring families or start families once they are here; and, many of them do not beleive in or practice birth control so they tend to have large families (See item number 2 about LARGE congregations).
4) Because they attend religious services regularly, they are a steady source of income to the religious leaders. The amount from each person may not be large; but, added together they are a steady source of income.
5) The large family size also means numerous baptisms, confirmations, weddings, etc. all of which are sources of revenue to the religious leader!
So, even though illegal aliens are harmful to the country and individual citizens - they actually benefit the economy and prestige of religious leaders! No wonder they want them to be able to stay here safely and want to allow more in!
3 responses
@peavey (16936)
• United States
6 Jul 10
Oh, I'm not sure you're reasons are valid - at least to all who participated. Probably just as much, if not more, was fueled by a misplaced "love your brother" sort of ideology. The problem with that is that your brother is your fellow countryman, also, and he will be hurt by amnesty for illegal aliens.
Then, some aren't too bright... they're just playing into the hands of the current administration who knows that these illegals will vote for them in the upcoming election if they can grant them amnesty in time.
It's a complicated issue and clergy are human, too, and prone to believing things that are not so.
@peavey (16936)
• United States
7 Jul 10
I have nothing against civil disobedience - I'm a Christian and understand that we answer to a higher power. Men in government are not the authorities they like to believe they are.
Just because I am a Christian doesn't mean that I accept everything that every Christian does as right or good. I am not blind.
Anyway, civil disobedience does not include amnesty for illegal aliens when our own president is willing, unless he is being disobedient, too? If that's not what you mean, I don't understand what your comments have to do with the question you put forth.
@speakeasy (4171)
• United States
9 Jul 10
If by "civil disobedience" you mean actually breaking the law and encouraging others to break the law - that is wrong. I have no problem with disagreeing with a law and trying to get the law changed; but, until it is changed, the law still has to be obeyed or you have to be willing to accept the consequesnces of breaking the law - jail time, deportation, loss of tax-free status, etc.
While our current president has stated his own beliefs and opinions on immigration and other social issues - he has NOT taken matters into his own hands and made any changes that violate the current laws. He has asked for changes to be made to those laws; but, until (or unless) those changes are made by Congress, he is still supporting and enforcing the existing laws no matter what his personal beliefs and opinions.
@speakeasy (4171)
• United States
7 Jul 10
As I said, I do not think it is actually a conscious decision on their part individually. I do not think any of them actually sat down and thought this out carefully to see what they can get out of this issue. BUT, many things influence our decisions on a subconscious level and I think this may be the case here.
"misplaced "love your brother" sort of ideology" - actually I think this is just way to justify their actions; just as relgions have been used to justify wars through the ages.
Also, the Christian religion has a long history of civil disobediance deeply entrenched in it from the time of the Romans up to the present day.
@RedRidingHood (132)
• United States
6 Jul 10
I hadn't considered that possibility before, you might be onto something.
Of course, I think there is probably more then one reason. Many religious leaders are into the whole 'World Council of Churches' type thing which is really just a branch of the UN. The UN is wanting to get more power for itself therefore wants to break down independent governments and national borders. (less power and nationalism in individual countries means more power for them).
@speakeasy (4171)
• United States
6 Jul 10
I am not saying this is even a concious decision on their part.
In areas with small immigrant populations, they are seeing churches fold and go bankrupt (especially Roman Catholic churches with massive lawsuits against them). Many US citizens, especially after the 3rd generation in the US, drift away from organized religion. They still call themselves Christian, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, etc.; but, they only rarely attend services.
In areas with large immigrant populations (legal and illegal), these same churches are looking out over large weekly congregations of both long-time members and newcomers. They are thriving while others fail. In a city like Houston, so close to the Mexican border, this is especially true.
Also, most religions have long histories of persecution in their pasts when they were young - Jews have been persecuted over the centuries, Christians have been both the persecutors and the persecuted , and the same is true of Muslims. They may honestly believe they are helping a "persecuted minority"; when they are actually helping themselves by increasing the size of their congregation and donations.
Most religions also try to "convert" criminals in prison (prison ministries) in order to "redeem" them (and, increase the size of their congregation). So, the fact that these people are here illegally really doesn't bother them. They deal with criminals all the time.
I really don't think this is about the UN trying to gain power. It is about organized religions trying to regain the power that they used to have and still do have in some countries.
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
6 Jul 10
OMG is there not even a decent honest person in the clergy who is not just thinking like Obama and what he can personally get from the situation.
Most of the illegal immigrants are Roman Catholic and this attitude will not help the Catholic Church.
@speakeasy (4171)
• United States
6 Jul 10
I am not saying this is a concious decision on their part. They may not have actually thought it out themselves.
But, as most Americans have been moving away from organized religion or reducing attendance to only the most important "holy days"; many churches have been forced to closed down or reduce their offerings to the local community.
Churches in areas where there are large numbers of illegal inmmigrants would thrive because these aliens are far from home in areas where they are not welcome and their religion would be the one thing that helps tie their present with their past.
As more and more immigrants (legal and illegal) are flocking to churches for comfort this is changing the basic makeup of these churches and it is another reason some church members are avoiding their places of worship (too many strangers and not enough familiar faces).
So, religious organizations are supporting their "NEW" members at the expense of the community that started these churches in the first place.
"Most of the illegal immigrants are Roman Catholic" Only because 2/3 of all immigrants are from Central and South America. We also have a lot Muslims who are here illegaly from Pakistan, Kenya, Indonesia, Somalia, etc. And, we do get many Jews from around the world who do not want to or cannot go to Israel or prefer to leave Israel for the US.
