My conflicting feelings about illegal immigration

Dear Readers,

I just wrote the following comment on one of my favorite blogs, Seeing Red AZ, on this post about churches and illegal immigration. You kind of need to read the Seeing Red AZ blog post to get all the references in this long comment I wrote, but I think you can also enjoy my comment without some of the context. I really like Seeing Red AZ most of the time, but sometimes, like this particular time, the blog criticizes the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for supporting the Utah Compact.

When the Church supported the Utah Compact, I rethought my position on illegal immigration. On the rare occasions in which the LDS Church and my politically conservative values are at odds, I think it is best to side with the Church. Now, I still support SB 1070 and I still support Arizona Senate President Russell Pearce and Sheriff Joe Arpaio, but my feelings about what to do about the illegal immigration problem are conflicted.

Enjoy.

I have no problem with Christian churches, whether Catholic, Mormon, Baptist or whatever, preaching to the Hispanic immigrants in America. In fact, I would like to see more preaching to every race, creed, tongue and people, wherever they live. What would Seeing Red AZ have us Mormons do? Check the immigration status of those that walked into our churches? Have missionaries double as ICE agents? I'm glad that SRA endorses Mormon candidates and generally supports socially conservative causes, but I'm upset that so many of the commenters here are expressing such a cynical view of organized religion. We aren't trying to fill pews and make money. We're trying to save souls. And that's the truth.

Maybe the white Christians are gradually losing their faith while non-white Christians are gaining faith. So what? Does SRA feel that white Christianity is great and non-white Christianity is not-so-great?

To Kimball, I say that personally, the fortunes of Churches doesn't bother me at all. In fact, I like them. How would churches spread their messages and do their good works without money? I would rather see people giving their hard-earned money to churches than to the government.

I enjoyed the video. It made some good points. But I think that in posting the video in conjunction with this post, SRA is implying that Mormons, Catholics and Baptists should help stop illegal immigration by ignoring them in America, and instead improve the material conditions of those in the third world. But Mormons are already going to the third world in addition to preaching to everybody in America! Missionaries serve world wide. And in addition to proselyting, Christians are feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and those in prison, just as Jesus Christ did. The whole world needs the message of Jesus Christ, and I think that that message is the surest way to bring the world out of poverty and suffering.

Look, I support Russell Pearce and Sheriff Joe's efforts to curtail illegal immigration. I want all the illegal immigrants in prison or jail for committing other crimes deported. However, I think the commenters on this blog need to have more compassion and understanding. I work with a lady who came here illegally... um... I think there was war in her home country in Central America or something, so she might have been a political refugee... but anyway she was granted amnesty under President Reagan. And you know what? She is one of the nicest ladies I've ever met. Hard-working, God-fearing, positive, happy, family-oriented- the salt of the Earth. This country would be greater with more people like her. And as much as we may not like the politicians who use the term "God's children" to describe illegal immigrants, it is true that those who come into the country illegally really are "God's children," worthy of our love.

By the way, you might be interested to know that the Bible verse referenced in this blog post, “Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s…” was also Adolf Hitler’s favorite scripture.

Of course, there is a world of difference between SRA and Hitler’s views- make that a galaxy of difference- but maybe both SRA and Adolf Hitler are both fond of denying the spiritual world, of reducing humans to their economic utility.

I wish I could end my comment there, but, in the interest of full disclosure, I should say that I think I heard that Mark 12:17 was Hitler’s favorite scripture on a documentary once, but after a bit of googling, I’ve come the conclusion that that factoid might be nonfactual.

Sincerely,
Telemoonfa