State clergy will meet in Charlotte tomorrow to discuss the theological and practical sides of the immigration debate.
Seeking to encourage constructive dialogue, clergy members are expected to discuss the controversial Arizona immigration law and how they relate with local enforcement efforts such as Mecklenburg County’s 287g program.
Chris Liu-Beers with the NC Council of Churches, which is sponsoring the event, says faith communities are at their best when they address controversial issues head-on in a thoughtful and respectful way.
“Congregations are on the front lines of the immigration debate – offering English courses, meals, job training, and pastoral care to people facing very challenging situations,” he said.
“From Hostility to Hospitality: Immigration and People of Faith” is part of a statewide clergy breakfast series on immigration.
The breakfast will take place Thursday morning, June 3, at Myers Park Baptist Church on Queens Road from 8:30-10:00am. Speakers include Rev. Steve Shoemaker of Myers Park Baptist Church and Lori Fernald Khamala with American Friends Service Committee.
“As people of faith, we are united in the belief that every person is a child of God and that we are called to offer hospitality to our neighbors,” Liu-Beers said.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
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31 comments:
Three words:
Render unto Caesar.
Jesus told us to obey the law.
There is a HUGE difference in welcoming immigration and condoning ILLEGAL immigration. This one word, "ILLEGAL" seems to be conveniently left out of these discussions, in order to make opponents of ILLEGAL immigration seem heartless or racist. So far, this tactic is working. Hopefully not for long.
Uh huh...these are the same "faith organizations" who called for boycotts against AMERICAN companies who would not demand farmers who grow produce they use to provide bigger salaries, demanded changes in working conditions and contribute a percent of company profits to the Hispanic Union trying to organize these workers.
These "faith organizations" need to stay out of it or else lose their tax exempt status.
They are nothing more than economic terrorists.
Give me a break, the clergy are full of themselves as usual. If they practice what they preach they would not help illegals since they breaking the law. Instead they see a potential revenue stream by "helping" the lawbreakers. Just as the government see's votes for helping them. Church is the most hypocritical place one can go nowadays.
agree with above ^^^^ on theory of church. You're family is in more danger in church than at home nowadays.
Yea these liberal so called theology idiots better remember The Book clearly says to get your own house in order first ... before you try to take in every stray animal on the planet for humanitarianism.
Americas house is in total dissaray and theres a little 20 trillion dollar national debt sinking it in the Red Sea deeper and deeper ...
@ Anon 11:29. The full passage is,"Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, give to God what is God's." He made the statement when some local leaders were trying to bait him into saying people shouldn't pay taxes. After asking for and looking at a coin that bore Caesar's image that's what he told him. Quite frankly I can't imagine a clearer way for Jesus to state a separation between Church and State. I also believe he was saying that the laws of men are irrelevant when considering the laws of God. But I guess maybe we all take whatwe want from that passage. Ultimately, I believe if you are leading an ethically good life and are truly making an effort to treat your fellow man with the type of unconditional love that Jesus practiced, the laws of man are unnecessary.
Oh yeah, like the churches (especially the Catholic Church) don't have a vested interest in yet more ignorant masses...
Liberal morons joining Democrats in selling out America for votes and membership. Tax Free status should be removed.
THE FAITH LEADERS NEED A BIGGER SHOVEL! NO COUNTRY IN THE WORLD
WOULD ALLOW THE MASS INVASION WE
ARE FACING. WE'RE FIGHTING 2 WARS
ON FOREIGN SOIL, WHILE OUR OWN BORDERS ARE BEING OVERUN BY MILLIONS OF "ILLEGAL INVADERS" FROM OVER 70 COUNTRIES. WE NEED TO PUT OUR TROOPS ON TNE SOUTHERN BORDER WITH MEXICO,SECURE THE BORDER, AND ENFORCE ALL IMMIGRATION LAWS LIKE THE OTHER COUNTRY'S DO.
HERE IN PHOENIX, WE ARE BEING BOYCOTTED, AND WE LOVE IT. WHAT WE REALLY WANT IS FOR ALL ILLEGALS TO BOYCOTT AZ. WE HUNT THEIR BUTTS DOWN AND DEPORT THEM PRONTO! GO AND STAY IN THE SANCTUARY STATE OF CA. IT'S ALREADY STINKIN SHOT, JUST LIKE MEXICO! THE LIBERAL FOOLS GAVE CA. AWAY, AND NOW CA. IS "BANKRUPT" AND SCUMMY, JUST LIKE MEXICO.
While some immigrants are breaking the law upon entering the US illegally, the question remains are our immigration laws just? There was a time when some African Americans, many of them Christian, broke the law of the land by drinking out of certain fountains and refusing to give up their seats on buses. I suppose by the reasoning of some they should have kept their religion and their politics separate.
Beware of churches teaching 'social justice' as prescribed by the Presidunce and Pelousi. It's not their business.
N.C. WILL END UP LIKE CA. IF THEY LET THE SO-CALLED"FAITH LEADERS"
TURN N.C. INTO A SANCTUARY STATE THAT CATERS TO LAW BREAKERS LIKE CA. CA. IS NOW RUN BY HISPANIC
POLITICIANS THAT HAVE THE INTEREST OF MEXICO AND OPEN BORDERS FIRST AND ONLY!
--->>>While some immigrants are breaking the law upon entering the US illegally, the question remains are our immigration laws just? <<<---
"Some"? If you are here with no papers, you're here illegally. I still find it disturbing some people can't grasp the meaning of ILLEGAL.
Should it take upwards of 20 years to be able to immigrate here? No, however, we do need to control the borders and decide who and how many we are willing to accept.
Your civil rights analogy as related to immigration reform is a red herring.
Why is there so much anger and hate in these comments?
The only legal laws are just laws. Just as abolitionists defied unjust slavery laws, and civil rights leaders defied unjust Jim Crow laws, so do Christians today defy unjust anti-immigrant/anti-family laws.
Those who whine about somebody being "legal" or "illegal" are not true Christians. The church is no respecter of man-made, earthly, temporary borders. The Church serves Jesus by serving the poor and welcoming the alien.
You can't be a servant of God and a servant of the Empire - "choose you this day whom you will serve." Babylon, Rome, America - different names, same earthy empire.
Don't worry, flag-waving patriots - you are welcome in God's church - we're washing some feet and could use some dirty rags.
THE CHURCH HAS TO CLEAN UP ITS OWN ACT! THIS IS STILL A COUNTRY, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE BIBLE THUMPERS PREACH. A COUNTRY IS DEFINED BY ITS BORDERS AND LAWS.
LET MEXICO TAKE DOWN THERE BORDER WITH GUATEMALA, THEY CAN LEAD BY EXAMPLE!
The Statue of Liberty gift from France dedicated in 1886 in NYC was a symbolic gesture for the free non-monarchy melting pot of many European multicultural diverse heritages and cultures only.
Give me your tired poor huddled masses ... was not included with the statue but added later on a bronze plaque in 1903 from the poem New Collosas by Emma Lazarus.
Just like the 1st amendment has been bastardized and butchered so has the concept of the Statue of Liberty that was never intended to attract every scumbag freeload vagabond reject mooch parasite on the planet.
NO SURPRISE! THE LOS ANGELES SCHOOL BOARD HAS VOTED TO HAVE THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS TEACH SCHOOL CHILDREN THAT S.B.1070 IS UN-AMERICAN. TUCSON SCHOOLS TEACH THE CHILDREN THEY ARE IN OCCUPIED LAND.
THE OVER THROW OF THE U.S. GOV. IS
WHAT THEY ARE TEACHING. CA. IS LOST
AND THE CANCER OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION IS SPREADING. THIS IS A BAD TIME TO HAVE AN IGNORANT MARXIST IN THE WHITE HOUSE.
You people are as ignorant as it gets. If you could only understand the meaning of this horrible law...I am sure the same comments were made when it was time to abolish slavery. Most of the people that come do you people no harm. And I am sure that if they could they would "act" like Americans. The church is only trying to advocate for those that can not speak out. Try to have an open mind. Don't be so ignorant as to not look at the other side of the coin. It makes me sad to read all these hate comments.
Liberals are the most ignorant uneducated idiots on earth. Slavery? What does this have to do with slavery? Such total ignorance and educationally challenged fools.
America is bankrupt. The Mexicans citizens need to stay in their own nation. They are freeloaders like the liberals in America.
We would make a deal though. If America could trade its freeloader moocher liberal citizens on welfare here for Mexican workers, we will do so.
Theres only one catch. The Mexican govt laws are 10 times worse than AZ law on immigration so it wouldnt go through plus the liberal moochers in America wouldnt leave if hell froze over. Mexico has been known execute illegal immigrants. They got it made in the shade.
Ever notice libs with ground zero low IQs always bring up slavery?
Answer one simple question. Where do you think you would be be right now had slavery not existed in America?
Conservatives wish a trillion times over they could turn back time and outlaw slavery 500 yrs ago. What a terribly unneeded miscalculated mother of all mistakes.
TODAY LOS ANGELES SCHOOL BOARD VOTED TO TEACH SCHOO CHILDREN THAT SB 1070 IS UN-AMERICAN! I'LL TELL YOU WHAT UN-AMERICAN IS, THE
HISPANIC POLITICIANS IN CA. THAT
ARE POWERFUL ENOUGH TO CALL THE
MOVES. THEY RUINED CA. AND NOW THEY WANT TO POISON THE SCHOOL
CHILDREN AND RUIN THE REST OF THIS ONCE GREAT NATION. THATS UN-AMERICAN!
Hey Faith leaders! Today in Phoenix Az. our fine sheriff Joe Arpaio, raided another business that had 10 illegal immigrants working with stolen Ids. Ill egals should "pay attention", we will hunt you down and deport you. Stay out of Arizona! Ca. wants you , its a sanctuary state run by corrupt hispanics! You'll fit right in!
Fed debt now reaches 13 trillion !!!!!
Madman wild crazy spender Obama is spending like a drunken sailor at 300% more the rate of silver spoon crazed big spender Bush as America sinks not into the Black Sea of the Gulf but into the Red Sea bottomless pit of hell.
Regardless of the selfish destuctive crazed idea to give amnesty in the name of keeping political power, America simply cannot afford illegals or their millions of moocher anchor babies and laws are being passed to stop this and heopfully make retroactive the 14th amendment to strip the citizenships of those who take advantage of something not intended for them.
The 14th amendment in 1868 was intended only for slave descendants and not illegals mooching here. If they were gone the jobless rate would drop 4% lower.
America could allow guest worker visas here temp during harvest season in the fields of Cally and other states only that must be closely monitored.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/jun/2/federal-debt-tops-13-trillion-mark/
The US wants and welcomes immigrants who come into the country "legally." Therefore, if anyone is not in this country "legally" they need to be deported immediately and at the expense of their home country. This is not a religious issue - however, the church is considered a refuge or source of help for those who are in this country illegally.
America just turned a 13 trillion dollar debt last week as Obama is spending like an obssessed drunken sailor and incredibly blowing 300% more than even the biggest alltime silver spooner in history with the Bush brat who started all this.
In 500 days in office Obama has spent 2.5 trillion. Where is this newly printed money going?
Clearly America is sinking and cannot afford this wasteful incomprehensible spending activity in DC with the current president who has been stopped on the illegals amesty program by the AZ law that nothing close to the strict Mexican laws on illegals.
America cannot afford these Mexican citizens who are not only taking jobs and increasing the jobless rate but bleeding taxpayers and upping the national debt by trillions in the long run.
American cannot afford Obama and his liberals. The black gush in the Gulf is a drop in the bucket compared to the gush of Red Sea of ink in DC and America.
Changes coming in November in a big way and clearly due to his liberal spending habits Obama will be a one termer of his own making. 20 million illegals will be forced back to Mexico where they are natural birth citizens.
I'm so sad that so many here can't see here why the Christian community feel a moral responsibility to help the immigrant community. And how unfortunate that some have allowed religion to become politicized and chosen to believe that churches with a social justice component of their outreach are somehow tools of one political party.
Political borders are man-made. What Jesus preached was to have compassion for our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, regardless of his or her nationality or what he or she has done in the past. Further, there is ample text about the importance of helping the poor.
The immigrants who come here illegally come first to escape utter poverty, and second because THEY HAVE NO LEGAL WAY TO IMMIGRATE HERE. The way our immigration laws have been created, many are ineligible because of their nationality.
I think Christ would want us to find a solution to this crisis - not just the political crisis, but the utter economic and social crisis that propels the issue. That's why the church community is standing up on this issue - because too many of you have turned these immigrants into stereotypes when they're simply humans just trying to survive.
I do not have a problem with anyone coming here legally! It is those who think they have the right to be here illegally that get me and those who support them.
Sorry folks I am NOT racist as much as you would like to believe, what I am is a citizen who also must follow laws.....so if their are allowed to break the law why should ANY American be charged with breaking a law?
THE LAW IS THE LAW...PERIOD!
If churches couldn't make a buck off the illegals (or their children), would they still support them?
Hey, Catholics, I'm talking to you.
Better a rich American Catholic than a poor Salvadoran, eh?
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