Great letter on Illegal immigration...challenging the right wingers on their faith.,..

[SaveElmer]

In the spirit of full disclosure, let me make clear that I am a Hispanic U.S. citizen who came to this country legally and believe that illegal immigration is wrong.

While I usually do not participate in politics or put my thoughts in the public arena, it breaks my heart to see local politicians in Virginia using rhetoric about illegal immigration that appeals to our basest fears and threatens to build barriers, dividing our communities.
And what makes me even sadder is that many of these politicians share my faith and my beliefs.
I am always reminded that we should not mix church and government, but next Sunday when I walk out of church to my car, I expect to find any number of fliers tucked under my windshield wipers. Candidates running for everything from commissioner and delegate to senator will be trying to win my vote by appealing to my faith and beliefs, showing me that they are also faithful servants of the Lord.
Sadly, some of them will also be firmly in the camp of those using vitriolic rhetoric on cracking down on illegal immigration.
My question to them, since they are appealing to me on the basis of faith, is simple: What would Jesus do on this issue?
Would Jesus have instructed his disciples to check for green cards before distributing the bread and fish after multiplication?
Would Jesus have asked for proper documentation from the blind, the crippled, the leper, the mute, the needy before healing or helping them?
How would Jesus interpret the parable of the good Samaritan in the light of the illegal immigrant?
Which examples would Jesus use today about the woes of the Pharisees for obeying the minutiae of the law but forgetting mercy?
Would Jesus have made cutting services to illegal immigrants a campaign issue or would He have been crying with the poor that were about to become further isolated?
And I could go on.
While illegal immigration is out of control and both parties should work to find a solution, I believe it is absolutely unnecessary to foment hate and create division in our community.
We should not lead Virginia back to the times of white robes or illegal interracial marriages, turning Hispanics into the second-class citizens of the 21st century.
Illegal immigrants, though they have broken our immigration laws, are not enemies of America. They do not come here intent on doing us harm. They are the people who clean our houses, pick our crops, collect our garbage and build our homes.
America is at its best when it embraces, reaches out, and shares its blessings - as it did with me a long time ago. The immigration debate should be one of positive ideas that benefit all Virginians and all Americans, rather than turning into a competition that rewards the most vehemently anti-immigrant language.
If you are a Christian candidate and are planning to appeal for my vote next Sunday at church, please note that I would like to see a message of love, reconciliation and generosity. I would like to see candidates faithful to the Gospel and to Jesus' teachings, that uphold with humility and love the teachings of the Gospel.
I would like to see candidates who understand that "I was hungry, and you fed me, I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink, a stranger, and you welcomed me, was naked and you clothed me..." are not hollow words or conditioned upon green cards to be true.
I would like to see candidates that appeal to a bright and compassionate America and candidates that hold themselves to the truth that "'whatever you did to the least of mine you have done onto me...." This is the bar that we will all be judged by.
So if your fliers appeal to crackdowns and divisiveness, please spare my car.


Tom Melli
Haymarket

http://www.timescommunity.com/site/tab6.cfm?newsid=18975053&BRD=2553&PAG=461&dept_id=506108&rfi=6

[Hippo_Tron]

1. Tom Melli clearly hasn't read the Gospel according to Falwell

[SaveElmer]

2. More like the Gospel according to Jefferson...

Fortunately!

[BootinUp]

3. please note the church-politics connection in the South

Nice letter btw. Would have been better if he asked the politickers to stay out of the church on Sunday.

[Cleita]

4. Nice letter.

I doubt if the self-righteous will give a damn.

[Nuntius_Barbari]

5. odd letter on immigration, here are some points to consider, written in sincere faith.

It's odd that the writer of the letter went through the process to come here legally yet is willing to ignore those trying to do the same, come here legally, to help those breaking the law to get here ahead of them. That is wrong and unfair.

The issue is that this country has the right to decide who is permitted to come to this country. The US has the right, and duty, to say no to some of those who want to come to this country. The US does not have unlimited resources to absorb all who want to come here.

The US should not allow abuses of illegal workers to occur within the US. They should enforce the laws protecting all workers in the US> The government should fine businesses hiring illegal workers enough so that it is more affordable to only hire legal workers.

The US should implement a guest worker program but it must not lead to amnesty for those here. It must be focused on those who had obeyed our laws in the past so that they get first chance at coming here.

Would Jesus have instructed his disciples to check for green cards before distributing the bread and fish after multiplication?

No, not relevent to the issue. It was private charitible work being done by Jesus and his apostles.

Would Jesus have asked for proper documentation from the blind, the crippled, the leper, the mute, the needy before healing or helping them?

No, not relevent to the issue. It was private charitible work being done by Jesus and his apostles.

How would Jesus interpret the parable of the good Samaritan in the light of the illegal immigrant?

From what I understand the Samaritan was from another country travelling in Israel. If a legal alien in the U.S. wants to help aliens trying to come to the U.S. work through the immigration system, that is cool. I do not think the legal alien should help illegal aliens stay in this country illegally.

Which examples would Jesus use today about the woes of the Pharisees for obeying the minutiae of the law but forgetting mercy?

"Render unto Caesar that which is Caeser's; render unto God that which is God's." Jesus said to obey the law of the land. He helped the poor without accepting anything from the government.

Would Jesus have made cutting services to illegal immigrants a campaign issue or would He have been crying with the poor that were about to become further isolated?

You start by talking about illegal aliens and then talk about the poor of this country. Those are different people. The poor citizens of our country should be given some support to help them out of poverty. The poor of other countries should be helped by their own governments to help them out of poverty. The U.S. is not able to help the world out of poverty; the world needs to do it themselves.

[laylah]

6. Actually, the writer

expressed his displeasure at illegal immigration in his first paragraph. I agree with his premise of WWJD?

Bye the way, welcome.

[midlife_mo_Jo]

7. I support policies that stem the tide of illegal immigration

But...

As a literacy tutor, I don't check for green cards.

As a contributor to the local food bank run by an ecumentical church group, I don't ask if the food is going to documented immigrants. (In my area, most of the poor are hispanic immigrants.)

You can love the people you meet or have an opportunity to help without supporting open borders.

It's not an either/or situation.