Thanks to our Friends at numberusa.com for the heads up on this:

On June 15, a group of liberal Evangelical Christian and Catholic religious leaders met at the Brookings Institution think tank in Washington, D.C., to discuss one thing: how religious activism can
achieve an amnesty for illegal aliens.

This conference follows in the wake of a Capitol Hill forum
where liberal Evangelical Christian and Catholic leaders met with
Congressional leaders, including Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and
urged them to push an amnesty through Congress this year.
Unfortunately, leading Southern Baptist Dr. Richard Land was among the
participants.

The Rev. Richard Land, head of the Southern Baptists' national public policy commission, described his vision of a moral outcome by insisting that borders first be totally secured and then:

We move forward with a period of grace, where people can come forward and register and begin a pathway . . . (to) earned, legal status.

Rev. Land is vehement that it is not an amnesty to give permanent legal residency and permanent work permits to foreigners who broke immigration laws to illegally reside in this country and to
illegally hold a job. Asked if illegal aliens have committed a crime,
he responded:

Most of the people in my constituency (Southern Baptists) would say, 'Yes, they've broken the law, and there need to be penalties for that.' The question is: What are the penalties? And we
would argue that there needs to be an earned pathway to legal status
that would include paying a fine, agreeing to come forward and register
and undergo a background check, and to start taking English classes.

Obviously, national Southern Baptist leaders have not understood
that the Southern Baptists filling the pews on a weekly basis are
opposed to any amnesty for illegal aliens.



This is my personal perspective on the matter, and you can call me
cynical if you like, but religion has become big business, even
corporate in it's perspective of what is and isn't right. It's obvious
in all this that self serving Church Leaders see amnesty as an
opportunity, grab some political power for themselves, as well as
provide a solution to the historic attendance (and collections)
declines being seen across all denominations. Likewise, these religious
leaders view this as an opportunity to discharge the Church's
missionary and outreach responsibilities (and the attendant costs),
onto the back of America's taxpayers.



It's axiomatic that among the impediments to attracting and retaining those called
to service in the Church (I guess this says a lot about how faith has
changed in recent times) has been the onerous burden (it didn't use to be a burden) for members of the clergy in serving where
the need was greatest, in the third world nations where governments
have abandoned their own citizens. If Church Leaders can only force the
Obama administrations egregious amnesty down our throats, Clergy will
no longer face the hard work, the burdens, the adversity of serving in
foreign lands, nor will the Church have to bare the costs of
ministering where the need is greatest.


Amnesty would transfer the costs for the educational and medical
outreach and the social services that were once the traditional
responsibility of the Church's mission in other countries, to the backs
of America's taxpayers, the local school and hospital districts, and
local and state governments. The
Church and it's Leaders would benefit from access to millions of
additional, deeply religious, profoundly grateful, easily manipulated
parishioners, whose religious devotion and the self interested desire
to 'live in America' without earning that right might be contended by
the casual observer. Doubtless, the Church would benefit financially
from a new source of funding not constrained by adverse
publicity.

With Amnesty, the Church will see it's flock in other
nations move en-mass to our already suffering communities here in the
United States (I did mention that Church attendance was down didn't I?
I wonder why?). In the wake of such an enormous amnesty, no longer will
clergy be expected to minister and teach in insect infested jungles,
suffer the heat and drought of the deserts, or fear political and
economic unrest in foreign lands.

With Amnesty, the Church's takings
through charitable contributions can go toward the corporate expansion
and glory of it's Church's here in the United States. No longer will
Clergy be required to subsist on faith alone and a meager stipend from
the community faithful. Soon, Amnesty will allow Church Leaders to
assume their rightful place among the wealthy elite and politically
powerful. The clergy will no longer need to exist side by side with
those they serve, counsel and teach. Ministers will soon be able to
minister in the air conditioned splendor of their mega church houses,
have time for a round of golf and still make it home in time for supper.



Somehow, I feel that these so-called Church Leaders, just like our
elected officials in Washington, actually believe that we, the people,
have willingly abdicated our right to think for ourselves. Certainly
the overwhelming majority of Church members I've spoken with regarding
this issue all seem to feel that securing our borders and enforcing our
immigration laws honors our nation and it's people without
disrespecting anyone's religious views. Likewise, we are similarly
inclined that the Church and it's Leaders, need to remain neutral in
our secular governance.

Please send a fax to the leader of your state's Southern Baptist
Convention and urge him to oppose the national Southern Baptist
Convention's pro-amnesty stance and ask him to urge the national
convention to remain neutral in the amnesty debate.


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