[gromitt82]

The European Episcopal Commission of Immigrations, worried about the recent EU decision to adopt a directive fighting illegal immigration, have issued the following note ADDRESSED TO THE European Authorities concerned:

“We appeal to the members of the Parliament of the European Union and to the Governments of all the nations integrated therein by asking them to respect in their directives the dignity and the fundamental rights of immigrants independently of their legal situation. We wish to stress that all precautions should be taken in these directives to avoid equating immigrants without legal papers with delinquents, as it is often done without any sustaining evidence to that effect”

How would you rate this initiative from the European Bishops?

Have the American Churches undertaken any similar approach to the problem of immigration?

In Spain, in the last 2 years, we have received over 4 million immigrants, of which well over 1 million illegally.

[Galveston1]

No one else has answered, so here goes. There is a division in the USA over this. Some of the mainline churches even set up safe houses for illegals, while many other denominations feel that our laws should not be broken, or simply have not taken any official position on the subject. There is a lot of resistance in the populace against welcoming illegals, and politicians are being pressured to seal our borders, for several reasons, economic and security.

[gromitt82]

No one else has answered, so here goes. There is a division in the USA over this. Some of the mainline churches even set up safe houses for illegals, while many other denominations feel that our laws should not be broken, or simply have not taken any official position on the subject. There is a lot of resistance in the populace against welcoming illegals, and politicians are being pressured to seal our borders, for several reasons, economic and security.

There is no question that there are a lot of reasons, whether economic, legals, political and/or of security, ALL perfectly understandable, from a human viewpoint.
These views are just the logical consequence of the increasing wave of materialsm that is flooding since several decades the societies of the so called first World.
Western societies, unfortunately, are motivated mostly by greed and desire to have as much as possible of as much as possible than by humanity.
A clear evidence of this is the present crisis we are experiencing now.
Perhaps our world would go better if we should ALL concentrate more in GIVING than in HAVING!

[Galveston1]

There is no question that there are a lot of reasons, whether economic, legals, political and/or of security, ALL perfectly understandable, from a human viewpoint.
These views are just the logical consequence of the increasing wave of materialsm that is flooding since several decades the societies of the so called first World.
Western societies, unfortunately, are motivated mostly by greed and desire to have as much as possible of as much as possible than by humanity.
A clear evidence of this is the present crisis we are experiencing now.
Perhaps our world would go better if we should ALL concentrate more in GIVING than in HAVING!!

Your last statement is true, but it is not the proper function of government to take from one class or person and give it to another.

[saintjoan]

The church's mandate is to save souls, not to get involved in social issues.
The Bible says:
1 Corinthians 2:2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
The Lord gave our mandate in the great commission.
Matthew 28:18-20 18And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

True believers should be more concerned with doing the Lord's business of saving souls rather than entering into the political arena.

[gromitt82]

Your last statement is true, but it is not the proper function of government to take from one class or person and give it to another.

It is not necessary to take from one class or person and give it to another as you say.

All that would be necessary for Governments of the 1st World would be to better administer their wealth..! ThIS would not only allow those who already have a LOT to keep it, but to help those who have less or nothing at ll, to have A LITTLE...

Do you have an idea of how much money DO Governments all over the World spend in armament to prepare themselves for eventual wars?

The proper function of Governments SHOULD NOT BE to prepare for wars but to contribute to built PEACE for the welfare of their citizens.

But as I said, greed is more important!

[gromitt82]

The church's mandate is to save souls, not to get involved in social issues.
The Bible says:
1 Corinthians 2:2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
The Lord gave our mandate in the great commission.
Matthew 28:18-20 18And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

True believers should be more concerned with doing the Lord's business of saving souls rather than entering into the political arena.

The Bible also says: “This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than thism to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you” (John 15: 12-14)

All social issues have to do with mankind, if I’m not wrong! Our duty is to save souls, indeed, but ALSO to take care of them. In the fragment you quote from St. Matthew it says “19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen”

How can you teach nations to observe all things the Lord has commanded us without getting involved in social issues?

How are we to react when our governments, that claim to be Christian, proclaim social issues that are not according to the Commandments?