The Church and Illegal Immigrants

I have never before created a posting about anything close to mystical, but last night while watching Lou Dobbs on CNN I was overcome by the need to support the Catholic Church on one point. I was raised in that Church but never for a single instant was fortunate enough to have attained the gift of faith and, thus, could not be expected to keep it, but as Lou castigated the Church for its stand on illegal immigration I had what could almost be described as an epiphany.

I’ve written a number of novels – God knows how many, as I’ve chucked quite a few into landfills from Virginia to Massachusetts. One of the major themes in these books has been religion, especially Catholicism. I have explored it from the perspective of one without faith but who still respects it and its members who were granted the gift and as both friend and foe of individual clergymen.

Lou Dobbs has been a foe of illegal immigration for many years and his constancy has been instrumental in raising the subject to the level of a national issue. Because of family connections, I’ve been generally - but mildly - in the corner of those not opposed to illegals. But this position has never been certain as others I care for have been damaged economically by the influx of such persons. In my daily life, I interact with people I assume to be in the country illegally, and I treat them as kindly as possible and accept that at the micro level, at least, they serve a useful and necessary function in the economy.

Last night, however, I had to rethink a major portion of my position. Lou took the Church to task for failing to be on the side of those opposed to illegals. His position as nearly and fairly as I can represent it is that as an American institution the Church should oppose illegal immigration as it hurts American working men and women and undermines the economy. While I generally agree with him or at least put up with him through dinner each night, I was angered by this demand that the Church line up on the side of the law in this case.

It was instantly obvious to me that the Church had no choice in this matter but to be on the side of the illegals. That the Church and all believing Christians as well as others, including me, who believe at some level in the Golden Rule, have no choice but to comfort the immigrants and to grant them whatever support and protection they can. While I can see the other side very clearly and have no trouble with Dobbs and others who believe in the need to defend our borders and protect our citizens from economic destruction, I was dismayed that he attacked the Church and by extension all who believe in the Golden Rule and who live lives in as close imitation to the life of Christ as possible and demand that they close their eyes and hearts to the agony standing before them.

I believe that the Church has no choice but to support those in need no matter the cost to it from its more rabid members or from problems with political alliances created at great cost over many years. Failure to do so would be a failure of their faith in the teachings of Christ.

Blog on!

Wild Bill