Bill Berkowitz: Evangelical Christian groups spar over immigration reform

BUZZFLASH GUEST COMMENTARY
by Bill Berkowitz
 
If you think that the debate over health care reform has taken some decidedly nasty, and often unexpected, turns, just wait until the issue of immigration returns to the spotlight on Capitol Hill. Imagine rowdier Town Hall meetings and a slew of anti-immigrant tea parties. As Al Jolson, one of the early 20th century's stars of vaudeville, might have put it, "you ain't seen nothing yet!"
 
While the national debate over immigration may be a ways off, an assortment of evangelical Christian organizations are already at odds over the issue.
 
In early October, the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) -- which has over 40 member organizations and is made up of nearly 30 million U.S. evangelicals -- passed a resolution endorsing "comprehensive" immigration reform. "The Bible does not offer a blueprint for modern legislation, but it can serve as a moral compass and shape the attitudes of those who believe in God," the NEA resolution stated.
 
"The challenge today," the NAE maintained, "is to determine how to maintain the integrity of national borders, address the situation with millions of undocumented immigrants, devise a realistic program to respond to labor needs, and manifest the humanitarian spirit that has characterized this country since its founding."
 
The NAE's "For the Health of the Nation: An Evangelical Call to Civic Responsibility," urges:

That immigrants be treated with respect and mercy by churches. Exemplary treatment of immigrants by Christians can serve as the moral basis to call for government attitudes and legislation to reflect the same virtues.

That the government develop structures and mechanisms that safeguard and monitor the national borders with efficiency and respect for human dignity.

That the government establish more functional legal mechanisms for the annual entry of a reasonable number of immigrant workers and families.

That the government recognize the central importance of the family in society by reconsidering the number and categories of visas available for family reunification, by dedicating more resources to reducing the backlog of cases in process, and by reevaluating the impact of deportation on families.

That the government establish a sound, equitable process toward earned legal status for currently undocumented immigrants, who desire to embrace the responsibilities and privileges that accompany citizenship.

That the government legislate fair labor and civil laws for all residing within the United States that reflect the best of this country's heritage.

That immigration enforcement be conducted in ways that recognize the importance of due process of law, the sanctity of the human person, and the incomparable value of family.

Mark Tooley, the president of the conservative think tank The Institute on Religion & Democracy, was having none of what the NAE was proposing. Although dismayed, he apparently wasn't all that surprised by the NAE's action.
 
In a column for The American Spectator, in which he expressed several criticisms aimed at the NAE, Tooley labeled the organization's resolution as "a … pro–liberalized immigration stance" and maintained that it "is creating ripples among its conservative membership."
 
Tooley wrote: "Essentially the NAE has endorsed the failed Comprehensive Immigration Act (CIR) of 2007, calling for a path to citizenship for illegals that critics call amnesty, and urging 'a realistic program to respond to labor needs.'"
 
He pointed out that several NAE-member organizations had not endorsed the NAE's position, including the Salvation Army, the Churches of Christ in Christian Union (CCCU), and the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), and that only 11 individuals are signers, though reportedly 75 NAE board members voted for it.
 
Tooley later told OneNewsNews -- the news service of Rev. Donald Wildmon's American Family Association, that "The NAE has in the recent past become outspoken on environmentalism and global warming, and then condemn[ed] the U.S. for what it calls 'torture' in its interrogation of terror detainees. And next, [the NAE] plans to adopt a petition regarding nuclear disarmament."

Earlier this month, the Christian Post reported that "America's Voice, which supports humane comprehensive immigration reform, blasted leaders of NumbersUSA for encouraging its evangelical members to 'hammer' their denominations with complaints against the NAE's new immigration resolution":

In a Nov. 2 article in the Congressional Quarterly, Roy Beck, executive director of NumbersUSA, said that 'about a third of our members are evangelicals' and 'they immediately started hammering their denominations' after being informed of NAE's stance."

Mark Krikorian, the executive director of another anti-immigration organization, The Center for Immigration Studies, said that "for religious organizations to get involved in this issue is really not appropriate."

At the Capitol Hill press conference Samuel Rodriguez, the president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC) -- which serves 15 million Hispanic Christians -- spoke in support of the NAE resolution. Rodriguez, who has been an outspoken opponent of same-sex marriage, was far more sensitive and sensible regarding immigration: "On behalf of our 25,434 churches, we commend and applaud today's resolution by our sister organization, the NAE. This is, without a doubt, a tipping point. We can no longer state that immigration reform stands as a Latino, immigrant or partisan issue. Today's resolution conveys a collective message on behalf of the Evangelical community that at the end of the day immigration reform is a matter of justice firmly grounded on biblical truth."

BUZZFLASH GUEST COMMENTARY

Bill Berkowitz is a longtime observer of the conservative movement and a frequent writer for Z Magazine, Religion Dispatches and other online publications. He documents the strategies, players, institutions, victories, and defeats of the American Right from a progressive perspective.

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