Church Pressure For Illegal Immigrants Hits Home

I blogged about a related topic just two days ago, so when I came across an article this morning on the KC Star's website, it seemed very appropriate to pass it along to you. The nation-wide New Sanctuary Movement has come to KC, and local illegal immigrant advocates are planning to use churches to hide illegals from the authorities.

Several local church leaders have sponsored a billboard advertising the fact on I-70, although none of these churches has yet harbored an illegal (as far as we know).

"It is the very soul of our nation that is at stake" in how we treat families in which one or both parents are illegal immigrants but the children are American citizens, said the Rev. Rick Behrens of Grandview Park Presbyterian Church. "We are losing our soul as we separate children from parents."

Baloney. If they're so worried about keeping their families together, what's stopping the kids from going back to Mexico to live with the parents? Why is that question never asked of people whining about families being separated?

The issue here is not 'ripping' families apart; it's an issue of the integrity of American law. This could turn out to be a very divisive issue for many churches, as there will be some heated debates on where churches should stand.

Kris Kobach, a University of Missouri-Kansas City law professor, said federal law prohibits harboring an illegal immigrant with knowledge the person is in the U.S. illegally.

"There are many points of view about the role of churches in our society and how much civic engagement there should be," said Kobach. "But I think one area that until very recently has been pretty clear is, churches shouldn’t themselves violate federal law."

Here's what I think. I think that churches are bound to follow Biblical teachings above secular government laws, so there are times when a church should condone (or at least tacitly allow) the breaking of secular laws. If it weren't for this idea, the Christian church wouldn't exist today because initially it was more or less illegal. BUT...that should only be done when those secular government laws clearly violate the teachings of the Bible. This is NOT one of those times. Show me a Biblical teaching that supports allowing illegal aliens guilty of breaking the law to continue breaking the law simply because their children are U.S. citizens, and I'll happily revise my opinion. Until that happens, I'll maintain that this is simply a political/emotional issue rather than a doctrinal one. Since the secular law doesn't violate Biblical principles, churches are bound to obey the secular laws (see Romans 13:1-2).

That means churches shouldn't knowingly harbor illegal aliens.

There's my two cents.