Religious Immigration Group Targets Barletta
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A religious group with a focus on immigration has singled out Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta for what it termed “demonizing immigrants.”
Christians for Comprehensive Immigration Reform criticized what it calls his “rhetoric.”
On Monday, the group will hold a conference call to “call on Hazelton (sic) Mayor Louis Barletta, state Rep. Daryl Metcalfe (R-Butler County) and other elected officials to embody the teachings of Christ and promote a message of love and respect towards immigrants, instead of fear and exclusion.”
Metcalfe is the main driver behind a five-bill package in the state House that seeks to address illegal immigration in Pennsylvania. The release denounced his report “Invasion PA,” in which he describes what he saw as illegal immigration’s effects on Pennsylvania, and his new caucus called “The State Legislators for Legal Immigration.”
{snip}
The press release announcing the call sites a number of statements it attributes to Barletta, including, “Illegal immigrants are destroying (Hazleton)” and “Illegal aliens are destroying the quality of life (in our town).”
{snip}
Barletta dismissed the criticism.
“Unfortunately, this is another group that left out one key word, and that word is ‘illegal,’” Barletta said. “I have never been against immigrants—quite the opposite. I have consistently welcomed new immigrants to Hazleton.
“However, illegal aliens are something different. As long as groups such as this one continue to confuse illegal aliens with lawful immigrants we will never have a meaningful discussion of this important issue.
“In fact, legal immigrants are discriminated against and hurt most by illegal immigration—and who’s speaking for them more than Lou Barletta,” he added.
Christians for Comprehensive Immigration Reform is a spinoff of “Sojourners” magazine [pubished by Jim Wallis]. It’s a coalition of about 100 religious groups—including the Mennonite Church U.S.A. and the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference—that favor a path to citizenship for people in the country illegally.
When formed, the group announced that one of its main intentions was to send 200,000 letters to Congress and the White House asking for “comprehensive immigration reform,” which critics call amnesty.
{snip}
Email L.A. Tarone at tarone@standardspeaker.com.
(Posted on April 17, 2008)
Comments
“When formed {Christians for Comprehensive Immigration Reform}, the group announced that one of its main intentions was to send 200,000 letters to Congress and the White House asking for “comprehensive immigration reform,” which critics call amnesty.”
Does this political group have tax-exempt status? If they do, where is the IRS?
Posted by Tim at 6:29 PM on April 17
This group might as well yell to a brick wall, because Lou Barletta won re-election as Mayor of Hazleton by winning both his own party’s (Republican) primary and the Democrat primary with write-in votes versus a credible Democrat contender. And he’s running for Congress this year, in PA-14, and I’ve also heard credible buss that he wants to challenge “Fast” Eddie Rendell for Governor in 2010.
Posted by Question Diversity at 6:46 PM on April 17
Advocating for illegal immigration and illegal immigrants is against existing U.S.immigration law—whether you are the worlds most popular religious organization or some obscure unknown one. This is what so many of these leftist and other groups cannot comprehend. Americans want to be under the protection of the laws they establish for OUR BENEFIT. PERIOD!!
Posted by Bobby at 6:48 PM on April 17
Well there is a saying: Communism is more Chrisitian than Christianity itself.
Posted by Jasper at 7:52 PM on April 17
Left wing or not - what notable/sizable Christian group or denomination in America does NOT more or less take this same position?
Posted by HH at 7:54 PM on April 17
I’m absolutely serious when I say groups like these should be put on Gangwatch Lists all over the internet, so that they can be monitored and prosecuted in certain instances.
Posted by Robert Kelly at 12:08 AM on April 18
Illegal immigrants are criminals, and nothing can be said to change that fact. Why is it that some people who may be otherwise law-abiding citizens say otherwise and support the illegals? I remember being told many years ago when I was doing a management legal course (I am a retired engineer, not a lawyer) you cannot break a law “by agreement”. You must get the law changed first. and in the event of any legal misunderstanding over a law’s wording, that is why judges exist to interpret the laws. No one should forget that principle. Legal immigrants are (hopefully) good citizens and are usually as patriotic as a native born citizen, proud of their new country, and that is why most of them are against illegal immigrants as well. They now identify with their new country and if they do not, it is called treason with the highest penalties if they commit crimes against their new home country that will endanger its sovereignty.
What is needed is a warning that all illegal (unregistered) immigrants will, on being caught, have a brand or tattoo placed on their forehead identifying them as such to make it easy to catch them if they return again.
Posted by Brian Deller at 4:18 AM on April 18
No one needs to “demonize” illegal aliens - they’ve done it themselves. They’ve committed their first crime (here) when they break into our country. From there, they go on to identity theft,fraudulent papers, stolen IDs, hiring out illegally, producing anchor babies that take money from taxpaying citizens,taking jobs from Americans, and all sorts of social services which affect citizens. They bring drugs, rape, rob, molest and murder. But, we must believe that they are our President’s “good, honest people only coming to put tacos on the table.”
Posted by June at 9:45 AM on April 18
These various “Christian” groups have embraced Liberation Theology. This, in essence, is the belief that religion should have a major effect on secular government and that Marxist egalitarianism should play a major role in religious actions. It believes there shouldn’t be a “seperation” between church and state. It is, in reality, “Christian Sharia”.
When the Sandinistas took power, there was a Jesuit priest who held a ministerial position in Ortega’s government. The priest saw no contradiction in this position and he was not alone.
These activists have nothing but contempt for most religious citizens when they assert Christ would have no problem with breaking secular laws. When questioned, Christ pointed out the difference between the secular and the religious by stating to give to Caesar that which was Caesar’s and to God that which was God’s.
Posted by George at 11:27 AM on April 18
If these so called Christians want to help third world people, go work as a missionary. The brown and black people that they advocate for are not Christians, and will not become Christians. They may attend a church if it somehow benefits them. They do not even want to be Americans. They want to rape this great company, and these groups are their facilitators.
Posted by Kellie at 3:59 PM on April 18
Some folks have a misconception of Christianity that should be corrected.
I was never baptised, and I never will be, but one of the things Jesus Christ said was
“Let he who has no sword sell his clothes and buy one.”
Of course, this has all sorts of meanings.
George’s point is clear, but not quite perfect. Mr. Christ also said, “Render unto Caesar those things that are Ceasar’s.”
I do not believe he was the son of a divine being, but instead a wise and patient man.
I have a saying of my own: “Worship not the messenger, but heed the message.”
Posted by Michael C. Scott at 4:58 PM on April 18
“…to embody the teachings of Christ and promote a message of love and respect towards immigrants, instead of fear and exclusion.”
You mean, to adopt a Christ-like view that sounds like: “Do I not hate them, O LORD, that hate Thee? And am I not grieved with them that rise up against Thee? I hate Thy Enemies, O LORD, with a Perfect Hatred- I count them my enemies”
-Psalm 139: 21-22
The Blasphemous IDIOCY that such groups as this protestant ‘blathertank’ utters, are completely overturned, once one knows the MIND OF THE CHURCH:
But what about loving your enemies, some would say?
“Love your enemies, bless them that curse you” – Matt. 5:44
Two questions arise:
A. Who then are YOUR enemies? But it would be Better to ask:
B. ‘Who, then, are Christ’s [God’s] enemies?’ [Deut. 4:6]
“Whoever curseth His God, shall bear his sin.”- Lev. 24:15
“Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation”- Mal. 3:9
“Then the King shall say, ‘Depart from me ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepare for the devil and his angels…and these shall go away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life eternal.’ ” – Matt.5: 41, 46
“And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, ‘Master, behold the fig tree which Thou cursedst is withered away.” – Mk. 11:21
It seems then that Jesus knew who his friends were, and who were His Enemies, and he NEVER confused the two!
What did the unfruitful fig tree stand for-which Christ himself cursed- He made clear who were the objects of his curse, having said in another place;
“Let no fruit grow on thee henceforth FOREVER’ – Matt. 21:19
St. Theodosius of the Kiev Caves Lavra - who not only was a Saint (One who walks with God) but was also Orthodox (or ’right- believing’- that is, a Member of the Church of Jesus Christ)- clearly defined for all Christendom who in the world our enemies were/are, those which we are requested to forgive: (as the Gospel clearly states)
And who are the enemies that we may NEVER forgive (as the Word of God ALSO clearly states!)-
“Live in peace not only with your friends, but also with your enemies; But only with your personal enemies, and not with the enemies of God.”
Therefore, all those who confuse the two, become, in effect, God’s ENEMIES, because they do not ‘judge righteously.’ All those as well, who side with the ENEMIES OF GOD, fall under the CURSE of GOD and of CHRIST.
If ‘God hath set the bounds of [the nation’s] habitations,’ then ALL ILLEGAL Aliens are CRIMINALS- they are also foreigners, of races that are never to be intermixed with the ‘holy seed’ of those that are the member nations/ethnicities of what once was called “Christendom” (i.e., WHITE Europe).
And Mr. Barletta’s action becomes that of a righteous ‘ethnarch’ (Ethnic ruling one) - a type of ruler considered a saint in Orthodox circles, for DEFENDING THIS OWN RACE against the ‘xenos’- the ‘other.’
Take your bad theology, and peddle it elsewhere. I prefer to believe the voice of the Ages, and the Word of God.
Posted by Fr. John at 10:04 AM on April 22
the group will hold a conference call to “call on Hazelton … to embody the teachings of Christ and promote a message of love and respect towards immigrants, instead of fear and exclusion.”
— — — — — — — — —
What brazen distortion! How devious they are! They absolutely REFUSE to address the issue of legality or even to use the word “illegal”. The issue here is NOT about immigrants. This is about illegal aliens.
Love and respect are very fine, but where does Christ enjoin us to love and respoct those engaged in committing a crime? Illegal entry is a crime. Illegal aliens have committed a criminal act.
These subversive groups supposedly promoting Christian love and charity engage, very cunningly, in deliberately confusing the issues. I love and respect my neighbors too, but I do not intend to let them invade my home and make it their own. They have theirs and I have mine. Since when is that called “hate”?
Posted by browser at 5:33 AM on April 25