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Alabama Bishops Condemn Immigration Law

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Posted on Aug 13, 2011
Flickr / NatalieMaynor (CC-BY)

A broad and controversial immigration enforcement law in Alabama has even religious leaders in the state uneasy because many of them believe the law stands in their way of being good Christians.

Saying the law criminalizes their efforts to be good Samaritans, three Christian bishops recently joined a growing number of groups who are challenging the law in court, including the American Civil Liberties Union, a number of teachers’ unions, the U.S. Justice Department and even 16 foreign countries.

The statute not only makes it legal for law enforcement officers to attempt to determine the immigration status of people they pull over for traffic violations, but also makes it a crime to “transport, harbor or rent property to people who are known to be in the country illegally.” Furthermore, the law makes void any contracts with illegal immigrants.

The situation here is a bit out of the norm for liberal politics, with the left in this case citing biblical principles to support its stance, but hey, the more challengers to such a discriminatory law, the merrier! —BF

The New York Times:

An Episcopal bishop, a Methodist bishop and a Roman Catholic archbishop, all based in Alabama, sued on the basis that the new statute violated their right to free exercise of religion, arguing that it would “make it a crime to follow God’s command to be Good Samaritans.”

“The law,” said Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi of Mobile, “attacks our core understanding of what it means to be a church.”

While church leaders have spoken out against similar laws elsewhere, Alabama is the only state where senior church leaders have gone so far in formal, organized opposition. But the law in Alabama, a state with an estimated 120,000 illegal immigrants, according to the Pew Hispanic Center, goes further than any other.

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By frecklefever, August 14, 2011 at 11:33 am Link to this comment

ALL THE ANTI ILLEGAL LEGISLATION AND ENFORCEMENT IS AN
ADVERTISEMENT SAYING TO POTENTIAL ILLEGALS STAY HOME…THE
INVASION HAS TO END AT SOME POINT DOES IT NOT…

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By Brittanicus, August 13, 2011 at 7:58 pm Link to this comment

Education for the children of illegal migrants and immigrants constitutes the sole largest outlay to taxpayers, at an annual price tag of nearly $52 billion. Virtually all of those expenses are absorbed by state and local governments. At the federal level, only about one-third of outlays are matched by tax collections from illegal aliens. At the state and local level, an average of less than 5 percent of the public costs is allied with the illegal immigration occupation and recouped through taxes collected from illegal nationals. Nearly all illegal aliens do not pay income taxes; only those who do, much of the revenues collected are refunded to the illegal immigrants when they file tax returns. Many are also claiming tax credits resultant in payments from the U.S. Treasury.  Please note this is not a static expenditure, but these dollars amounts are raising all the time.

Ask yourself, why the Grand Canyon State of Arizona had not choice, but to clamp down against the massive dollar amounts spent to appease illegal alien homesteads How can a small South Western state that is mostly desert, afford to pay out $2 Billion dollars annually for foreigners? Then again—how can Leftist legislators in Sacramento, California, justify taking taxpayer’s money and giving it to illegal aliens when these persons truly don’t exist, other than in ICE enforcement records or Homeland Security? HAS ANY READER THOUGHT OF CHECKING THEIR STATES PAYOUT TO FOREIGN NATIONALS? Although they come here through the magnet of jobs, welfare and each year bring their children. The estimates of 300.000 babies enter via a broken, intermittent border fence, that can no-way be fully enforced without the deployment of troops. Instant citizen for babies is above most payments, is an incredulous cost forced on taxpayers by Liberal judges legislating from their gavel.

Because entering America without papers is not a—FELONY—it is essentially a giant hole in the wall, which imports not only millions of illegal aliens, but a massive population of criminals; bringing death, mayhem and ID theft on the unsuspecting citizens and residents. As I said in my commentary yesterday, the only way to sever the incentive of jobs (which I never thought I would admit) is issuing every citizen and legal resident a government ID CARD. This could be used to get employed US workers. (8 million illegal aliens have stolen jobs from mostly low income Americans according to reputable sources.) The same official ID card could be presented for voting; instead of the mess we have now, with convicted felons, deceased and illegal aliens, fraudulently using the election process to alter an elections direction.

You would also use this federal ID CARD to be checked against other data bases, official birth records to see if you have the right to be issued a driver’s license, vehicle insurance, welfare or other Public entitlements. I shouldn’t gloat over the welfare payouts in California, but it is a self inflicted wound caused by the Liberals in the capitol. California, the Godfather of Sanctuary State has a $19 Billion dollar budget gap, with a staggering cost of $21 Billion $ according to the National Conference of State Legislators in 2009. We must wonder how the welfare costs have escalated in two years in the once Golden State?

MY EARLIER BLOGS:  http://brittanicus-enoughisenough.blogspot.com/               
No Copyright. Distribute Freely.

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By Brittanicus, August 13, 2011 at 7:55 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

It’s been said many times before, that American cannot afford to subsidize Mexico, Central America, Europe, Pacific Rim or other nation; its inhabitants impoverished and desperate illegal immigrants anymore?  This illogical problem is crippling America’s economy by the massive payouts for families, which have migrated illegally across our sovereign border.


Of course open border disciples, business lobbyist will deny the obvious, that this illegal incursion is drowning us in debt—with no end in sight.  (FAIR) American Federation of Immigration Reform that of 2009, reported that overall costs to subsidize the illegal alien household was calculated through, federal, State, County and Municipal sources that it was a $113 Billion dollar problem. Federation for American Immigration Reform issued a report in which they estimate the total annual costs of illegal immigration at the federal, state and local level is estimated to be $113 billion combined. The states are bearing the burden of the costs; while the government share is nearly $29 billion, it escalates to $84.2 billion at the state and local level. The annual outlay that illegal aliens cost U.S. taxpayers is an average amount per native-headed household of $1,117. The state-by-state breakdown begins on page 4 of this report at: http://www.fairus.org/site/DocServer/USCostStudy_2010.pdf?docID=4921

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By TDoff, August 13, 2011 at 5:10 pm Link to this comment

Alabama’s religious leaders believe the law stands in the way of their being good Christians!?

WTF, Alabama has a law that requires bishops, preachers, priests, ministers, et.al. to be money-grubbing, hypocritical, mendacious, pedophilic, pompous, pious, pretenders and sexual deviates?!

That’s disgraceful. Alabama should rescind that law.

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By raja1031, August 13, 2011 at 4:42 pm Link to this comment

This law shouldn’t prevent anyone from practicing the tenets of his or her religion.  If you’re outraged by the law then there’s always civil disobedience.  Ignore the law, follow your conscience and go to jail. Remember MLK???

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By kerryrose, August 13, 2011 at 2:10 pm Link to this comment

Wow.  Finally churches puts their foot down, and in Alabama, too.  I thought Alabama had its share of Evangelical types, like Palin, who believe God rewards in money and so the protection of the monied elite is working for god.

The current ‘Christians’ don’t resemble any type of Christianity that I know.  I was just a regular Catholic who learned (a) money is necessary but a bit tacky (b) we should help the poor.

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By Maggie, August 13, 2011 at 1:23 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Jesus would be an immigrant.

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By ribbie149, August 13, 2011 at 12:59 pm Link to this comment

Jesus would not be voting Republican’t these days.

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