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Anti-Immigrant Hardliners Declare War on the Clergy

Nativist groups are pulling an old strategy out of their play book as they attack members of the clergy.
October 15, 2009  |  
 
 
 
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Nativist groups are pulling an old strategy out of their play book as they attack members of the clergy. This tired exercise includes identifying a constituency that is in support of solving our nation’s immigration problems (currently the religious community), coordinating with other like-minded groups to disseminate faulty arguments (this time using the bible to condemn immigrants), claiming to be acting in the name of someone other than your self (in this case the American worker), and finally going after them with all the fervor you can muster to convince them that the bible preaches against helping strangers, that leaving the status quo in place is good for American workers and see how many spiritual leaders you can peel off.

The fact of the matter is, these restrictionist groups will do and say just about anything to stop progress towards immigration reform—but their latest attempts to divide people do not stop at the parish door. Attempting to turn the religious community against immigrants is ironic given that communities of faith have been at the forefront of fighting for immigrants rights for many years. At a time when xenophobia and angry rhetoric aimed at immigrants has become rampant, Catholics, Lutherans, Evangelicals, Jews, and Muslims have and continue to stand up for immigrants—even when many other groups do not.

Another shortcoming with restrictionist strategy is the claim that they are standing up for the American worker. Number one, they have no track record of ever doing so. Number two, the commitment by labor unions like SEIU and AFL-CIO to work towards immigration reform shows that the real defenders of the American worker are already on board for change.


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Faith Leader support Greed
Posted by: DAD77 on Oct 15, 2009 11:01 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
People migrating to the US are usually doing so for economic gain. That is, they want to make more money, have more things, better secular education opportunities. Yes, they want their children to have what they did not. This is a worldly view for their motives rather than to increase their spirituality. The faith communities are thus promoting greed in their activism rather than faith and spirituality.

It starts by breaking the law coming here or not returning after the visa expires. Then to work, many get forged papers. Then to get a house or apartment, the deception is repeated. I hear so often, "That's just the way it is done..."

What kind of an example is that for our children -- "The law only counts when it works in your favor." And if you favor money and possessions, you can convince yourself of a great many laws not to follow, including God's. Now, are the children better off spiritually? Are the immigrants who live in fear of the authority better off?

Justice and mercy are biblical principals. Scriptures clearly designate government authorities to make laws and enforce order. Christians are obligated to submit to these authorities not only out of fear but out of conscience. Standards of justice are not fully moral if they are not accompanied by judgment and punishment.

Shame on the faith leaders for accepting and encouraging corruption.

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Illegal versus Immigrant
Posted by: DAD77 on Oct 15, 2009 12:06 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Your article again mixes facts for all immigrants when faith leaders are actually advocating "illegal immigration." Your source document doesn't have references to "illegal," "undocumented" or "law" (Except that it was funded by the Immigration Law Foundation).

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Regarding the statement, "most native-born workers do not compete with most immigrants."
Posted by: vertical on Oct 15, 2009 2:33 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Regarding the line, "most native-born workers do not compete with most immigrants." I love to garden, and if I could get a job making say $20.00 an hour gardening then I would be happy as a clam, but at $5.00 I could not survive. The illegal immigrant will garden at $5.00 an hour and live ten in a one bedroom apartment. The line should read, "Citizens will not do the jobs illegals will do at slave wages."

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Same old AlerNet anti-worker crap
Posted by: JPHickey on Oct 15, 2009 4:10 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Articles like this in the past had led me to delete AlterNet without reading it. Keeping this up, and I'll just unsubscribe.

Illegal aliens are doing work here in Sedona, work that I was doing in past years. I put up with them living ten to a little cottage, and I put up with them in front of the line at the food bank, where young illegal alien mothers get the best, while those of us in our "Golden Years" get a can of green beans. (It's food bank policy).

Larger local businesses don't hire them because people like me would and will file complaints.

We all know that illegal aliens get free medical care through the back door (emergency room). My unexpected visit to the emergency room cost medicare almost $2,000, and no serious problem was found. Think of what it would have cost if there had really been some serious health condition. Thousands, and an illegal aliens do cost us immensely for their health care, especially since they don't get preventative medical care.

Many states are cutting down medicade and medicare for our poor citizens as we speak. I expect our citizens to take precidence over illegal aliens. In fact I demand it!

AlterNet is just intentionally pusing my hot button, and it works. By getting me stirred up, I will take action (legally) to control the illegal dilution of our already diluted system we would like to having serve our own people.

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I agree that those, like Dad77, who wave their bibles
Posted by: tom.trog69 on Oct 15, 2009 7:49 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
and pretend like their being "Christian" by telling impoverished people that they need to go starve somewhere else, are hypocritical know-nothings.

However, at what point do the US citizenry have a right to know why the Mexican government can take a crap on the workers there, and it somehow becomes our job to help those that Calderon has no intention to help?

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Entitlement package too expensive ...
Posted by: Ligeia on Oct 15, 2009 9:33 PM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
We grant immigrants way too many entitlements:
1. free educations for them and all their children;
2. free total healthcare;
3. free rent;
4. assorted freebies like transportation passes etc.;
5. food stamps.

Don't forget Affirmative Action for them and all their children; and Social Security for their old folks.

In return they work for slave wages, which they can afford, since fed govt is basically supporting them & their whole family.

In effect, we have the fed govt granting businesses a subsidy; instead of having to pay everyone fair wages, they can severely underpay their immigrant workers, while fed govt makes up the difference.

The package being offered to these immigrants is worth well over $50K per family per year. And, what do we Americans get in return?

High taxes, and nothing else.

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I'm sorry but I wish we could close all borders...
Posted by: Razional Thinker on Oct 16, 2009 12:22 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
this is not the financial time to be loosey-goosey in regards to immigration. I have no animosity towards immigrants from any country but since the US is struggling and our unemployed stats are in the double digits, it makes no sense to bring others aboard on a tilting ship.

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Clergy should be attack for being clergy.
Posted by: The Antichrist on Oct 16, 2009 5:10 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Those stupid fucks profess the Bronze Age teaching of a magic sky god. They are scum and if war needs to be declared, it should be on them.

By the way, there is quantifiable evidence that latinos are both more religious and have lower IQs than whites. Coincidence?

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You scum bags are tools of corporate and aristocratically oppression.
Posted by: The Antichrist on Oct 16, 2009 5:17 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Mexico is in the top 10% of wealthy nations. They have more than enough resources to support their populations. Instead the wealthy, White European descended aristocracy hands the illiterate Brown Aztecs a comic book on how to violate US immigration laws.

Supporters of Mexican immigrants are Pro Racist, Pro Aristocracy and Anti Worker.

Mexicans: Revolt or Starve. I will not support you in my country.

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American's must decide? Not Politicians?
Posted by: Brittanicus on Oct 16, 2009 10:52 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
This is the amount of incredulous influence the--OPEN BORDER--lobbyists (business power brokers and ethnic zealots)) have on certain Democratic devious rabble? Once again the senate top echelon have huddled secretly (BEHIND CLOSED DOORS), recklessly placing E-Verify worker identification system in jeopardy. The obnoxious

R-O-P-E Senate group as its being called on the Internet and nationwide, who are marked as Reid, Obama, Pelosi Emmanuel have indifferently pushed American Workers in the background, allowing the millions of illegal aliens to take their jobs. They have driven into the ground amendments from appearing in the final Homeland Security "conference committee" bill. They eradicated--ANY CHANCE--of a Senate's permanent authorization of the E-Verify program.

They have religiously under-funded, undermined the Senate's mandate to beef up and complete the final 300 mile Mexican border fence. Then again it was never the original border wall as designed by Rep. Duncan Hunter. Illegal Aliens would have first had to scale the--FIRST--fence, run across the two lane highway for the Border Patrol vehicles, then scale an identical--SECOND FENCE. Under funded and weakened just like E-Verify, the police 287(g) arrest and detainment and ceasing the massive ICE raids. Finally the ROPE group strangled the Senate (already) passed ability of countrywide businesses to run their previous hires employees through E-Verify. So you can guess this is a harbinger to drop on the AMERICAN WORKER YET ANOTHER ULTIMATELY EXPENSIVE BLANKET AMNESTY. THOSE TAXPAYERS WILL BE FORCED TO PICK UP A TRILLION DOLLAR TAB. Be advised that Reid D-NV , Pelosi D-CA have one of the largest population of illegal immigrants in the country, who they are subservient too. Remember to expend your frustration and anger at 202-224-3121on your lawmakers. They are juggling with millions of American Workers job lifeline, by pandering to people who shouldn't even be here?


MY SUGGESTION IS DON"T BUY ANY SERVICES FROM BUSINESS THAT DOESN'T DISPLAY THE E-VERIFY PLACARD. Remember the real conniving happens in rooms hidden from the public awareness in conference committees. In addition, Remember Harry Reid as an incumbent Senator who carries the blemish of being anti-American Worker, Anti-Sovereignty must not be re-elected. Speaker Pelosi must go? So must Emmanuel? They have proved they cannot be trusted As NUMBERSUSA president says," With no chance now of E-Verify dying in any minute, because they couldn't annul the 3 year extension? The pro-amnesty forces no longer can try to use it as a bargaining chip. States, counties, cities and businesses can now be quite confident that they can set policy based on the E-Verify program being around." IT'S NOT PERMANENT YET THANKS TO ROPE. This group has given preference to illegal workers instead of the 15 million authorized AMERICAN WORKERS. COMPREHEND MORE OF THE CORRUPTION THAT CANNOT BE DENIED BY POLITICIANS AT JUDICIAL WATCH. NUMBERSUSA will explain in detail the consequences, that includes the 2010 Census, Health Care, hidden welfare programs, Anchor babies, criminals amongst the illegal immigration occupiers. CAPSWEB for OVERPOPULATION information.

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Ooops... AlterNet Finally Decides It "Likes" Religion...
Posted by: ChicagoWay on Oct 16, 2009 11:53 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
...after all.

Instead of another article attacking religion/Christians as nothing but a bunch of ignorant "racist" they now post one defending "the clergy" and "evangelicals" from ruthless attacks by racist anti-immigrant forces. lol

Atta boy AlterNet... always knew you could learn to respect religion (when you need to).

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DAD77
Posted by: DAD77 on Oct 16, 2009 2:48 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
"Declaring war on clergy" is much different from questioning their motives. The faith leaders have voted to support amnesty for illegal aliens. It seems the clergy are more for filling up their empty pews and coffers than for increasing the sprirituality of their flock.

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The Census Provides Money To Church Groups Who Provide
Posted by: desidid on Oct 18, 2009 8:51 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
a social safety net for "illegal aliens" according to the census bureau. I used to be able to find the section but, I guess they changed the search criteria.

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Here Is Some Interesting Information About Bush's Policy To Expand Homeownership Among Illegals
Posted by: desidid on Oct 18, 2009 9:59 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]

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Hardliner
Posted by: DAD77 on Oct 19, 2009 9:53 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Anti-Immigrant Hardliner = person who wants the law enforced.

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