Love The Stranger

Where is there a call for the illegal immigrants to repent of the sin of breaking the laws of our country and for them to go home? What kind of witness is it to the world for Christians to just disregard the laws we don’t happen to agree with?

“It’s so easy to hide behind “the law” and not struggle with the fact that undocumented workers are human beings with “unalienable rights” given to them by their Creator.”

It is also easy to slip into situational ethics. It is even easier to do something that gives us a warm and fuzzy feeling that we are doing good, like harboring illegal aliens, while our actions cause hardships on others, like the working poor of America.

Helping the illegal migrant feels good because we don’t think about our poor neighbor that couldn’t get a job at the meat packing plant because the owner hired illegal aliens at a cheaper rate. We don’t think about our poor neighbor that lost his construction job because the general contractor hired a crew of illegal migrants at a cheaper rate. We don’t think about their kids. We don’t think about their divorces over money. No, we exercise selective compassion. We pick and choose those deserving of our concern. In this case, we ignore the plight of the victims of illegal migrants, and reward those very criminals with our compassion…while they are still committing the crime!

With regard to Paul harboring the escaped slave Onesimus…I find your interpretation a little difficult. Paul was himself under house arrest and Roman Guard at the time he wrote to Philemon. How could Paul risk breaking the law about harboring slaves when he was already under arrest and in chains? How could Paul actually harbor a runaway slave in that situation? How is it that Paul and not the Roman authorities send Onesimus back?

It seems far more likely to me that Onesimus was converted under Paul’s ministry while they were prisoners together. It also seems much more likely that the Roman authorities actually sent Onesimus back to Philemon and that Paul has written on Onesimus’ behalf, so that his status would be changed when he returned to Philemon. I think that as a prisoner, Paul could only send Onesimus to Philemon figuratively and spiritually. They appear to have both been physically in custody of the Romans.

Another very important note: Paul offered to pay restitution for any harm or loss that Onesimus had caused.

You state as a fact that, “…the Apostle Paul was breaking the law by harboring a runaway slave.”

Where is it stated in the text that Paul, a prisoner under house arrest, was harboring a runaway slave?

You state, “Paul saw that there were two “laws” to consider. First was the “law” of “salvation,” as well as the law against runaway slaves.”

Where is it stated in the text that Paul saw that there were two laws to consider? Where in the text do the words “law of salvation” even occur? For that matter, what exactly is the “law of salvation”? That concept appears to be completely absent from Scripture.

You state, “Onesimus’ salvation and discipleship, clearly more important, meant Paul was willing to break the second law - for a time - to accomplish the first.”

Where is it stated in the text that Paul broke the law about runaway slaves?

You state, “Apparently Paul wasn’t highly concerned about his witness and being seen as a lawbreaker.”

Where in the text is that? Perhaps he wasn’t concerned about being a lawbreaker in regard to Onesimus because he had not actually broken any law about runaway slaves. The text makes no assertion that Paul was harboring Onesimus or that he had broken the laws concerning runaway slaves.

Finally, what “unalienable rights” of illegal migrants are being broken by ensuring that they receive due process and are either deported back to their home country or imprisoned for committing felonies while here in the U.S.? There is no unalienable right to illegally cross our borders, illegally take employment from Americans, or illegally commit identity fraud [or withhold paying taxes].

“These are human beings, not abstract ‘lawbreakers’.”

The victims of illegal migrants are human beings too, not abstract “statistics”.

30 years ago, when I was 14 years old, my first job was picking apples. My fellow workers were other high school kids and outpatients from the local mental hospital. I remember quite clearly the farmer/owner threatening to hire illegal migrants to replace us because they would cost him less. He did this as an incentive for us to work harder. He wasn’t a bad man, but even then, he was feeling the economic pressure because his competitors had hired illegal migrants. By the way, we were making a dollar an hour LESS than minimum wage, which is legal for farm labor. The farmer still had to pay Social Security and unemployment insurance for each of us. We had no benefits. Yet, the economic pressure was there because there was a ready work force of illegal migrants willing to work for less.

So yeah, this isn’t an abstract problem. It’s personal and the victims of illegal immigration have faces too! The selective compassion for illigal aliens, advocated by some, is immoral. It may be easy for someone in Academia to consider the victims of illegal migrants as abstract statistics, but for those of us that have worked in the fields or done construction work that have been victims of their crimes, it is very personal. For the working poor of America, this is a justice issue. The working poor are being oppressed by all those supporting illegal migrants. Further, the unscrupulous employers paying substandard wages and providing unsafe working conditions are being enabled by those advocating for the illegal aliens.

I urge everyone reading this article to go on and read about the victims of illegal aliens:

Illegal Immigration: The Impact on Wages and Employment of Black Workers
http://www.cis.org/articles/2008/briggstestimony040408.html

The Rainbow Coalition Evaporates
Black anger grows as illegal immigrants transform urban neighborhoods.
http://www.city-journal.org/2008/18_1_blacks_and_immigration.html

Some of the above posts describe outcomes regarding crime and jobs that don’t square with facts.

excepts from article on illegal immigrant crime from:
http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=7ecbeb…

As the [Dillingham] Immigration Commission of 1911 concluded: “No satisfactory evidence has yet been produced to show that immigration has resulted in an increase in crime disproportionate to the increase in adult population. Such comparable statistics of crime and population as it has been possible to obtain indicate that immigrants are less prone to commit crime than are native Americans.”

An upcoming report from the Immigration Policy Center further dispels the notion that immigration and crime are connected. Using data from the 2000 Census, the report shows that immigrants are less likely than the native-born to be behind bars. Among men age 18 to 39 (who comprise the vast majority of inmates in federal and state prisons and local jails), immigrants were five times less likely to be incarcerated than the native-born in 2000. About 3.5 percent of native-born men were in prison, compared with 0.7 percent of foreign-born men. Immigrants from Mexico, El Salvador and Guatemala were much less likely to be in prison than native-born, non-Hispanic whites. Roughly 0.7 percent of foreign-born Mexican men and 0.5 percent of foreign-born Salvadoran and Guatemalan men were in prison, compared with 1.7 percent of native-born, non-Hispanic white men.

From .pdf
http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/images/File/factcheck/Crime%20Fact%20Ch…

IMMIGRANTS AND CRIME: ARE THEY CONNECTED?

A Century of Research Finds that Crime Rates for Immigrants are Lower than for the Native-Born

Numerous studies by independent researchers and government commissions over the past 100 years repeatedly and consistently have found that immigrants are less likely to commit crimes or be behind bars than the native born. In the early decades of the 20th century, during the previous era of large-scale immigration, various federal commissions found lower levels of crime among the foreign-born than the native-born. More recently, the U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform reached a similar conclusion in a 1994 report, as have academic researchers
using data from the 1980, 1990, and 2000 Census; the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health; and the results of community studies in Chicago, San Diego, El Paso, and Miami.1

Violent and Property Crime Rates Fell as the Undocumented Population Doubled in Size

Regarding Jobs:

Wharton School of Business: (excerpts from article listed below)
http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=1754
Bernard Anderson, practice professor of management at Wharton, isn’t worried about the economic implications of immigration reform, mainly because he sees it having little long-term effect.

He also suspects that neither these workers nor future immigrant workers to the United States will crowd native workers out of jobs or put pressure on their wages. Two-thirds of illegal workers are concentrated in four industries: farming; personal service; food preparation, hospitality and tourism; and construction. In those industries, he says, immigrants are either filling job vacancies that would otherwise exist, or they are part of what labor economists called “noncompeting groups.”

…But David Card, a labor economist at the University of California at Berkeley, realized that one Sun Belt city, Miami, offered an ideal natural laboratory for studying the effects of immigration. Miami has long been a haven for immigrant workers, both legal and not. Many immigrants to the city, especially low-skilled workers, tend to come from Latin America. Spanish is spoken widely.
Yet in a paper published in 1990, Card found virtually no effect on the wages or unemployment rate of comparable Miami workers over the period stretching through 1985. Unemployment did rise in Miami over the five-year period, but it rose similarly in four metropolitan areas without an influx of new workers – Atlanta, Los Angeles, Houston and Tampa-St. Petersburg. In other words, the Marielitos didn’t cause the rise in joblessness.

…Wharton’s Anderson goes even further, arguing that, on balance, illegal immigrants contribute far more to the U.S. economy than they take. “Their employers pay Social Security taxes for all of them,” though they don’t receive benefits, he points out. “When they buy goods and services, they are paying sales taxes. Some of them have purchased homes and pay property taxes. And they are not people who are coming here to be on welfare. They are coming here to work.”

Personal observations:

My uncle farms sugar beets in southern Idaho. They have used immigrant labor to cultivate their fields for years. The last two years, due to the toughened immigrant sentiment, the number of available immigrant workers was much lower. He and many other farmers advertised, begged, raised wages… and could not find even a handful of U.S. citizens to work their fields. Yields were reduced due to competition with weeds. This past summer, they planted genetically modified roundup resistant varieties to try to beat the weeds, as farm laborers remain in short supply.

Last year, we had to put a new shingle roof on our house - hail. The company we hired used all legal Mexican workers and paid well over industry average wages, including benefits. I asked the white owner if he hired many U.S. citizens. His reply? I can’t find workers who will work this hard, will do any job without complaining, and will show up every day ready to work. He said probably 90% of roofing workers in our metro are Hispanic, for the above reasons.

I live and minister in the inner city in a very mixed race minority community. Personally I have yet to meet any person in our community who has been displaced by an immigrant worker.

Those of you who are so adamant against “illegals,” let me ask: Do you personally know any illegals? Are you forming your opinions based on personal knowledge, or listening to radio and so on?

I sure am not sensing much of a heart of mercy and compassion in this discussion. Maybe that becomes bibically optional if someone is a lawbreaker?

Regarding the stats on illegal crime that seem so divergent. The states statistics listed come from State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP. Read this comment regarding the reliability of those statistics. The statistics are so divergent from all other studies, that much scrutiny of their reliability has been taken. The conclusions below are characteristic of findings:

This issue of undocumented aliens is a complex one that calls for a response on the basis of ALL of Scripture, not just those passages or interpretations that fit a particular bias or preconception.

Concerning Philemon, the traditional and most common view is that Onesimus had been a slave of Philemon and escaped to Rome where he met the Apostle Paul and was converted. Assuming that Onesimus encountered Paul during his imprisonment in Rome, Acts 28:16 suggests that Paul had been given preferential treatment as a prisoner, since he was allowed to live by himself under Roman guard. The entire book of Philemon presupposes that Onesimus was under Paul’s care rather than a prisoner of the state. It is likely that Onesimus, having heard of Paul in his master’s house, was seeking asylum and protection from the Apostle. Under Roman law, anyone who harbored a runaway slave was considered an accomplice to the crime and owed the slave’s master remuneration for each day’s labor lost. The text clearly indicates that it was Paul, and not the Roman authorities, who sent Onesimus back to Philemon (vs. 12), though he did this reluctantly and with a letter asking that Onesimus be received back “both as a man and as a brother in the Lord” (vs. 16).

This small book is instructive for the issue of undocumented aliens in two respects. First, it shows how Paul sought to balance respect for the law with compassion for another human being. If we lose sight of either of these concerns, our response is less than Christian. Second, Paul’s response demonstrates the importance of seeking solutions to complex issues on the basis of the “law of love” that transcends legal sanctions. While Paul complied with the Roman law, he did so in a way that also affirmed the dignity and worth of Onesimus, both as a person and as a fellow believer.

Paul realized that, at its root, the problem of slavery was an issue of the heart. As hearts were changed by the gospel of love the quality of relationships could be elevated and an institution that was a source of much conflict and abuse could be transformed from within and eventually eliminated. I believe the same is true of the issue of undocumented aliens. And it has to begin with the Church! Christians are not responding on the basis of the gospel of love when they call for the deportation of 11-12 million illegal aliens, a policy that is not only unrealistic and economically unsustainable, but would devastate thousands of families. Churches are also not complying with the gospel of love when they support the policies of sanctuary cities that protect criminal aliens who steal, rape, and kill. Between these two extremes I believe it is possible to find common ground on an immigration policy that is humane and just and recognizes the right of any nation to control its boarders for the safety of its citizens.

The story of Onesimus has particular relevance for Hispanic churches whose congregations are made up of believers that are here both legally and illegally. The fastest growing segment of born again believers in America today is of Hispanic descent. As with many undocumented aliens, most of the illegals in our Hispanic churches have come to the U.S. to escape extreme poverty and hunger and other oppressive circumstances. So, for these churches this issue is hardly an abstract one!

When Paul accepted Onesimus into his company he was following the OT law of hospitality. (He alludes to this principle in vs. 22.) Leviticus 19:33-34 called for the Israelites to treat the alien as they would one of their own native-born. And Deut. 10:18-19 stipulated that they were to love the aliens, giving them food and clothing. In his letter to the Ephesians Paul alludes to Leviticus 19 when he states: “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God.” (Eph. 2:19). We, who were once strangers and aliens because of our sin, have been welcomed into the household of faith solely on the basis of God’s mercy (vss. Eph. 2: 4-5). Since none of us deserve God’s mercy, what basis do we have for denying the same mercy to others, even those we deem to be “undeserving”? (cf. Luke 6:36) Indeed, Scripture indicates that our fidelity to Christ himself will be judged on the basis of how we treat the stranger in our midst (Matt. 25:37-46).

But the NT also makes it clear that there are limits to hospitality. Those who are characterized by false teachings, immorality, and divisiveness are not to be welcomed or provided with material and social support (II Jn. 9-11; Jude 4, 8, 12, 10). There are those who cross our boarders illegally for malevolent reasons. Again, we should oppose sanctuary policies that prohibit law enforcement officials from informing immigration officials about aliens who are in our nation illegally and commit crimes. Even with guest worker programs which allow undocumented aliens to stay while they are put on a path to citizenship, there should be extensive criminal background checks and satisfaction of other criteria that fulfill the due process of law. Priority for scarce jobs should be given to U.S. citizens and immigrants who are here legally. Following the example of Paul with Onesimus (vss. 17) churches can help undocumented aliens who wish to comply with the law make the transition to legal status and provide financial support while they seek legitimate employment. Offering hospitality to aliens in a world characterized by sin, injustice, and brokenness will never be easy. May God give grace and wisdom to His Church in addressing this difficult issue!

I don’t think that massive deportation is practical, but I do think that the government should aggressively enforce the law in prosecuting those that hire the illegal aliens. If there are no illegal jobs for them, they will not come here illegally and those that are here illegally will leave on their own accord.

Amnesty has already been tried back in the Reagan administration. The 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act provided amnesty for undocumented aliens already in the country. Far from improving the situation, things only got worse.

We need to control our borders. We need to protect the most vulnerable of our citizens in the labor market. We need to crack down on employers that hire illegal workers. Perhaps there should be an incentive for companies to report on their competitors if they are hiring illegals.

By the way, over 66% of illegal aliens pay no income tax.

“”But like we who want to help the stranger…we are exercising compassion and the great commission.”

Where is the compassion for the victims of the illegal aliens?

Once lucrative jobs in meat packing are taken by illegals and wages depressed:

Dobbs: Radical groups taking control of immigrant movement

“In fact, a meat-packing job paid $19 an hour in 1980, but today that same job pays closer to $9 an hour, according to the Labor Department. That’s entirely consistent with what we’ve been reporting – that illegal aliens depress wages for U.S. workers by as much as $200 billion a year in addition to placing a tremendous burden on hospitals, schools and other social services.”
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/12/15/meatindustry/
*******************************************************************************
Hispanics in Iowa Meatpacking

“Hispanics and Asians now dominate the labor forces of midwestern
meatpacking, an industry that has come full circle in the 20th
century. It was first an entry-level job for immigrants, then a
high-wage industrial job for the native -born, and is once again at
the end of the century an immigrant job.”
http://migration.ucdavis.edu/rmn/more.php?id=66_0_2_0
*******************************************************************************
Meatpacking industry has a long history of reliance on immigrant laborer

“By the 1930s, unions were able to bring the black workers on board and as a result, the conditions and pay within the packing houses improved significantly in the ensuing decades. In fact, from 1950 to the late 1960s, the unions were so successful that meatpacking became one of the highest paying segments of U.S. manufacturing. At its height, meatpacking was one of the most organized industries in the nation with approximately 80 percent of its workers union members.

As a result of wages 25 percent higher than other manufacturing jobs, most meatpackers actually had waiting lists of people wanting jobs. It was not uncommon to find employees with 20-plus years employment at the same company. The idea that meatpacking was a job that most citizens would not do had been shattered by decades of organized labor gains. The children of meatpackers were going to college and often returning to the packing plants to work because the pay and benefits were so good. Meatpacking jobs had become a fast track to middle class living.”
http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20061226/NEWS/112230087
*******************************************************************************

Jesus would have had compassion on the displaced workers whose jobs were stolen by the illegal aliens. He would have had compassion on their families. He would have had compassion on the children of the workers who lost their jobs to these illegal aliens.

We Americans at times have selective memory.

How Preachers Incited Revolution
Angry colonists were rallied to declare independence and take up arms because of what they heard from the pulpit.
http://www.christianitytoday.com/holidays/fourthofjuly/features/50h010.h…

Ignoring the law is a two edged sword.

Hospitals in Florida are being decimated by illegal aliens:

Feds Ignore Hospital’s Illegal Immigrant Reports

http://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2008/jun/feds-ignore-hospital-s-illega…

Unless those “exercising compassion and the great commission” are willing to start paying those hospital bills and compensating those displaced workers and their families, I suggest they are actually exercising cheap grace. They can talk about their feel-good civil disobedience with all the flowery terms they want, but the truth remains that they are excercising selective compassion in support of criminals while pouring salt in the wounds of the victims of those criminals.

We should also talk about compensating the victims of identity theft and violent crime that illegal aliens commit enmass. When only 4% of the population makes up 20% of the criminal population there is a problem. Proponents of illegal aliens have tried to dismiss the criminal element from the discussion citing a statistic that only .7 percent of those incarcerated in America are illegal aliens. However, since illegal aliens make up only about 4% of the overall population (using 12 million as the estimate), having .7% of them incarcerated means that over 17.58% (more if women and children are not considered) of all illegal aliens are incarcerated criminals making up fully 20% of the total prison population. (Much more in some states.)

Oh yes, proponents of illegal aliens should also be busy figuring out how much income tax that the 66% of illegal aliens are not paying so that they can pick up the tab. After all, Paul offered to pay the expenses that Onesimus had caused Philemon and that is the proof text we are using, right?

Until that compensation is calculated and offered, proponents of illegal aliens are exercising cheap grace and selective compassion. Folks cannot look the other way at the suffering the illegal aliens cause in order to support them with their “compassion”.