the sojourner

Calvin (btw, great name),
You said, “Octavio,
do you believe that, in context, Jesus was not a political figure? to those that followed Him, there were laws set forth that weren’t just “moral�, but also man held laws that have lasted.�

Although I’m a little unclear about what you are asking, I will say that I think many people use Jesus to give their opinions moral force. The political left claims Jesus. The political right claims Jesus. I’m surprised there hasn’t been a HWJV (How Would Jesus Vote) campaign. Looking at the Ancient Text, you can find this exchange between a Roman ruler and Jesus:

“Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “It was your people and your chief priests who handed you over to me. What is it you have done?” Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.” –John 18:35—36

You later said, “as far as mexico (example) of not taking care of there own, is that not more of a reason to take care of them�
I say Yes and no…YES, but if and only if you can do so without hurting other people in the process. Think through the consequences of any action or policy. Here’s an example, I stated back on May 28th that, The Mayor of LA has reopened the Office of Immigration to help any immigrant, regardless of status to receive all the social benefits they can get. Is it appropriate to take money from citizens and legal immigrants to pay for the services that ILLEGAL immigrants consume? At the federal level, on Saturday, May 14th, the Senate voted to allow ILLEGAL immigrants to collect the Social Security benefits based on past ILLEGAL employment. Does this make economic and moral sense?

For every dollar the Mayor of LA and the Senate gave to an ILLEGAL immigrant, they took away from a legal resident who depended on the assistance. When hospitals are closed down by the overwhelming financial burden placed on them by ILLEGAL immigrants, who suffers? The residents of that community who depended on the local medical center. Is anyone harmed when ILLEGAL immigrants do manual labor for less than a “livable wage�? Yes, the large unskilled labor pool made up of legal residents.

Calvin, how can you feel good about any policy that helps one group by hurting another group? Would you take away assistance from legal residents to give it to ILLEGAL immigrants? How does your support of ILLEGAL immigration policies, which harm, take away from or force the poor legal residents/citizens, to compete for limited resources with ILLEGALS correspond with your Christian worldview? And why would you force other people to pay for your convictions?

Further, I think most folks have the wrong idea about who’s coming to the United States ILLEGALLY…less than 10% are unemployed. Some estimates are as low as 5%. This means that almost 90% of ILLEGAL immigrants have a job in Mexico, but make more money here. When they’re here, they buy homes, cars, obtain credit cards and still send money back home. Other ILLGEAL immigrants do seasonal work here. Not just farm workers, but laborers of all types. They work, make American dollars, go home to sneak back in at a later time. That the border is so porous concerns me. Who else is sneaking in with possible nefarious motives?

You later state that, “I would hate for it to degenerate into a race issue or culturside issue, but humans are humans. in most cases that should outweigh statutory laws based on geographical components.�

To that I would say, Hey man…I am not denying ILLEGAL immigrants their humanity, but neither am I forgetting the humanity of the legal residents of this country. So, again, what should you do (not the general we of church, America, whoever…you)? What should you do? How would you help? What have “you� done to address the poverty, pain of people around immediately next to you? Have completely you exhausted every possible form of assistance you can personally offer to your neighbors, the members of the city where you live, or even your brothers and sisters in your spiritual community?

Further on you said, “I’m sure you’re proud to be an American and your opinion (as well as fact recitation) matter, but your “devils advocate� approach is making you unappealing as a human. sorry, just an opinion.�

Well, the opinions I share and the facts I cite only matter if they correspond with reality. Now at the risk of straining my arm by patting myself on my back and opening myself to further criticism, my family or I have…
• Housed immigrants…
• Sent money, clothes and/or medicines to Mexico…
• Assisted friends or family members to gain legal residency in the United States…
• Been blood donors and organized blood drives…
• Volunteered three years as a chaplain for two local police agencies and helped as a Spanish speaking liaison…
• My wife was a community liaison for a local elementary school; her primary focus being the Spanish speaking community…
• She organized parenting, English speaking and citizenship classes…
• On vacations days my wife and I spent time in Mexican orphanages…
• Spoken on several occasions at the LA Rescue Mission and half-way houses…
• I taught the apologetics course for pastors after I completed my apologetics training at BIOLA University
• Volunteered as head usher, VBS director, Jr high school, and Sr high school for a church of 3K adults…
• Trained/supported a paid youth pastor…
• My wife and I opened our home to: women escaping domestic violence, recovering drug addicts, teenagers thrown out of their homes, recent releases from a local state mental health institution (In some cases these folks lived with us for three years or more)…
• Apart from this I have officiated funerals for Hispanic murder victims and teenage suicides at no charge…
• I’ve done hospital visits and death notifications…
• I’ve given rides to strangers, marriage counseling for free and my time to anyone who is hurting…
• Brought people home for dinner that I met on my bus commute…
• I volunteered at past presidential campaigns…
• Contributed to the renovation of the Statue of Liberty (check the list of donors and you’ll find my name)…
• All of this while I worked full time in sales, sales training or as a sales analyst…
• Sometimes commuting on a bus for up to 2½ hours a day before the I owned a cell phone or laptop…
• But I would use this time to prepare for the weekly Bible study, which I taught for twelve years, and during that time I also…
• Taught a Spanish Bible study for one year, but I still…
• Attended five weekly services at my church…
• While raising, home schooling three kids and being married to a terrific woman.

So, if it’s your opinion that my remarks make me seem “unappealing as a human� I can live with that. I’ve done, served, lived, and given more than some folks…and less that many others.

Second, I am not “playing devil’s advocate.� I am not playing at all. I am deeply troubled about this nation’s suicidal ILLEGAL immigration policies and the misguided intentions of good people, which will produce disastrous results. I am genuinely asking believers to think through their ideas by hosting this conversation to uncover individual solutions to ILLEGAL immigration and demonstrate why government (or corporate) approaches usually fail.

This country’s open border policy does more harm than most folks imagine. Just Google: sex trade, indentured servitude, drug smuggling, destruction of personal property (to name just a few)…all made possible by a porous border…a border, which logistically could be made secure in several weeks

If the low estimate of 11 million ILLEGAL immigrants is correct, imagine if only half of them protested in the country of their origin. I mean if 5 million Mexican nationals would organize, march, protest and demand change in Mexico, change would happen. After all, Mexico is not China or North Korea; she will not shoot her citizens.

Finally, I am for individuals who roll up their sleeves, open their wallets and get involved in the lives of ILLEGALS, but I am absolutely, unashamedly against any pro-ILLEGAL immigration policy that harms people in this country.

One last thought…last weekend in Maywood, CA the American flag was taken down from the post office and the Mexican flag raised in its place. You know Calvin, I use live in the next town over and I remember Maywood as a clean orderly bedroom community of Los Angeles. Now it is choked full of ILLEGAL immigrants. As a first-generation American of Mexican descent, I cannot with a clear conscience give these people a pass.