The rationale behind the conference was to gauge conservative Christian responses to what Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council (FRC) calls, "the immigration crisis" and to apply a "Judeo-Christian worldview" to public policy issues. The panelists included Senator Sam Brownback and Representative Tom Tancredo of Colorado. Representative Tancredo chairs the Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus, and he is a hero to groups like the Minutemen Project, an anti-immigration citizen group that patrols the borders to deter illegal immigrants. According to Tancredo,
We send troops thousands of miles away to fight terrorists, but we refuse to put them on our own border to keep them out. We will never be able to win in the clash of civilizations, if we don't know who we are. If Western civilization succumbs to the siren song of multiculturalism, I believe we're finished.
The panelists also included Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, Jr., the head of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, an evangelical group with fifteen million members. Their mission statement reads, To lead the Hispanic Evangelical Church in America for the purpose of transforming our culture, preserving our Judeo Christian Value System and building the spiritual, intellectual and social/political capital within the Hispanic American Community. In his talk at the Family Research Council conference, Rodriguez reminded listeners that his organization had supported the Family Research Council on gay marriage issues. It was the Family Research Council's turn, he argued, to publicly endorse laws that would put illegal immigrants on the path to citizenship. "We are the gatekeepers and the loudest oracles of family values, and you can't be consistently pro-family value and then on an issue that impacts 12 million families, not be there." At the same time, Rodriguez claimed that the U.S. should immediately stop all illegal immigration and increase border protection in order to protect the exploitation of workers attempting to enter the U.S. illegally.
The Family Research Council also recently posted results from their Value Voters Immigration Survey. The FRC designed the internet survey to ascertain how "values voters" view the immigration debate. Most respondents rated the importance level of immigration below judicial activism, "protecting man-woman marriage" and "protecting human life from abortion." On the question: My view of the requirements of Christian discipleship accords best with the following statement about illegal immigrantsNinety percent agreed,
Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, Joan M. Maruskin of the Church World Service - Immigration and Refugee Program, John O'Sullivan of the Hudson Institute, and Brent A. Wilkes from the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) also participated in the conference. According to Tony Perkins, the conference sought to balance Christian respect for the rule of law with a biblical mandate to welcome aliens and strangers. Richard Land's remarks illustrated the tension conservative Christian organizations are experiencing between these two ideas:
As citizens of the United States, we have an obligation to support the government and its laws (Rom. 13:7). We also have a right to expect the government to fulfill its divinely ordained mandate to punish those who break the laws and reward those who do not (Rom. 13:1-7). As Christians, we also have a divine mandate to act compassionately toward those in need. Jesus commanded us to love our neighbors as ourselves and to do unto others as we would have them do unto us (Matt. 22:39; 7:12). The Southern Baptist Convention represents the largest Protestant group in the United States with more than 16.3 million members. Richard Land actively promotes the idea of the Christian citizen:
Southern Baptists and other evangelical Christians who are American citizens have responsibilities in two realms: as citizens of the nation and as citizens of the heavenly Kingdom (Phil. 3:20; Titus 2:14; 1 Peter 2:9 Richard Land and Tony Perkins realize that what is at stake in immigration policy is more than a debate about biblical values. The Family Research Council has been reluctant to take a stance on immigration because Perkins realizes that the majority of the protestors on Monday were Latinos, many of whom are members of evangelical churches that represent a key constituency. How the Family Research Council stands on immigration now will undoubtedly have long-term repercussions. The future growth of the Christian Right depends on whether it can mobilize African-American and Latino conservative Christians around policy issues, especially as the mid-term elections approach.
Immigration Policy and the Christian Right | 7 comments (7 topical, 0 hidden)
Immigration Policy and the Christian Right | 7 comments (7 topical, 0 hidden)
|
Left Behind: Eternal Forces: Installments of Jonathan Hutson's Talk To Action expose series
on the "Left Behind: Eternal Forces" video game have been viewed by up to 1/2 million people. See our site section featuring Over 35 original articles covering the controversial "Left Behind: Eternal Forces" video game that has provoked a boycott by a coalition of religious groups and a letter writing campaign urging Walmart to stop selling the game. Media inquiries click here(image: detail from Francoise Dubois' rendition of the Bartholomew's Day Massacre reveals the actual nature of religious warfare)
Removal of Petraeus Endorsement from "Spiritual Handbook" Not Enough
As a result of the exposure by the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) of endorsements by Gen. Petraeus and Maj. Gen. Mark Hertling on...... By Chris Rodda (0 comments)
Short Takes
Crooks & Liars: Ralph Reed has gone radioactive -- as a no-show at the fundraiser he was to host for McCain. McCain, who takes...... By Frederick Clarkson (0 comments)
Are Nouveax Moderate Evangelicals, Actually Immoderate?
In light of the recent appearance by John McCain and Barack Obama on the Rick Warren Show, this recent post seems to be timely...... By Frederick Clarkson (2 comments)
A Really Stupid Idea
For decades I have heard 501c3 reminders about what is legal to do in a church. Groups like Americans United for Separation, the ACLU,...... By wilkyjr (0 comments)
Who Was the First Christian President?
Andrew Sullivan picked up on this post I did reacting to the recent forced display of Presidential piety. The bottom line is that evangelicals...... By Jonathan Rowe (0 comments)
Make Me Ralph: Former Christian Coalition Head Resurfaces -- Again
When we last caught up with Ralph Reed, former Christian Coalition director and disgraced lobbyist, he was flogging his first novel, a political thriller...... By Rob Boston (1 comment)
Short Takes
BeliefNet: In the wake of his much ballyhooed Civic Forum with candidates McCain and Obama --Religious Right leader Rick Warren doesn't think Obama and...... By Frederick Clarkson (13 comments)
Militant Settler Group to Guide Huckabee and Hikind to Western Wall
From Arutz Sheva: Baptist preacher and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee soon will be accompanied by religious Jewish New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind...... By Richard Bartholomew (0 comments)
Petraeus Endorses "Spiritual Handbook," Betrays 21% of Our Troops
As is often the case here at the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF), while in the course of investigating one report of constitutionally questionable activity within...... By Chris Rodda (4 comments)
WND Puffs Bizarre Jerusalem Temple Theory
WorldNetDaily offers up one of its more absurd "exclusives": a puff-piece for a book entitled Temple at the Center of Time: Newton's Bible Codex...... By Richard Bartholomew (1 comment)
Texas Roots of the Religious Right
I am indebted to a late missions' director for a story about an East Texas lad who decides he wants to attend Texas A&M....... By wilkyjr (7 comments)
Shepard's All Wet: Rain Man Reined In At Focus On The Family
It's good to know that there are some members and supporters of Focus on the Family (FOF) who do not believe God is petty...... By Rob Boston (4 comments)
Short Takes
Street Prophets: Pastordan wonders why John McCain made such a big deal about Georgia being "one of the world's first nations to adopt Christianity...... By Frederick Clarkson (3 comments)
Short Takes
Buzzflash: Meg White analyzes the flap over John McCain's anti-Obama ad, "The One." Street Prophets: Pastordan discusses the implications of an NPR story about...... By Frederick Clarkson (4 comments)
When Opposites Attack
Two seemingly unrelated recent events have something important in common. The dust-up between the University of Minnesota's P.Z. Myers and the Catholic League's Bill...... By Frank Cocozzelli (29 comments)
"Yes on 8" RSVP? Need your advice.
Schubert Flint Public Affairs has been hired to run the Yes on Prop. 8 ("Protect Marriage") initiative. If you've happened to notice the names Jennifer Kerns, Frank Schubert, or Jeff Flint in media coverage...... By Chino Blanco (2 comments)
Alabama PSC Cantidate Matt Chancey: His Views on Suffrage, Women, Marriage, etc.
Promoted from the diaries -- FC Alabama voters should be made aware that Matt Chancey opposes"one person, one vote" suffrage, apparently on religious grounds. Matt Chancey, a Republican, is running for president of the...... By CynthiaGee (2 comments)
Jews and Christians Unite against the Empire of Neo-cons and 'Christian' Zionists
Late last year, Congress agreed to a request from President Bush to fund a major escalation of covert operations against Iran, according to current and former military, intelligence, and congressional sources...Everything is justified in...... By eileen fleming (1 comment)
Patriot Follows the Money and Exposes Foreign Agents
"Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or any other public official."-Theodore Roosevelt ...... By eileen fleming (0 comments)
The Alleged "Church of Liberalism"
4th July, Independence Day. I was at a party in Paris. As usual, when one of the guests learned that he was speaking to an American the conversation turned to the election and Obama....... By TMurray (0 comments)
Hope Never Dies for Extremists
The extreme political Religious Right hasn't given up hope of getting something out of this election. Their latest ploy involves petitioning the parties for a "True Christian" in the vice-presidential slot. The Christian Anti-Defamation...... By John McKay (0 comments)
Catholic religious right wing: Legion of Christ
Frank L. Cocozzelli's weekly series of posts on "The Catholic Right" (listed here) includes quite a few posts about Opus Dei. There's another, similarly ultra-orthodox Catholic religious order he might want to examine in...... By Diane Vera (3 comments)
Prosyletization in Iraq: A threat to national security
As amazing as it sounds, dominionists may in fact be fomenting terrorism--not just the domestic terrorism like bombings of women's clinics we normally associate, but the very "Islamist terror bombings" that the GOP loves...... By dogemperor (0 comments)
Proselytization in Iraq: A minor history
The recent incident where a Marine was recently found distributing "Bible coins" promoted by a fundamentalist "Bible church" is, sad to say, far from the first incident of overt prosyletisation in Iraq. The truth...... By dogemperor (1 comment)
Source of "Bible coins" distributed by USMC in Iraq discovered
In what is--sadly--yet another case of the extent of which blatant prosyletisation is tolerated in the modern US military, a recent incident where members of the US Marine Corps were handing out coins to...... By dogemperor (0 comments)
What Does the Religious Right Fear the Most?
A poll that one of the giants on the right, Coral Ridge Ministries, sent to their members gives a revealing insight into their world view. ...... By John McKay (3 comments)
UK Abortion Limit Stays at 24 Weeks Despite Washington Think Tank's Tactics
IN GOD'S NAME is a revealing documentary about how the Alliance Defense Fund is using its tactics to try to restrict abortion in Europe as well as in America. Watch this trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeTfW8-dCNE ...... By TMurray (3 comments)
'Christians United For Israel' Joyfully Sing of Israel's Invasion and Destruction
An open letter, from Ray McGovern, a 27-year intelligence analyst with the CIA, to Admiral William J. Fallon, warns of an impending US attack on Iran. If such an event occurred, the resulting war...... By Bruce Wilson (3 comments)
The Petrification of John McCain
We are very pleased to welcome Frederick Lane as a guest front pager. He is the author of several books,most recently, The Court and the Cross: The Religious Right's Crusade to Reshape the Supreme...... By Frederick_Lane (3 comments)
More Biblical Precedent for Allowing Abortion
This is a follow up to my most recent diary entry. ...... By TMurray (3 comments)
John Hagee Says God Made AIDS and Bird Flu But Lord will Protect Him Personally
John Hagee claims 1) that he knows with absolute certainty the will of God (as he told a BBC interviewer in 2003), is 2) sure that he, John Hagee, has a place in heaven...... By Bruce Wilson (0 comments)
Biblical support for abortion, who knew?
It turns out that our present legal understanding of when a life is entitled to legal protection is consistent with the Old Testament Biblical understanding of when a fetus becomes a 'life' warranting legal...... By TMurray (2 comments)
2001 John Hagee Film Shows Gangsterish Rabbi, Foppish Catholic Priest In League With anti-Christ
The following somewhat satirical video is built around a brief excerpt from Texas megachurch pastor John Hagee's 2001 55-minute film "Vanished", which followed the prophetic, premillennial plot line of Tim LaHaye's and Jerry Jenkin's...... By Bruce Wilson (0 comments)
PBS "Carrier": A Mixed Blessing
Watching the PBS miniseries "Carrier" was a revelation, but not always a pleasant one... ...... By bughouse square (0 comments)
Will We Ever Learn?
Ever looked at something or did something which at the time seemed good and beneficial only to learn that it was not what you thought? If we could all have the opportunity to live...... By truthngrace (0 comments)
McCain-Endorser's Church Casts Out "Demon of Anal Fissures", Teaches Vomiting Evil Spirits
[NOTE: for a related story, see Mai Tai Dogs: Pics Show Bush Administration, McCain-Endorser Hagee Schmoozing at Chinese Restaurant] I have to admit, on one level it sounds more entertaining than a church full...... By Bruce Wilson (3 comments)
Bush 41 salutes Sun Myung Moon's effort to subdue the planet.
Sun Myung Moon's end time political front, the Universal Peace Federation had a summit from April 28 to May 2 in Washington DC. The participants took a tour of the Moon owned Washington Times...... By Lou (2 comments)
Advancing The Kingdom
Over the past four years, I've researched the darkest regions of the Christian right for the non-fiction film Silhouette City. The film tracks the movement of apocalyptic Christian nationalism from the margins of American...... By MichaelWWilson (2 comments)
Newspaper Profiles Army of God Spokeman
We have written a great deal about the anti-abortion terror organization, Army of God. One recent post prompted God Tube to take down videos posted by the proprietor of the Army of God web...... By Frederick Clarkson (0 comments)
Judicial Council Chief James Holsinger and $20 million of UMC Money
Dr. James Holsinger, a leader in the IRD-linked Methodist renewal movement has, until now, been best known for his crack-pot anti-gay views. - FC Dr. James Holsinger, the Bush nominee for Surgeon General and...... By AJWEAVER (0 comments)
No Constitution Party home for Keyes
Well, that didn't take long. All the speculation about Alan Keyes finding a home with the rabidly right-wing Constitution Party has quickly come to naught as the CP convention picks radio talk show host,...... By tacitus (0 comments)
Florida Christian License Plate
Well, Florida is at it again. They're considering a "Christian" license plate. It's supposed to have a cross and a stained glass window on it with the words "I Believe!" More below the break!...... By ArchaeoBob (3 comments)
The Alleged 'Atheist Delusion'
John Gray's ample Saturday Review column in the March 15th edition of London's Guardian newpaper diagnosed the current climate surrounding religion as one of `moral panic'. This is true only of the irrational fear...... By TMurray (0 comments)
A Real GI Bill of Rights
As much as I admire Jim Webb and Chuck Hagel for their efforts to reform the military, I respectfully submit that their proposed bill doesn't go far enough... ...... By bughouse square (2 comments)
Mikey's War
There comes a time when ordinary citizens need to step up and openly challenge the perverse Christianization of our national instutions, particularly the military. What follows is an introduction to someone who is doing...... By bughouse square (1 comment) More Diaries... |
BlogsBartholomew's Notes On ReligionChip BerletMax BlumenthalThe Panda's ThumbFrederick Clarkson Chuck Currie DefCon father Jake Stops The World John Gorenfeld Religion Clause Chris Mooney Religious Right Watch The Revealer Jesus Politics Majority Report Radio Blog Mainstream Baptist Orcinus Dispatches from the Culture Wars Ex-Gay Watch The Wall of Separation Blog From The Capital:a blog on religious liberty issues and the separation of church and stateOrganizationsAmerican Booksellers Foundation for Freedom of ExpressionACLUAnti-Defamation LeagueAmerican Library AssociationChristian Alliance for ProgressCitizens ProjectDefCon: Campaign to Defend The ConstitutionFaithful America People For the American wayInstitute For Democracy StudiesInterfaith AllianceJews On First: Defending the First AmendmentAmerican Fundamentalists Americans United for Separation of Church and StateBaptist Joint Committee on Religious Liberty The Clergy and laity Network Political Research Associates Theocracy Watch Media Matters for AmericaMilitary Religious Freedom FoundationMontana Human Rights NetworkNational Center For Science EducationReligious Coalition for Reproductive ChoiceThe RevealerSouthern Poverty Law CenterTexas Freedom NetworkCrossLeft: Organizing the Christian LeftTheocracy WatchTruth Wins Out" |
|||||||||||||