Comments on: sermon prep for April 15 on breaking the law http://young.anabaptistradicals.org/2007/04/03/sermon-prep-for-april-15-on-breaking-the-law/ let's activate something Thu, 20 Nov 2008 10:26:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Trini http://young.anabaptistradicals.org/2007/04/03/sermon-prep-for-april-15-on-breaking-the-law/#comment-1102 Trini Wed, 04 Apr 2007 18:03:25 +0000 http://young.anabaptistradicals.org/2007/04/03/sermon-prep-for-april-15-on-breaking-the-law/#comment-1102 Preface: I am a legal resident who has gone through the broken immigration system, as have several family members and friends who have gone through this and several systems around the world. I say that 1. illegal immigration is a problem, but it is a by-product of two things, unfair immigration practices and 2. a failed foreign policy. The US is actually very welcoming to foreigner, but discriminate not on the basis of race, but on the basis of self-sustainability, and a broken view of what diversity it. This first system makes immigration easy for educated migrants to approach the shores, and also easy for them to be exploited and underpaid compared to their US counterparts. The failed vision diversity closes these doors to people from certain countries because there are already 'too many of them'. What does that mean? For some people there is no open door. Now secondly the failed foreign policies, I think people want to migrate to where their wealth is being taken. Failed foreign policies are building 'first' world nations on the backs of developing countries. So it's no wonder that people desperate in poverty want to go where the wealth of their own lands have been taken. Part of this failed foreign policy is the marketing image that the US exports abroad. The US is not the land of opportunity that it projects itself as, and many people come here on that failed vision of the exported dream, only to realise the truth somewhere along the way. Breaking the law? Yes, if the law is unjust and unfair. I think that may be subjective. I think your post is indirectly asking, if we as Christians should give housing and refuge to 'illegal' immigrants, I'd say without the batting of an eyelid, yes. Our call to God's Manna way of providing for those on the 'outside' and taking care of them is higher than any law. Should we just break the law and not work for changing the brokenness of it, no. That's just silly, as silly as a new proposal of a leading Mennonite Theologian to take a sabbath from voting. When people realise that the power to change laws is theirs and their government should reflect their interests then they will realise that it is within the realm of reality that they can change... and you can change them. Preface: I am a legal resident who has gone through the broken immigration system, as have several family members and friends who have gone through this and several systems around the world.

I say that 1. illegal immigration is a problem, but it is a by-product of two things, unfair immigration practices and 2. a failed foreign policy. The US is actually very welcoming to foreigner, but discriminate not on the basis of race, but on the basis of self-sustainability, and a broken view of what diversity it.

This first system makes immigration easy for educated migrants to approach the shores, and also easy for them to be exploited and underpaid compared to their US counterparts. The failed vision diversity closes these doors to people from certain countries because there are already ‘too many of them’. What does that mean? For some people there is no open door.

Now secondly the failed foreign policies, I think people want to migrate to where their wealth is being taken. Failed foreign policies are building ‘first’ world nations on the backs of developing countries. So it’s no wonder that people desperate in poverty want to go where the wealth of their own lands have been taken. Part of this failed foreign policy is the marketing image that the US exports abroad. The US is not the land of opportunity that it projects itself as, and many people come here on that failed vision of the exported dream, only to realise the truth somewhere along the way.

Breaking the law? Yes, if the law is unjust and unfair. I think that may be subjective. I think your post is indirectly asking, if we as Christians should give housing and refuge to ‘illegal’ immigrants, I’d say without the batting of an eyelid, yes. Our call to God’s Manna way of providing for those on the ‘outside’ and taking care of them is higher than any law. Should we just break the law and not work for changing the brokenness of it, no. That’s just silly, as silly as a new proposal of a leading Mennonite Theologian to take a sabbath from voting. When people realise that the power to change laws is theirs and their government should reflect their interests then they will realise that it is within the realm of reality that they can change… and you can change them.

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