Many Baptists will be shocked to learn that in the upper echelons of their leadership, there’s a big push to grant amnesty to illegal immigrants.
Churches should be hotbeds of conservative activism. (Actually, every Bible-believing church should have a political activism ministry, but I’ll save that for another day.) Likewise, their leaders should be setting the example by promoting public policy that is true to Biblical standards. Sadly, in the case of illegal immigration, this is not the case. Rank and file Baptists, along with most of their pastors, overwhelmingly oppose amnesty for illegals, and for good reason.
While Baptist elites have declared opposition to amnesty, they are working hard to make it a reality. How is it possible to be for and against something at the same time? It has to do with the etymology of the word. Etymology is the evolution of the meaning of words. For example, there was a time when “gay” meant happy or merry. But it has evolved to mean something quite different due to the evolution of the word, and other factors. Amnesty once meant an unconditional pardon or forgiveness for an offense.
But in our current political climate, it can refer to the classic definition, or the newer meaning, which is defined as granting illegals anything from legal status to citizenship by requiring them to fulfill restitutional conditions which allow them to avoid deportation.
Baptist elites completely ignore the newer meaning so that they can say they oppose amnesty (defining it as an unconditional pardon) while at the same time promoting it. I call this “bapnesty.”
Interestingly, their publications advocate for a secured border. The problem is that if millions of illegals are allowed to stay, it will be too late. So much damage will be done that it won’t matter anymore. What they are failing to consider is that once the Democrats turn America dark blue on the backs of these unfortunate people, religious liberty will be utterly destroyed. This will have a very negative impact on them personally. So what is their motivation here? Is it pure naivety, or something else?
What are these restitutional requirements that Southern & Texas Baptists advocate?
Illegal immigrants here in the United States should-
A. “Undergo a criminal background check”
Like all liberal rhetoric it sounds good in theory, but fails when put into practice. If this were passed into law, it would cost billion$ to enforce. As always, the taxpayers would have to pick up the tab for the additional personnel that would be required. This would mean hundreds if not thousands of new government workers who cannot be fired. And what about the logistics? Do reliable records even exist? How do you run a dependable background check in the nations of Central and South America? Would they even cooperate? Given their active participation in the invasion at our southern border, it’s not likely.
B. “Pay a fine”
Most of these people are poor. What if they can’t afford to pay? And if they don’t pay, and most of them won’t, then what? Will they be arrested and deported because they are poor? You get the idea.
C. “Agree to pay back taxes”
For those who have been here for years, that would be a lot of money. How do you determine what they owe when there is no record of what they earned? Most will not be able to afford it–then what? Deport them because they’re poor?
They could pay it out over time, except that many if not most of them would skip it and disappear into “the shadows” and we’re right back where we started. Think of the bureaucracy that would be required to oversee this. Just what we need: more IRS.
D. “Learn to speak, read, and write English”
The left would howl over this racist attack on the illegals cultural identity. Will America deport poor mothers and fathers because they can’t or won’t learn English? The SBC wants to start “English classes on a massive scale.” What if illegals refuse to attend? Why should they? We are forced to use Spanish to accommodate them already. What if they have learning disabilities and are legitimately (or not) unable to learn English? Deport them because they lack the capacity to learn a new language? The left would have a field day.
E. “Get in line behind” legal citizen-applicants and fulfill a probationary period.
Again, imagine the bureaucracy to keep up with this! Our government is so bloated, corrupt, and incompetent . . . you must be kidding! It would be like Obamacare, so complicated, contradictory, and full of loopholes, it would be a joke!
F. They must pledge allegiance to America, the duties of citizenship, and the core values of the Declaration of Independence.
I can just see a terrorist complying with this requirement, and then going out and committing mass murder.
Recently, infamous liar Barak Obama stated his goals for illegal immigrants:
“. . . to encourage legal immigration and to give immigrants who have been illegally in the United States for some time a path to become legal residents, pay taxes, pay a fine and learn English.”
Sound familiar?
Back in 2006, the SBC passed a resolution which stated:
RESOLVED, That we encourage Christian churches . . . to encourage them [illegal immigrants] toward the path of legal status and/or citizenship. Source
In 2011, they took it a step further with another resolution that stated:
RESOLVED, That we ask our governing authorities to implement, with the borders secured, a just and compassionate path to legal status, with appropriate restitutionary measures, for those undocumented immigrants already living in our country; (Emphasis mine) Source.
They deny it, but it sounds like amnesty to me. Their “appropriate restitutionary measures” (listed above) are expensive, naïve, and unworkable. Barak Obama understands this. Why don’t they?
SB elites are also working with the Evangelical Immigration Table (EIT)–a pro-amnesty group–through their Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. The EIT was begun and is facilitated by the National Immigration Forum (NIF). The NIF is funded by George Soros’s Open Society.
Notable members of the EIT include numerous influential Baptists like Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Dallas, individuals like Jim Daly of Focus on the Family, author Max Lucado, and Tony Evans, pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship. For a complete list, go here.
Lifeway Christian Resources also supports amnesty for illegals. It should be boycotted.
In the spring of 2014, Bryan Wright, president of the Southern Baptist Convention from 2010 to 2012, said during a pro-amnesty lobbying trip to the Capitol:
“I’m here today because in 2011, the Southern Baptist Convention overwhelmingly approved a resolution on immigration reform. The leadership of the convention was concerned that so many conservative Christians were having their views shaped by talk radio and other news outlets, and we wanted them to come to a position shaped by Biblical teaching.”
This is the height of arrogance. It suggests that the laity is too stupid to critically look at an issue and make up their own minds. It simply isn’t possible that they could be wrong. While we are mentally herded by talk radio and Fox News, they are guided by scripture. Whatever is guiding them, it’s not scripture.
What they are telling us is that if we want the border defended and the law upheld, then we’re “nativists,” not compassionate-especially towards children, don’t recognize the individual dignity of the illegal, are not in compliance with biblical teaching, and ”need a refresher course in the English language” (because we don’t understand the definition of amnesty.) Maybe not, Dr. Land, but we know bapnesty when we see it.
It is possible to detain, arrest, and deport illegal aliens AND at the same time treat them with respect and compassion, be in perfect compliance with biblical teaching, and have a good understanding of the English language. It’s called “fair and equal enforcement of the law.”
During the same 2014 lobbying trip, Representative Dana Rohrabacher, a Republican representative from California, said after speaking with members of the EIT, which included representatives from Baptist organizations:
“My response to them was No. 1, a policy of legalizing the people who are here, the sort of easy way out, would in the long run put 40 million new people into our country, which would change the nature of our country, and that would be a bad thing, not to mention breaking the bank, etc.
Also, my response was that Christian love is not furthered by advocacy of government policy but instead by individual action and commitment. Individual commitment is not individual commitment to changing a government policy, it is to come out and help specific people and people who are in need, and if [the pastors] really wanted to help people who are here illegally or in bad situations they, they want to pay for their health insurance and everything, then I would be saying how wonderful that is. But if they are advocating that the government do that, then it will break our bank and destroy our country.” Emphasis mine
Amen Brother!
The Baptist General Convention of Texas (aka Texas Baptists) are up to their necks in amnesty. A wing of their convention called Baptist Child & Family Services (BCFS) has been very busy aiding and abetting Obama’s Health & Human Services efforts to facilitate the invasion through the Unaccompanied Alien Children Program. It is not hyperbolic to say that the Texas Baptists are guilty of helping the left destroy our country. Why would they do such a thing? There are almost a half a billion reasons.
Is your church a member of the Baptist General Convention of Texas? Go to this link, type in your church’s zip code and find out.
If Baptists want to get together and create a ministry–that does not include the force of government–for adults brought here as children who are not a burden to society and pose no threat, that’s a conversation I’m willing to have. Everybody else needs to be deported. “But if we do that, we’ll be breaking up families!” No we won’t. The adult child of the illegal parents should have the choice of returning to their home country with their family if they so choose. It’s up to them.
In the interest of full disclosure, I contacted the SBC and expressed my concerns about their advocacy of amnesty, but they did not respond.
And finally, during a Meet the Press interview on September 7, 2014, Obama made this statement in regards to granting amnesty to millions of illegals: (Keep in mind that when he says “amnesty,” he means “citizenship” and that whatever conditions are attached will not be enforced.)
“So the good news is, we have bipartisan support for that [conditional amnesty]. We have a Senate bill that would accomplish that. The House Republicans refuse to do it. And what I said to them was, “If you do not act on something that’s so common sense that you’ve got labor, business, evangelicals, law enforcement, you’ve got folks across the board supporting it, then I’m going to look for all the legal authorities I have to act.” I want to make sure we get it right. I want to make sure, number one, that all the T’s are crossed.”
It is as embarrassing as it is appalling for Baptists to provide cover for someone as evil as Barak Obama. Perhaps they should “take a refresher course” on II Corinthians 6:14 through 18 and Matthew 6:24.
Everyone reading this should contact their representatives in Austin and Washington, and tell them that when they are lobbied by Baptist organizations for amnesty, they DO NOT SPEAK FOR YOU.
If you attend a church that is a part of this, I suggest you have a talk with your pastor. Chances are very good that he does not know that this is going on. When asked, the elites tell them that they oppose amnesty, but that is not the case.
Those guilty of this stunning betrayal must be held accountable. If you attend a church (of any denomination) that is involved in this, the next step is up to you.
Jan Shedd
Kaufman County Tea Party
1.2.15
Contact SBC Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission
Texas Baptists Executive Directors:
David Hardage
Steve Vernon
More on Texas Baptists:
Soccer Balls, Sanctimony and A Billion Dollar Group Called “Baptist Child and Family Services”…
