colson and immigration

Been catching up on BreakPoint emails lately and, lo and behold, one from a couple weeks ago was about illegal immigration. Colson takes the position we all could have expected, that is, he stays above politics and discusses how we as Christians ought to be dealing with the issue. But he also points out how it's being ignored by politicians as a "no-win" issue that's just too dangerous to touch. And without taking a stance he mentions the two immigration reform proposals being floated in Congress. (In my opinion one at least has some teeth and the other is one step away from being an all-out amnesty fest, but that's me talking not Colson.)

He does seem to try to defend illegal immigration to a small extent by pointing out some of its benefits.

There are an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States. The majority of these come from Mexico and Central America. Contrary to the stereotype, however, they are not all farm workers or domestics. Nearly one-third of them own their own homes, and many have U.S.-born children. In other words, they have roots in this country. Many of them provide cheap labor, which we all benefit from.

Okay, does it really matter if a criminal owns his own home or has native-born children? Does that make him less of a criminal? Is the law somehow not as applicable to such people? After all there are plenty of criminals and prisoners whose roots here go back centuries. But they're still under the law. I don't see a legitimate argument here. I almost get the impression Chuck is trying to whitewash the issue but I have too much respect for the guy to think that's his intention.

Colson also has something to say about how we treat immigrants:

...And we must oppose blatant disregard for the law. If immigration laws are too restrictive, the answer is to amend them, not ignore them.

But along with these concerns, we also need to recall God's command to welcome the foreigner and sojourner in our midst. The Scriptures tells us that hospitality toward the aliens in its midst is the hallmark of a good society. In fact, extending the hand of friendship toward those who are different from them is a way the people of God distinguish themselves from their unbelieving neighbors.

That first part is great, not that I would have expected him to have a different take. But I think the second paragraph, while also instructive, could use some clarification. I don't think we have a responsibility as Christians to encourage lawlessness in order to welcome friends and sojourners in our midst. We ought to reach out to immigrants and help them adjust, provided they are here under the right terms, but we shouldn't try to make it easier for illegal aliens to live below the radar. In that case I believe we have an obligation as citizens under a worldly authority to help uphold the laws of our land, provided the laws aren't antithetical to those espoused in the Bible. And I don't see any way immigration controls could be morally wrong. It is possible to reach out to newcomers while at the same time turning away others who would seek to break our laws for personal benefit. Perhaps a little harsh but I think that's the best way to approach a tough moral issue.

Overall a great article by Colson, as almost all of his are. It's good to see him take a tough stance on immigration; I wouldn't have been too surprised to see him take a more welcoming approach toward illegal aliens in the name of Christian love. And while perhaps there are some arguments to support that attitude I think Scripture more strongly supports a good helping of both love and justice (see Rom 13:1-8, 1 Pet 2:13-17). His closing remark is a good bottom line I think.

And in the end, we must, as Christians, treat everyone in our midst with godly compassion.

No arguing with that.