1. Welcome to Baptist Board, a friendly forum to discuss the Baptist Faith in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to all the features that our community has to offer.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless!

Illegal aliens in your church

Discussion in 'Political Debate & Discussion' started by Salty, Nov 29, 2009.

  1. Salty

    Salty 20,000 Posts Club
    Administrator

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2003
    Messages:
    38,982
    Likes Received:
    2,615
    Faith:
    Baptist
    I started this thread due to the discussion about illegals



    If it came to your attention that illegal aliens were attending your church, what action would you proceed with?

    Call INS immediately?

    encourage them to return to their home country

    encourage them to turn themselves in

    Look the other way

    Help them to stay in the county legally

    help them to stay in an illegal status

    Would it make a difference if they came to you in confidence?
     
  2. annsni

    annsni Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    May 30, 2006
    Messages:
    20,914
    Likes Received:
    706
    We would deal with them just as with any other person living in active sin such as adultery/fornication, lying, stealing, etc. We'd meet with them one-on-one ("we" meaning one or more of our pastors), counsel them as to what should be done and we would assist them to get on the right path. If they refused, we'd have to possibly get to the point of asking them to no longer attend our church.
     
  3. windcatcher

    windcatcher New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 28, 2007
    Messages:
    2,764
    Likes Received:
    0
    Why don't you ask an easy question?
     
  4. Salty

    Salty 20,000 Posts Club
    Administrator

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2003
    Messages:
    38,982
    Likes Received:
    2,615
    Faith:
    Baptist
  5. tinytim

    tinytim <img src =/tim2.jpg>

    Joined:
    Oct 31, 2003
    Messages:
    11,250
    Likes Received:
    0

    I agree with this 100%

    We could also ask, what if it were brought to your attention that....

    a person was driving who had an expired Drivers license
    one of your men killed a deer out of season to feed his family
    a member has been barred from writing checks at a local grocery store

    Should we card everyone that comes to church to make sure they are citizens of America?...
    When was being a citizen in any country prerequisite to being a citizen of Heaven?
    What about our Baptist heritage where many Baptists escaped ILLEGALLY from authorities of RC ran countries and were in other countries ILLEGALLY?

    I personally feel that politicians are making such a big ado over illegal immigration that it is spilling over into our churches and people are putting America before Heaven.

    Check out Matt 25...
    Matthew 25:41-46 (AKJV)
    Then shall he say also to them on the left hand, Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungered, and you gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and you took me not in: naked, and you clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and you visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we you an hungered, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to you? Then shall he answer them, saying, Truly I say to you, Inasmuch as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

    Guess what the Greek word for "Stranger" is...
    G3581 ξένος xenos (xen'-os) adj.
    1. foreign
    2. (literally) alien

    Or a foreigner living in another land...

    So... according to Jesus, if you turn away a person in need because they do not have the right credentials of being an American, then you are turning away Jesus...

    BE Careful how you treat aliens here in America....
    BE Careful to not get caught up in the Hate America has for foreigners...

    Remember those illegals are human too...

    Actually the fact that people are called "illegals" instead of humanbeings speaks toward the HATE Christian American have toward people not their own.

    Just be careful...
    Each case must be handled with Godly wisdom.
     
  6. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Feb 18, 2006
    Messages:
    52,013
    Likes Received:
    3,649
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Brother I love ya but this is pure bunk. Let me ask you how many have you moved into your house? I mean if you are going to hold everyone to this standard let's take it to its logical conclusion. The fact is we cannot afford these illegals ( because that is their legal status) as they are a drain on our already ailing economy. And they do not have to be here illegally. They chose to break the laws of our sovereign country not because they had to but because they want what they are not willing to fight for in their own country.
     
  7. carpro

    carpro Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Oct 14, 2004
    Messages:
    25,823
    Likes Received:
    1,167
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Exactly. :love2:
     
  8. Mexdeaf

    Mexdeaf New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 14, 2005
    Messages:
    7,051
    Likes Received:
    3
    The illegals don't bother me nearly as much as the citizens who sit on their butts and wait for nanny government to pay their way. There's plenty of those also.
     
  9. Salty

    Salty 20,000 Posts Club
    Administrator

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2003
    Messages:
    38,982
    Likes Received:
    2,615
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Cant argue with that. But ironically many of the illegals actually come to the US to work. Hmmmm
     
  10. tinytim

    tinytim <img src =/tim2.jpg>

    Joined:
    Oct 31, 2003
    Messages:
    11,250
    Likes Received:
    0

    Which is why I agreed with Annsni 100%...

    There are ways for people to be here legally.. and we should be helping them.
    Another argument I hear is, "if they are here they should learn English."... Well, what are we doing to help them learn English? I for one am taking ESL tutoring classes starting January, and am encouraging our people to do the same.

    Most of the Hispanics around here are legal... I really don't know of any that are not. Of course I am not carding them as they come to our Hispanic Bible study! but I do know they are from Puerto Rico...

    I am all for immigration laws.. but I think that the media has overplayed this issue to the points that people don't think of them as being people with families and needs.. they only see ONE point.. they are not citizens.

    And I know some people that complain about them that are driving around on suspended drivers licenses!

    Some complain about them taking our jobs.. but drive around without state mandated car insurance!!!!!!

    That is just as bad as being here illegally! A sin is a sin.

    How hypocritical.

    Hispanics are hard workers and DO contribute to the communities they live in. I know some who are doing jobs that Americans won't do because we have gotten too lazy.

    So, if confronted with the situation in the OP... I would use Godly wisdom and try to help them gain their citizenship.

    BTW... pray for a friend of mine, this week as they go to Pittsburgh to take her citizenship test.
     
    #10 tinytim, Nov 29, 2009
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 29, 2009
  11. windcatcher

    windcatcher New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 28, 2007
    Messages:
    2,764
    Likes Received:
    0
    TT, I take exception to this statement.
    It indicts Christians as being in control of our laws or responsible for originating dehumanizing labels and for encouraging HATE: I think your wrong to implicate such.

    As for the use of such labels, once they're in the vocabulary.... they'll be used whether appropriate, or insensitive, pc. or a type of shorthand.... as opposed to illegal human alien .... huh? is that your idea? People get called bad names all the time but it doesn't make it right and it doesn't mean it is Christians behind it. These people aren't 'dogs'.....now that's a dehumanizing name. But they are aliens if they aren't citizens, and if they are here without the proper permissions and identifications then they are illegal and the chances are that they have other crimes which accompany their entry such as stolen identity.
     
Loading...