CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Arkansas’ top Catholic clergyman, Bishop Anthony Taylor, and other Christian leaders on Tuesday criticized immigration laws they called unjust and contrary to biblical teaching.
Taylor said aliens here illegally are often simply following economic laws of supply and demand when they cross the border.
“People have the right, and in many cases, the obligation to move to another locale,” to provide for their families, Taylor said.
Ta y l o r made the comments at a screening of Gospel Without Borders, a documentary film produced by EthicsDaily.com that was largely funded by the United Methodist Foundation of Arkansas.
The screening was held at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Charlotte, within walking distance of the Time Warner Cable Arena where Democrats this week are holding their convention.
Taylor said the current immigration system treats those in the United States illegally as “second class” residents, something he said is a violation of the inherent dignity of all people.
“It is a sin to obey an unjust law,” he said.
“At a certain point, unjust laws lose their binding force.”
MESSAGE OF MATTHEW
The film depicts several illegal aliens, their religious leaders and advocates. Its message, said Robert Parham, executive director of the Baptist Center for Ethics, which put on the screening, is to focus the effort of Christians on helping the poor, as spelled out in the Gospel of Matthew: “When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?”
The answer is: “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”
Said Parham: “If Jesus’moral agenda was to bring the good news to the poor, then the Church’s moral agenda today is to bring good news to the undocumented, who are, more often than not, materially poor.”
Parham said the group did not hold a similar event at the Republican convention in Tampa, Fla., because they didn’t have enough money.
Some Catholic bishops have slammed Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, the Republican vice presidential nominee, who has described his Catholicism as a guiding force behind his public policy proposals.
Other Catholic leaders have praised Ryan’s anti-abortion record and his consistent opposition to same-sex marriage.
Taylor criticized Ryan’s budget, which would cut many social programs for the poor and preserve tax cuts for upper-income earners. He said Ryan’s approach neglected the Christian call to care for all, regardless of their social status.
“His budget doesn’t fit with Catholic teaching on the economy but he’s got good intentions,” Taylor said.
But Taylor stressed he wasn’t taking sides in the current political contest.
“Our role is to raise issues as they sort through and make a prudential judgment about how they need to vote,” he said.
Front Section, Pages 5 on 09/05/2012