Welcoming the Stranger
WHEREAS, an estimated 11 million people currently live in the United States without legal immigration status, and
WHEREAS, the presence of undocumented immigrants has sparked serious public debate among people who seek earnestly to resolve the difficult policy issues attendant to illegal immigration, and
WHEREAS, the serious public debate often has been overshadowed by a parallel discourse, one of fear-mongering, marked by intemperate displays of anger, prejudice and outright malice toward undocumented immigrants and others who appear in any way foreign, and
WHEREAS, in the coming months, the U.S. Congress is expected to consider comprehensive legislation to overhaul our nation’s current approach to immigration, legal and illegal, and
WHEREAS, immigration reform is fraught with complex tradeoffs that implicate our most cherished values, both as citizens and as faithful Christians, and
WHEREAS our nation, from its very foundation, has been a haven for oppressed peoples of every race, creed, language, and culture, and
WHEREAS, our Baptismal Covenant enjoins us to “seek and serve Christ in all persons, and to love our neighbor as ourselves,” and
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Convention will strive and encourage its constituent parishes and congregations to participate in this public policy debate in a manner that promotes our values: with reasoned civility and charity toward those with whom we disagree; with respect for the rule of law, tempered with a sense of God’s justice and mercy; and with compassion and love toward our sisters and brothers who seek refuge here from the violence, poverty, and oppression of their home countries; and be it further
RESOLVED, that in the coming year, the churches of the Diocese are encouraged to make a concerted effort to better understand: 1)the dynamics of human migration, particularly the “push factors” that drive people to leave their homelands for the uncertainties of emigration; 2) the policy tools that are available to regulate migration flows, and 3) the impact of these policy tools on human lives, and 4) the extent to which these effects are consistent with our values as faithful Christians; and be it further
RESOLVED, that the Convention will strive to support action to bring about comprehensive immigration reform that is just, fair and humane, and
RESOLVED, that the Convention encourage their congregations to sign postcards in support of such legislation, which postcards will be delivered to their Congressional representatives in the House and Senate
RESOLVED, that the Diocese work to deter the enactment of anti-immigrant legislation in state and local governments.
The resolution was passed