Immigration has to be part of a 'consistent ethic of life'

[Michie]

Pope Francis has labored to draw attention to issues involving immigrants in the United States, though obviously in a very different way from Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, highlighting why immigration reform has to be considered part of a "consistent ethic of life".

Continued below.
https://cruxnow.com/commentary/2016/10/24/immigration-part-consistent-ethic-life/

 

[Basil the Great]

I am aware that Pope Francis looks upon the issue in a compassionate manner and as Christians, we must consider the humanitarian aspects involved. Regardless, Michie, I doubt that the immigration issue will be key to the election. However, the critical question will come after the election. Will Clinton or Trump be able to get a consensus from Congress to deal effectively with the immigration issue?

 

[Michie]

No, a consistent ethic of life doesn't mean going soft on abortion

Critics have seen the idea of a Consistent Ethic of Life' as code for ignoring or playing down abortion, and in some cases they may have a point, but that's not how the vast majority of Church leaders such as Pope Francis see's it.

Continued below.
https://cruxnow.com/commentary/2016/10/21/no-consistent-ethic-life-doesnt-mean-going-soft-abortion/

 

[pdudgeon]

Pope Francis has labored to draw attention to issues involving immigrants in the United States, though obviously in a very different way from Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, highlighting why immigration reform has to be considered part of a "consistent ethic of life".

Continued below.
https://cruxnow.com/commentary/2016/10/24/immigration-part-consistent-ethic-life/

they are two different (but overlapping) ideas.
in order to immigrate one must first be alive. thus the emphasis on pro life.

immigration on the other hand, is undertaken to remain alive.
and as such it has it's place along with other initiatives to improve the quality of life.


that's why abortion has to retain prominence in this arguement.

 

[Basil the Great]

No, a consistent ethic of life doesn't mean going soft on abortion

Critics have seen the idea of a Consistent Ethic of Life' as code for ignoring or playing down abortion, and in some cases they may have a point, but that's not how the vast majority of Church leaders such as Pope Francis see's it.

Continued below.
https://cruxnow.com/commentary/2016/10/21/no-consistent-ethic-life-doesnt-mean-going-soft-abortion/

I was only referring to the immigration issue, not abortion.

 

[Michie]

It was just another article for discussion that related to the OP. Nothing personal at all.

I was only referring to the immigration issue, not abortion.

 

[MoonlessNight]

The southern border of the US is terribly overrun with crime, much of it coming from immigrants. This is not to say that all or even most immigrants are criminals, but much of the crime in that region is caused by immigrants.

However, from my reading of the article in the OP, to even note this fact apparently diminishes the human dignity of the immigrants. Beyond that, we are meant to accept any crime or danger from immigrants as a necessary danger inherent in doing good. The article makes clear that ISIS has posed as refugees, and used this status to carry out a suicide attack. But again, this danger is one that cannot be combated, lest we make the larger error of thinking that immigrants, even dangerous ones, can be turned aside.

If the author of the article has children, I invite him to drive to the most crime-ridden area near him and to pass out keys to his house, and offer to let anyone who desires it to stay in beds in the same rooms as his children. Doing this would have the possibility of doing great good for the lives of many homeless and poor. There's a definite danger to his children, but hey, that's a risk he'll just have to take.

Look, we can reform immigration to both respect the dignity of the immigrant while also maintaining security of our nation. To do this we need to make sure that immigrants are properly screened, but that they are not held in inhumane or unsafe conditions while this happens, and that if they are not allowed entry to the country that they are transported safely back to their homes. If they have no homes, this may mean the creation of human refugee camps for them to occupy until conditions change and they can once again return home.

But we won't get such reform if people treat any concern about security or any restriction of immigration as a crime against human dignity. If you really believe that, open up the borders completely. Get rid of the idea of citizenship and give all benefits of the nation to anyone who enters the borders of the nation (with no checks or restrictions on who passes through those borders, of course).

 

[MoonlessNight]

For the record, I haven't seen anything from Pope Francis which agrees with the more extreme portions of the article. I have seen Pope Francis say the following things:

• We should do our parts to help the refugees in this crisis.
• We should above all else treat those in difficult situations, like the refugees, with the utmost dignity.
• We must not merely meet the basic needs of refugees, but make sure that they are welcomed in a community.
  
• We cannot simply treat immigrants and refugees like objects that can be thrown away.

I haven't heard him say anything along the lines of being blown up in a terrorist attack is just a necessary cost to pay for treating refugees nicely, as the article states. And nothing in the above list is contrary to the type of reform that I outlined.

 

[Fantine]

There is so much misinformation and irrational hatred surrounding the refugee issue and the immigrant issue. The immigrants I know (mostly Catholic) are extremely law abiding. They have to be. If you had a broken headlight you'd get away with a warning. An immigrant could get deported.

Staying under the radar keeps them safe. I wish my kids (when they were teenagers) were as cautious about getting into trouble as immigrant children. (Not that they ever got arrested, but I had some sleepless nights along the way).

Similarly, refugees are diligently screened. The UN only recommends one out of every hundred who apply--and then we investigate that 1% for 18 months to two years before approving them. I wish they'd go into the mountains 25 miles away from me where there are known domestic terrorists (the family of my former piano student, the McVeigh/Nichols collaborators, for starters) and investigate the people there as thoroughly.

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

"Whatever is opposed to life itself, such as any type of murder, genocide, abortion, euthanasia or willful self-destruction, whatever violates the integrity of the human person, such as mutilation, torments inflicted on body or mind, attempts to coerce the will itself; whatever insults human dignity, such as subhuman living conditions, arbitrary imprisonment, deportation, slavery, prostitution, the selling of women and children; as well as disgraceful working conditions, where men are treated as mere tools for profit, rather than as free and responsible persons; all these things and others of their like are infamies indeed. They poison human society, but they do more harm to those who practice them than those who suffer from the injury. Moreover, they are supreme dishonor to the Creator."
-Gaudium et Spes 27 | The Pastoral Constitution on the Church
in the Modern World of the Second Vatican Council

Consistent Ethic of Life

 

[Michie]

Zombie thread!