There are (rare) times when God may call someone to break the law - especially an unjust law - to do what is right. So I somewhat disagree with Caelum. The idea that one would not be called on to do something courageous because "it is not your fault" that another person is in a certain situation is not a good argument, IMHO. It does not settle the question. God calls us to be compassionate. I think people who harbored runaway slaves in America or Jews in Nazi-occupied Europe were breaking the law responsibly. I think of how Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrestled with the ethical question of whether it was right for him, as a German citizen, to join the plot to overthrow Hitler.
I am convinced there are times when it is ethically responsible for Christians to break the law.
However, when I read this thread, what I saw was a person who did not understand he was being asked to do something illegal. There are loopholes and there are "loopholes." This one is very clearly illegal. If the mariage is not entered into in good faith with the intent to live as husband and wife, but ratehr just for the purpose of immigration, it is fraudulent. It is called a "sham marriage," and the immigrant spouse can be deported and not allowed to re-enter the US. The non-immigrant spouse can go to prison, but this rarely happens in the case of a one-time thing to help a friend, but rather it is the people who organize immigrant marriage pipelines who do go to prison. It is important to know this is illegal. Talk to an immigration lawyer about it.
OTOH, having compassion and acting compassionately is a good thing, so I can understand why TriZz feels drawn to the idea of doing a good thing for a stranger.
Here's what I would say: If you really want to marry this woman and be a real husband to her, and have compassion on her and bring her to the US, I can't say that God would never call a person to do that. I have a hard time thinking, though, that God would call you to enter into a sham marriage.
OTOH, did anybody read the book or see the movie
Shadowlands?
One more question for TriZz: The picture you posted shows a young man (you, I presume) with his arms around a young lady (your girlfriend, I presume).
You used the "love" icon
to describe your feelings.
How does your relationship with this woman you know fit in with your dilemma about marrying a woman you don't know?
I can't help thinking there's something wrong with this picture.
