Immigration Laws And The Catholic Church - Research Paper Example

Immigration Laws and the Catholic Church Interaction of religion and politics According to Anonymous (Can religion & politics mix? par 12), religion and politics have interrelated especially with the rise of civilization. These two aspects are closely related and there are usually instances where they have to interact due to the many aspects that are related to governance and other general life issues where various religious bodies have a part to play before some political decisions are made or even intervene where they think wrong decisions have already been made. There have been efforts to separate religion and politics with most individuals and agencies arguing that they should never mix but this has proved to be unavoidable. Aronoff (26) asserts that religion seems to play a great role in shaping the public opinion which in return affects politics. Religious leaders for example bishops have taken part in addressing political issues to an extent of urging Christians to vote as a way of exercising democracy and hence justice for all. In as much as people say that religious faith and politics should not be mixed, the mixing seems unavoidable and the only solution remaining appear to be that of creating some boundaries rather than advocating for a separation between the two so as to reduce the chances of conflicts. This is so because the very people in the church are also affected by politics through the various laws that govern all the citizens for instance immigration laws and human rights. This makes politics and religion to be treated as multidisciplinary and international in terms of scope and is affected by aspects from different fields. Religion is considered to be a very critical political factor in the United States of America and other parts of the world as it influences even the political figures to be elected to political positions through campaigns (Wald and Calhoun-Brown 3). Immigration Laws and the Catholic Church The Catholic Church considers the immigration laws in the United States to be unjust in that it treats the so called illegal immigrants in a cruel manner despite the efforts they make towards enhancing success in the nation. Most people also feel that the laws should not be adjusted but rather the immigrants should be evicted hence revealing the hatred they have upon the immigrants. The Catholic Church fears that the immigration bill may make the lives of the immigrants even more unbearable and that it has some similarities with the immigration law in Arizona hence the fear that the illegal immigrants will not be treated fairly. The Catholic Church particularly in the United States has been actively involved in the debate concerning the immigration laws where it has shown its opposition in a great manner. The church has been calling for reforms in the immigration laws arguing that all the people involved ought to be given the best by being treated in the best way possible as the teachings of the church stipulates for maintenance of human dignity at all time. “Behind these walls are friends, neighbors, co-workers,” said the bishop. “They are children of God, our brothers and sisters, who came to this country with hope for a better life. That is why the bishops of the United States are once again calling for immigration reform legislation in 2010. We are calling on all Catholics and people of good will to ignore the rhetoric and follow the teachings of our church.” (Custom Post Card par 2) The Catholic Church values human dignity and emphasizes that all individuals should be treated equally and with respect to life and humanity. Human dignity is considered to be the core principle when it comes to the concept of human rights and other social teachings in the Catholic Church. The catholic church also holds to the believe that every individual is created in the image and likeness of God and therefore they should all be treated equally in terms of dignity and accrued rights. It is also in this regard that a person irrespective of physical (age, disability, gender) or any other affiliation (religion, nationality, poverty levels) does not in any way lose their dignity. The essential needs of an individual should therefore be met under all circumstances in regard to material and spiritual satisfaction. Human dignity and human rights should always be maintained if the world is to become a better and safer place free from any form of discrimination and violence that would in one way or the other cause pain and suffering to people no matter the degree. In regard to immigration in the United States, the Catholic Church is greatly opposing the immigration laws on the basis that the laws are unjust and hence against God’s will that calls for justice and fair treatment for all. The arguments are mainly based on the effects of the immigrants on the nation’s economy, and the decision on retention or deportation of the immigrants based on their contribution to the nation. It emphasizes that hope should always be instilled in all individuals including the immigrants whether they are legal or illegal. The Catholic Church however recognizes the fact that the United States focuses on the rule of law but nonetheless, it also argues that the nation has the power and right to protect its borders and all those that are within them. According to the church, all laws that are enacted to govern people should always ensure that justice is honored so that basic human dignity and general human rights are maintained and failure to do this necessitates the church to come forward and protest against it for the sake of the discriminated individuals. The immigrants in the nation contribute a lot of positive impact to the nation’s economy but they are mistreated and their dignity undermined an aspect which should be eliminated (Catholic Online par 6). The Catholic Church has also had a main concern on the immigration laws that exist in other places rather than the US for instance in Arizona and Texas. The immigration bill in Arizona has received a lot of opposition from the catholic church both within the country as well from other countries for example we find the Bishops of New Mexico and the archbishop of New York ganging up to oppose the bill. Most church leaders are concerned with how the law is to affect the people governed by it since it does not cater for their well being in terms of human dignity and general human rights. The laws contents has a likelihood of hurting innocent people just because they are immigrants an aspect that is highly condemned by the catholic church whose core point of reference from which its teachings are derived is the respect for human dignity for all basing the argument on the fact that all individuals are created in the image and likeness of God and therefore they are all equal despite the situation they are in. The Arizona’s immigration law allows the police officers to arrest the people that they think are in the country illegally or might have no immigration documentation an act that would lead to arresting of even innocent people hence making it to be an act of civil violation. The Arizona immigration law has not only received criticism from the church and its leaders but also from some political leaders for instance president Barrack Obama, "Now, suddenly, if you dont have your papers, and you took your kid out to get ice cream, youre going to get harassed—thats something that could potentially happen," Obama said. "Thats not the right way to go." (Zapor par 4). The sheriff of Pima County has also been against the bill stating that whatever the case, he was not ready to enforce the law in his territory. There are however some leaders who embrace the law and do not see anything wrong with it hence bringing in the controversy in regard to how right or wrong the law is. Despite the fact that the Arizona immigration law has been faced with a lot of controversy there are some states that still insisted that they should also adopt such a law although most of them are not for it. In Texas, the catholic bishops have constantly rejected the Arizona’s way of immigration policies and strategies saying that is not expected to offer any solution but rather more problems in the city. The church leaders in Texas argues the immigration laws to be enacted should put into consideration all what the immigrants have contributed to the city and hence treat them with due respect and dignity. Comprehensive immigration reform is therefore advocated for so that aspects like permanent residency and family unity of the immigrants are looked into as a way of making their lives in the city more comfortable and reducing fear (Anonymous. Catholic Bishops to Texas Legislature: Reject Arizona-style Immigration Policies par 3) Religion and politics seem to be inseparable in that they have to interact in one way or the other. It is therefore advisable that the church engage in politics in an acceptable manner since separation seem impossible and some aspects have to involve both the church and political bodies for example charitable activities. The Catholic Church stands out among other religious groups and churches and it has been seen to be against various political aspects and laws for example on the use of contraceptives and abortion. Its influence on the immigration laws is however very critical and have been received with a lot of controversy due to the fact that different people have different perceptions in regard to the immigrations laws. Despite the controversy , it is evident that most church leaders from other denominations and the catholic church in particular are against the immigration laws enforced in various nations and are therefore requesting that there be some reforms so as to ensure that people are treated in a humane manner. Works Cited Aronoff, Joel Myron. Religion and Politics. USA: Transaction Publishers, 1984. Anonymous. “Can religion & politics mix?” BBC, 2011. April, 23, 2011 Anonymous. “Catholic Bishops to Texas Legislature: Reject Arizona-style Immigration Policies.” txcatholic, 2011. April, 23, 2011. Catholic Online. “U.S. Immigration Laws Unjust, Church Morally Obligated to Fight for Change, Cardinal says”. Catholic, 2007. April, 23, 2011. Custom Post Card. “The Catholic Church Calling on all People to Ignore Immigration Laws and Follow the teachings of our church.” Custom post card, 2010. April, 23, 2011. Wald, Kenneth and Calhoun-Brown, Allison. Religion and Politics in the United States. 5th ed. UK: Rowman & Littlefield, 2006 Zapor Patricia. “Opposition to Immigration Law”. American Catholic.Org. April, 23, 2011. Read More