Arizona is the first state in the U.S. to make illegal immigration a crime -- and illegal aliens and their advocates aren't happy about it.
While the pleas from American citizens in Arizona and other states fall on deaf ears in Washington, DC, the violence and crime at the U.S.-Mexico border continues unabated.
The U.S. government has spent billions of dollars to fight Mexican drug cartels yet they continue to be the nation’s largest supplier of illicit narcotics, and violent Mexican gangs have expanded into every region of the country, including idyllic rural areas.
"This is hardly earth-shattering news since Mexico has long represented the single greatest drug trafficking threat to the U.S., despite Uncle Sam's multi billion-dollar effort to halt the northbound flow of narcotics. The costly investment has failed miserably, according to a federal report that reveals Mexican heroin production has actually doubled in the last year," state officials from the public-interest group Judicial Watch.
In the absence of federal enforcement a Mexican border state -- Arizona -- drowning in an illegal immigration pandemic has passed legislation that bans “sanctuary city” policies and makes it a state crime to be in the U.S. without proper documentation.
The law marks an unprecedented effort by an American state to take immigration matters into its own hands since immigration offenses are currently violations of federal law that are not usually be enforced by local police.
Few Americans are surprised to see and hear about left-wing politicians, illegal immigration advocates and the usual suspects -- MoveOn.org, ANSWER, etc. -- condemning Arizona and proponents of this new state law.
But many will be surprised to hear supposedly conservative Christian evangelical leaders opposing Arizona's crimefighting law. They're calling the Arizona law misguided and are attempting to use its passage to push for federal immigration reform that includes amnesty for illegal aliens who jumped in front of the line of people seeking the American dream.
Evangelical Christians such as Richard Land, head of the Southern Baptist Convention's public policy wing and radio talk host, and Mathew Staver, dean of the Liberty University School of Law, claim they will lobby GOP leaders to support comprehensive immigration reform under President Obama.
A large part of Land's and Staver's job is to "convert" rank-and-file evangelicals to become born-again liberals as far as illegal immigration.
While no one can honestly question the motives of Land and Staver, one can question their wisdom on this issue. Biblically, they may be oblivious to the Holy Bible's teaching related to the issues of law and fairness.
For example, in the New Testament, Romans 13:1-7 states: "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor."
Meanwhile, 1 Peter 2:13-14 states: "We are to cooperate with those authority figures and obey the local and federal laws of the land, within the boundaries of God’s laws. "
It is sad to see these men of God throwing in with politicians and activists, who regularly oppose God and his people at every turn. The politicians and activists do not want to give illegal aliens a better life; they want their votes to consolidate their power over Americans.
To contact Richard Land, visit his web site: http://www.richardlandlive.com/ - Telephone: 888-324-8456
To contact Mathew Staver: Mailing Address: PO Box 540774, Orlando, FL 32854. Telephone: 434-592-7000. Email: Liberty@LC.org