Immigration Politics - Indiana: Mennonite group opposed to immigration bill

Here is the Sunday sermon of the week. Go Mennonites!

Mennonite group opposed to immigration bill » Breaking News » Goshen News, Goshen, IN:"Leaders from the local branch of Mennonite Church USA gathered at the organization’s Elkhart office Monday to make a unified statement against Indiana Senate Bill 590.

Mennonite Church USA, which is an Anabaptist Christian denomination with more than 109,000 members in 939 congregations across 44 states, is strongly opposed to the new legislation, which if passed would significantly alter the way illegal immigration matters are handled in Indiana. ...

(The church's statement said,) "Together we stand opposed to Indiana Senate Bill 590. Among other things, this bill authorizes local law enforcement officials to verify the immigration status of individuals and to detain them for this purpose.

"This legislation could lead to mistreatment of neighbors whose first language is not English, might result in more families in our communities being torn apart, and could turn local police into immigration agents," he said.

"Jesus demonstrated that God’s love has no borders," Gingerich Stoner said. "We remember that when Jesus was a child, he was a refugee and an immigrant in a foreign land. Scripture teaches us that we see the face of Christ in the stranger, and that we are to afford each person dignity, respect and compassion — whether he or she has legal documentation or not."

As an alternative to SB 590, Mennonite Church USA officials are instead advocating use of what has become known as the Indiana Compact, which is a declaration of five principles covering the areas of federal solutions, law enforcement, families, the economy, and society at large, all with the goal of guiding Indiana’s immigration discussion.

"We join our voices with other religious leaders from across this state, the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, the Indiana Attorney General, mayors of 120 Indiana cities and many others in supporting the Indiana Compact as a framework for a strong and fair immigration policy," Gingerich Stoner said. "We invite our church members and neighbors to join us in signing the Indiana Compact at www.IndianaCompact.com.""