"When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God."
- Leviticus 19:33-34
"It is my hope that our elected officials will...enact immigration reform that respects our common humanity and reflects the values - fairness, compassion and opportunity - upon which our nation, a nation of immigrants, was built."
Cardinal Roger Mahony
Archdiocese of Los Angeles
March 22, 2006
Learn what your faith informs you on immigration. Join the national debate and help foster a humane and just approach to immigration laws. Contact your member of Congress and share your faith with them.
To read the text of legislation in Congress, go to the links below:
S. 2611
H.R. 4437
Immigration Resources and Organizations List
Resources and Tools for Learning More about Immigrant Rights Issues
League of Women Voters Immigration Study, Position & Background Papers: The League of Women Voters has available an outstanding set of background papers on Immigration Issues. Go to: http://www.lwv.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=LWVUSImmigrationStudy.
The National Immigration Forum has a lot of useful resources available at http://www.immigrationforum.org/. See also their “Top 10 Immigration Myths & Facts” at http://www.immigrationforum.org/documents/TheJourney/MythsandFacts.pdf.
The Justice for Immigrants Web site, located at http://www.justiceforimmigrants.org/ has a lot of useful information, including a section dedicated to educational materials for Catholic Parishes. On that page you can find a link to a good sheet on Immigration Basics, and lots of other good materials.
A Resource Guide prepared by the American Immigration Lawyers Association on “Making the Case for Comprehensive Immigration Reform, is quite well done.
You can find it at http://www.aila.org/resourceguide.
The overall Web site is at http://www.aila.org/.
The National Immigration Law Center has many useful resources at their Website, http://www.nilc.org/.
"Listen to the Children/ Escuchemos a los niños Conversations with Immigrant Families/ Conversaciones con familias inmigrantes," published by Judson Press, 2011.
Religious Statements and Resources on Immigration Reform
"The Nation and the Common Good: Reflections on Immigration Reform," the Episcopal Church, Sept. 21, 2010
- July 29, 2010: "We stand united for immigration reform," submitted by David Leslie, Fr. Bill Minkel, Rev. Dr. David Wheeler and Rabbi Joseph Wolf, Oregonian
- Catholic: Archbishop John Vlazny, Archdiocese of Portland
- Church World Service, "The Bible as the Ultimate Immigration Handbook"
- EMO Immigration Statement
- United Methodist
- Church World Service
- National Council of Churches of Christ
- Interfaith Statement in Support of Comprehensive Immigration Reform
- What Faith Groups Say About Immigration Reform
- Interfaith Worker Justice
- Sojourners Discussion Guide "Welcoming the Stranger: Christians and Immigration"
- United Methodist Resolution: Welcoming the Migrant to the United States
- United Methodist Resolution on Global Migration
The original sanctuary movement began as a church response to the political violence and repression in Guatemala and El Salvador in the 1980’s. Refugees fled to the United States for protection from these abuses. However, United States policy would not grant political asylum to a majority of these refugees because Guatemala and El Salvador were allies with the United States.
Churches voluntarily involved with the Sanctuary Movement provided social services, and advocacy and actively lobbied to change federal immigration policies. Refugees were offered protection by churches that did not reveal the identities of the refugees they were helping – even if it meant being arrested, prosecuted and/or jailed to protect them.
The New Sanctuary Movement is the response to the moral injustice in U.S. immigration policies. Much like the original sanctuary movement, the New Sanctuary Movement involves a coalition of churches that provide protection, social services and legal resources for immigrants. Churches involved with the New Sanctuary Movement also lobby for immigration reform.
Churches are also able to become involved with the New Sanctuary Movement without becoming a host church. They can do this by participating as an ally to the movement and advocating for immigration reform.
The Oregon New Sanctuary Movement (ONSM) is an interfaith coalition of over 20 different Oregon faith communities, called to respond actively and publicly to the suffering of our immigrant brothers and sisters residing in the United States.
We stand together in our faith that everyone, regardless of national origin, has basic common rights, including but not limited to: 1) livelihood, 2) family unity, and 3) physical and emotional safety. We witness the violation of these rights under current immigration policy, particularly in the separation of children from their parents due to unjust deportations, and in the exploitation of immigrant workers. We are deeply grieved by the violence done to families through immigration raids. We cannot in good conscience ignore such suffering and injustice.
We are committed to lifting up the voices of our immigrant brothers and sisters, working for just and humane immigration reform, and the transformation of the social and economic systems that perpetuate the poverty in immigrants’ home countries that drives much of the migration to the United States. The ONSM provides prophetic hospitality to families who are in the deportation process and assists these families with spiritual, material and legal support.
To find out more about the New Sanctuary Movement, go to www.newsanctuarymovement.org/hospitality.htm.
To learn about the Oregon New Sanctuary Movement, go to /www.oregonsanctuary.org/.
Join EMO and other communities of faith in a campaign to unite Oregonians against poverty in our state. Together we will raise our voices and call upon the spirit of compassion and justice within all of us. We will appeal to those we entrust with the power to make economic and policy decisions, asking them to do the most to help the least among us. Unless we confront the root causes and social systems that cause poverty, we can only treat the symptoms.
In order to participate in the campaign, just fill out the registration form, choosing only the events in which you or your congregation/faith community want to participate. Each activity is intentionally designed to highlight one of three ways of addressing poverty: (1) education, (2) prayer/reflection and (3) action. We encourage you and your congregation/faith community to choose one of each.
For more information about the campaign, call EMO at (503) 221-1054.
"If you want peace, work for justice," said Pope Paul VI. The "Sermon Project," originated by Oregon PeaceWorks (OPW), is a way to build a movement for peace and justice within any congregation of faith. It calls upon the congregation to examine the values expressed in the priorities of the current federal budget with the values of the congregation's faith, especially as it pertains to world peace and the poor. If this examination reveals conflicting values, the congregation is encouraged to take action appropriate in their faith's traditions.
Leadership from the pulpit or the pew
OPW encourages pastors and other religious leaders to give sermons about the moral implications of the federal budget. Educational activities as a follow-up to the sermons are encouraged. For example, group discussions, letter writing parties to Oregon's Congressional delegation, meetings with that congregation's U.S. Representative or Senator's staff are great follow-up activities.
Lay members of the congregation can take the lead as well by organizing a forum, panel discussion, study group, discussion group or other educational activity using materials that OPW or Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon are happy to provide. Some of these materials can be viewed from the following Web sites:
Here's how it works
You and your congregation do some or all of following:
- Give a sermon on whether federal budget priorities adequately reflect your faith?s values
- Publish information in your congregation's bulletin
- Contact Oregon PeaceWorks or Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon for materials that can be circulated to the congregation
- Organize a presentation, forum or discussion for your congregation to examine how well federal budget priorities reflect your faith's values
- Take action appropriate to your faith?s traditions and inform your U.S. Representative and Senator of your congregation's activities on the federal budget
Oregon PeaceWorks & Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon can provide the following to assist your congregation:
- Written information, lectionary suggestions and references to your religious leader
- Written information for you to pass out to those interested in your congregation
- A speaker or discussion leader on the federal budget for your group
- A sample bulletin article on this subject
- Assistance such as planning activities
Oregon PeaceWorks can be contacted in Salem at (503) 371-8002. Peter Bergel, executive director, can be contacted at pbergel@igc.org.
Dowload "Prayer for a Just Budget"
"We call upon the U.S. Congress to enact the Darfur Accountability Act so that the African Union peacekeeping force might be expanded and given a stronger mandate to protect innocent civilians."
Bishop John Ricard, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
On the National Day of Action Sept. 21, 2005
The genocide in the Sudan is a humanitarian and moral crisis. Since 2003, over 400,000 human beings have died due to government sanctioned killing, raping and starving of the people in Darfur, an oil rich region in Sudan where many non-Arabic Sudanese live. The killings have been racially, religiously and financially motivated. Over 2.5 million human beings have been removed from their homes in Darfur by force. Many have fled to Chad and other countries in order to survive. Yet, despite a ceasefire agreement, the violence continues. The international community of nations, including the United States government, has not mustered the needed steps to bring the tragedy and suffering to an end.
In 2005, EMO helped to pass a bill in the Oregon Legislature that requires the state to divest funds from any companies conducting business with the Sudanese government. United States sanctions have not been regularly enforced. Several congressional bills are stalled. There is more that can be done. Your voice and prayers are needed to help end this human tragedy.
Below is a list of resources for congregations. Please use them and consider sending an offering of letters to Oregon's US Congressional delegation and to local newspapers to raise awareness.
Darfur Resources
- Save Darfur Coalition
- Faith Action Packet (PDF file)
- Bulletin Insert On Darfur (PDF file)
EMO will be facilitating safe and respectful dialogue and opportunities for personal discernment and action on the subject of the death penalty. EMO continues to work with organizations, such as Oregonians for Alternatives tothe Death Penalty, to build a movement in Oregon. The goal of the convening is to determine as a state what steps are presently needed to advance the movement, in light of recent developments and opportunities such as court decisions, an outgoing governor and the upcoming Oregon legislative session.
For more information, please contact Kevin Finney at (503) 221-1054 or kfinney@emoregon.org or visit Oregonians for Alternative to the Death Penalty. For death penalty statistics, visit the Death Penalty Information Center.
Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon is committed to relieving hunger in Oregon through advocacy, ministry and collaboration. As a founding member of the Oregon Faith Roundtable Against Hunger, EMO will continue to advocate for policy changes that address the root causes of hunger. Partnering with other religious organizations and service agencies, the roundtable is a resource for developing best practices in ministry, community food security and public policy advocacy. The roundtable is open to any religious organization committed to fighting hunger in Oregon.
Resources:
- Facts for Oregon
- National Hunger Statistics
-
Religious Texts on Hunger: Statements on and about Poverty, Hunger, Helping and Charity from The Tanakh
The economic recession of the past three years has shown the instability and unfairness of
Oregon
's tax system. Taxes are a social investment used for the common good. Over the past decade, the tax burden has shifted from wealthier individuals and large businesses to working people and small businesses. More and more, we are taxing income from work, making it much more difficult for working people to get ahead. Further,
Oregon
's unbalanced tax system causes government services to be unreliable due to over-dependence on the income tax. We need to reform the tax system so that it is fair to working Oregonians and small businesses, and it reliably funds important public services.
Read EMO's article on Tax Reform in Oregon. Download EMO's Tax Reform Bulletin Insert or Tax Reform Study Guide.
Federal Resources:
Oregon Resources:
Further Readings on Alabama's Tax Reform Efforts
Hamill, Susan Pace. The Least of These: Fair Taxes and the Moral Duty of Christians. (Sweetwater Press: 2003). Contains Law Professor Susan Pace Hamill's master's thesis in theological studies at Samford University's Beeson Divinity School. The thesis, entitled "An Argument for Tax Reform Based Judeo-Christian Ethics," inspired Alabama Governor Bob Riley to propose restructuring the tax structure to help the poor. Despite being a Bible Belt state, Alabama voters resoundingly defeated the proposal in the Fall of 2003.
