Katerina Ivanovna over at Vox Nova has written a great post called We must use our eyes. She really interacts with what Pope Benedict says in this book Christianity and the Crisis of Culture. Benedict states:
"The moral drama, the decision for good or evil, begins with our eyes, when we choose whether or not to look at the face of the other."
I think that is so true. Katherina talks about this in relation to infanticide, abortion, and the poor. What did the guards at the Nazi concentration camps do? Did they look in the eyes of their victims or look in the eyes of the people in charge? Did they look at their own faces in the mirror?
Let me offer some mild criticism of the piece. This touches on the hot button issue of illegal immigration and immigration reform. For the record I was a big supporter of the Comprehensive Immigration Reform. I have been for 3 years once I started tacking this issue. When I look at the catechsim, the scriptures, the tradition of the Church and her teaching, I think it shows both extremes in this debate are wrong.
Katherina says:
"Michael Joseph and I have written extensively on the issue of illegal immigration in this country in our former blog and the response that we have received from the majority of readers who happen to be Catholic have sadly agreed with the inhumane policies of deportation of this administration and the Republican party. I am not an apologist for the Democratic party, of course, because of their faulty anthropology (as well as the Right's), but we need to ask ourselves... which party is "using their eyes"? Which party is recognizing "their neighbor"? Which party is "deciding on conversion"? Of course, none of them. That is our job as Christians. Political parties do not convert hearts. They do not point the hearts of the faithful and the unfaithful alike to the Risen One. Christians do. And for Christians to achieve this they have to first convert their hearts...."
I have to admit that part I bolded sort of miffs me a little. Now the author of this post does not mean to to do this I know. She is one of the few "progressive"posters over their that reaches out to Catholic republicans in my view and engages us. I think in the end she does not realize how many of us Republicans took a lot of hits for our stand. In fact it was a topic of discussion among many of us that we were the ones taking the hits while the other party watched. We took the name calling and the arrows. It was not fun being called by some "traitors"," Quisilings", and having our integrity questioned.
First these "deportation" policies are not the policy of this Administration or the Republican party. They are the law of the land. The President of the United States is the Executive and must enforce and implement these laws. President Bush took a ton of political hits and used a bunch of political captial to try to get reform through. Also I might add that many conservative Republican Senators and Reps went out on a limb for these too. If Bush did not enforce the laws, many make the reckless accusation he does not, then there would be gounds for impeachment in some people's eyes. Where would that get us. Also lets be clear that not all deportation is immoral. Finally as the leading journalist on this issue pointed out, it was liberal democrats that did their fair share of killing immigration reform. All to make Bush looks bad and to make thsi a political issue. Real lives were affected by it and George Bush and other republicans had precious little to do with those actions.
However Katerina I think gets back to the main point and does so very well when she says:
"Political parties do not convert hearts. They do not point the hearts of the faithful and the unfaithful alike to the Risen One. Christians do. And for Christians to achieve this they have to first convert their hearts"
I think that is true and I have been screaming that. Many Catholic criticize the Republicans for not "delivering enough" on life issues. However parties and those that work the political game provide opportunties for us to act. They cannot do it all themselves. Bush leads on the idea of faith based programs- Did we do our part to take advantage? Bush praises and holds Catholic Charities as the example Par Excellence in helping the new immigrant and the nation- Did we do do our part? This administration has been a leader in making the cause for life in stem cell research- Did we do our part? It appears in Missouri in 2006 when the voters went to the polls we did not. Politicians create opportunities but in the US the consent of the "governed" is not just some empty phrase.
In 2006 the South Dakota legislature passed a bill banning most abortion. It went to the voters and it failed. It appears we did not do our part as Katerina says in converting their hearts. It is easy to blame parties and politicians. But in the end the failure to get people to "open their eyes" is not prime duty of the US GOVT. It is our duty. A tough duty because it means we must get off the couch and actually engage our neighbor.
James,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link. My only point regarding immigration is that most Catholics have said that the administration is enforcing the law without even asking the fairness behind these laws. We don't do that with abortion and we need to do the same with many other laws that are absolutely inhumane. No question about it. To question the unfair nature of this country's immigration laws is to fall into rootless relativism. There is a fundamental difference between a violation of a civil law and a criminal law. There is a difference between the consequence carried by someone working illegally than someone who is committing murders and crimes.
Keep in mind that before 9/11 the USCIS was in charge to enforce the immigration laws, but now is the department of Homeland Security that is implementing all these massive deportations. These deportations have increased by 300% since 2005. This administration has a double-talk: on one side they say they want to provide "amnesty" (which is really not) and on the other they are deporting by the hundreds.
I saw a documentary not too long ago regarding illegal immigration when the representative of USCIS was saying that they want to enforce the law, but they try to target the trespassers in three layers: first they target those who pose terrorist threats, secondly they target those who have criminal records, and lastly they target those who have just violated immigration laws.
I'm sure that is "their policy..." and that they arrest these high-profile terrorists in meat-packing plants by the hundreds.
Katerina
ReplyDeleteFirst like I said I thought your post was excellent and I hoope people engage it.
As to immigration. I am not thrilled either how Catholic Republicans engaged this issue. However there were some that engaged it in a very Catholic balanced view and begged for people to take a step back and look at it through a true Catholic lens
Now you are correct there is a relativism going on here.
I would diagree that this is purely a civil matter. I also think that it is proper that the Department of Homeland Security gets involves.
IF we have a major terroristattack and it caused by an "illegal immigrant"or someone crossing that border illegally there will be such a backlash against the largely hispanic community and illegal immigrants I hate to think about it.
IF one looks at the polling once one poll people on the actual proposals Republicans and Democrats alike agree with them by good majorities. THe problem is getting past the spin
As to enforcement. THe problem is this. Americans are under the perception that nothing is being done on the border. They want the border secured. There is a perception that immigration reform is a fraud because it will just go back to business as usual. IF the Govt does not try to show it is serious about deporting those that shouldnot be here or as to border security we shall lose again on the issue of immigration reform.
It is of political necessity that the GOVt show it is trying. THe key is that we fight those that will then move the goal post again and not make some sort of compromise of regularization of some of the illegals.
The people that are doing this are not Republcans or ther parties. IT is extreme radical groups like FAIR, CIS, and NUMMBERS USA that have theri tentacles in bothy parties. IN the end their agenda is far more than illegal immigration. They have a policy that is in the end radical and I think anti life. Until the social conservatives, Catholics and others realize what the agenda of these groups are, that often are ones supplying the info in this debate" we shall lose again.
It is a difficult balancing act. THe got must enforce the laws and show the American people good faith. THe problem is that the laws are so out of wack.
I was hopeful that at this point we would have immigration reform and the laws would be more just. I guess we shall have to wait till 2009 at the ealriest.