Leading Evangelicals Want “Remedial English Classes” for Those Who Call Immigration Reform “Amnesty”

Even "conservative evangelicals" are turning away from republicans immigration demagoging and towards comprehensive reform.

http://americasvoiceonline.org/blog/entry/leading_evang... /

"And Evangelical leaders on the call had harsh words for the conservatives who are trying to keep those discussions from happening. As Town Hall reported, the Southern Baptist Convention's Richard Land said: "It doesn't help when you have parts of the conservative coalition that insist on mislabeling an earned pathway to citizenship as amnesty. These people need a course in remedial English themselves."

Conservative evangelicals made a big splash in the immigration debate this week, as some of the movement's foremost leaders joined some continued champions to call for immediate action on bipartisan immigration reform. Evangelical leaders including Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention, Mat Staver of Liberty Counsel and the Liberty University School of Law and Bill Hybels of Willow Creek Community Church (a national figure in the Evangelical movement) signed a full-page ad in Thursday's edition of Roll Call titled "An Evangelical Call for Bipartisan Immigration Reform." The ad calls on Democrats and Republicans alike to protect "the unity of the immediate family" and establish "a path toward legal status and/or citizenship for those who qualify and who wish to become permanent residents."

Several of these leaders, including Land and Staver, also released a statement on Tuesday expanding on these points. The statement affirms:

The time to forge a rational consensus is now. America is a country of immigrants, a melting pot of individuals from various ethnicities and cultures. It is based on the rich heritage of immigration on which this country was established, and, in accordance with a just immigration policy, this country will continue to thrive. America deserves a just immigration policy; one that begins with securing, not closing, our borders, one that provides a temporary guest-worker program, and one that offers a pathway for earned legal citizenship or temporary residency.

At a time when the Republican Party appears to be avoiding immigration reform, having an influential sector tell it to face the issue and do the right thing is a big deal. As Rev. Sam Rodriguez, head of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Coalition, told CNN:

"If the conservative evangelical community looks to the Republican Party and says, 'We demand immigration reform, we demand a just assimilation strategy,' that may be the tipping point in getting substantial Republican support for comprehensive immigration reform."

Several of the leaders who signed the ad underlined their commitment on a conference call for press and conservative grassroots activists on Wednesday. Also on the call was Senator Chuck Schumer, who recognized the contributions the faith community has made to the immigration debate. As the Wall Street Journal reported, Schumer told the Evangelical leaders that "you can play a vital role" in getting Republicans to come to the table to discuss bipartisan immigration reform.