Is someone's stance on illegal immigration a key factor for eternal salvation?

Proclaiming a sense of new energy and empowerment, the nation's Roman Catholic bishops on Wednesday issued instructions to Catholic voters that their eternal salvation could be at stake when they cast ballots.

Bishops emphasized that voters must consider the church's teachings on abortion and other moral issues when they select a candidate for the White House or any other office. If they don't, bishops said, it's not clergy who will judge them but God.
Voters are implored not to support abortion-rights political candidates but also advised that views on abortion should not be the sole factor. Catholics should also weigh church teaching on such moral issues as immigration, just war and poverty, bishops said.The Gospel mandate to 鈥渨elcome the stranger鈥?requires Catholics to care for and
stand with immigrants, both documented and undocumented, including immigrant children. Comprehensive reform is urgently necessary to fix a broken immigration system and should include a temporary work program with worker protections and a path to permanent residency; family reunification policies; a broad and fair legalization program; access to legal protections, including due process and essential public programs; refuge for those fleeing persecution and exploitation; and policies to address the root causes of migration. The right and responsibility of nations to control their borders and to maintain the rule of law should be recognized
This is nothing new, the Catholic Church in the US has been pushing for "comprehensive immigration reform" ever since illegal immigration became a major issue a year and a half ago. However, I don't think someone's stance on illegal immigration is a key factor for eternal salvation. I'm sure many Catholics disagree with the church's support of amnesty for illegal immigrants. Does that mean they're bad people? Of course not. I resent the Catholic Church for trying to portray those that oppose amnesty for illegal immigrants as being morally or religiously wrong. Since when did borders become morally wrong?

The last sentence of the paragraph on immigration and illegal immigration seems a bit laughable. "The right and responsibility of nations to control their borders and to maintain the rule of law should be recognized." That statement completely flies in the face of support for illegal immigrant amnesty. Giving legalization to people who illegally entered this country sets a precedent that nations should not be allowed to control their borders, and that it should allow anyone in who wants in. It's ludicrous, but I doubt the Catholic Church really cares.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/services/n...

Maybe the Catholic Church needs to open their doors, take down fences and let the poor people live in the Bishop homes and grounds. The Vatican need to open it's doors as well. The Catholic Church always wants to take the shirt off our backs and give it away, while they dress in silk and gold

not so much where they stand, but w should all be looking at how QUICKLY and BLANTANTLY that HILLARY has flip flopped on hers.

god loves everyone, thats the great thing about religion. we all get saved

I agree. It is hard to interpret their official stance as anything other than self serving.

thanks for giving me somthing to think about at least!!!

No.

I can't recall a single passage in the Bible that mentions illegal immigration.

While illegal immigration is a serious problem, I don't think it has any religious ramifications at all.

I do think that by supporting candidates that promote ideas contrary to God's word you are agreeing that you would take those actions because those are the actions you are supporting, and you may actually be compromising your own salvation.

Yes I believe the illegals who have children to try and put down roots in the US, then abandon them when they get deported are cutting themselves out of eternal salvation..

I don't think the church should have any thing to do with how you vote. We of free mind can deside for our selves. We will close the borders soon.

So when is the government going to take away the Catholic Churches tax exempt status? That is part of the nature of having tax exempt status in the first place, that one can not do political advocacy. Yet the only time tax exempt status ever comes into question is when a church it's even slightly against Bushes policies.

I read that. I don't understand why they still have tax exemption. My understanding is that case law directly regulates what is permissible for keeping a tax exemption, and telling the congregation how to vote is not ok.

Pro-illegals (such as the Catholic Church) play intellectual "Twister" with themselves to justify their hypocritical position.

Honestly what I find the most funny about this is how many wars have been fought in the name of religion? Also...look at the church's stand toward Muslims and also Israel. Do they abide by their own doctine they now preach concerning illegals? Or is their doctrine towards illegals mainly because most illegals are Catholic? Makes a person wonder if they mean ALL illegals.

The same catholic church that protects child molestors has no right talking about eternal salvation, or anything else for that matter

I am quite sure the catholic church cares about the immigration issue. Let's not forget that the vast majority of Latinos are catholic.

But what annoys me about the churches, not just the catholic one, is their non-profit status when they keep getting involved in politics. I think it is high time that religion loses its non-profit status.

yes
Leviticus 19:33-34
"When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your G-d.

the FIRST FIVE books of the bible have NOTHING to do with the catholic church and was given to the scribes before Christ's birth by the mouth of G-d

saludos mexicanos



let me clarify.... the immigration issue in itself... does not determine salvation...BUT your thoughts, your motives....your Ideas...and I mean YOUR REAL MOTIVES (not just the ones you show in public) that is what will be judged

my conscious is clear -in so far as this- ....is yours?

somebody forgot 'the separation of church and state'

That is ridiculous. Our salvation is dependent upon our acceptance of Jesus as our Savior. With the acceptance of his death for our sins, we are "cleansed" of our own sins. God then sees us only as followers of Jesus.

Our salvation has NOTHING to do with our position on this matter. Nothing. God Does not choose who gets into Heaven based up on our beliefs here on Earth. It is only through Jesus that we can see God.

what a bishop says doesn't always represent the Church's teachings

They want to keep Catholics Catholic. They don't want to lose anyone. Offset the scandals too. Using piety as an excuse. That church has no shame, but it should.