May 10, 2007

(Chicago & 4 Other Cities) - The Chicago Tribune has confirmed that Roman Catholic Churches and one protestant church in five cities are harboring fugitives from our immigration laws. What is not in dispute is that these people from south of the border are here illegally. What is in dispute is the right of the church to give them sanctuary.

Officially, since the time of Henry VIII, there has been no supreme right of the church over the state in any way. A crook in church is a crook who can be arrested. Nevertheless, it is a practice which is observed more with a wink in Heavily Roman Catholic areas. Also, the Roman church in South America has tried to fight socialism by being more socialist that the socialists who are mostly adherents to that other large religion, Atheism. It's called "liberation theology" and has about as much real theology behind it as an argument for soda crackers being cookies - you can say it, but there's no hard evidence. So it's no surprise that Roman Catholic priests and some socialist protestants are giving a sanctuary they can't really give to law-breakers who don't really deserve to be there.

But, frankly, unless you're a Jeffersonian libertarian, you have no-one to blame but yourself.

For years, conservatives have maintained that there is no real separation of church and state in the constitution. Others say that there is separation of church and state, but there should be no denial of religion in that same document. Courts have gone back and forth, but recently have suggested that the latter is probably true and not the former. And, we continue to support the ideal of church and state working together to solve social problems. But that's working together, not one being the other.

Obviously, one cannot be the other - we can't have it both ways.

The liberals in the ACLU would have us believe that the Illegals hiding in the churches can stay there. But then they turn around and say we can't have prayers to Jesus in the town hall.

Don't get smug just yet, though. Because, conservatives say it's ok to have prayers to Jesus in the town hall, but then turn around and say the Illegals have to leave the churches.

What's the truth?

In my opinion, both the Illegals and the prayers to Jesus should go. The prayers to Jesus are a recent addition. Prayers to a generalized diety are ancient, but that's not the same thing. Saying, "God save this honorable court," is not the same thing as invoking the name of the Savior to effect sanity in the council's deliberation, no matter how much sense it makes to do it.

Illegals are illegal and should be sent back to the country of their origin - scourging is optional. And saying,"In God we trust," is the water's edge, beyond which we should not cross. To me, this is the only honest option. Religion is about salvation. The law is about the law. Politics is about theft.

- Dick Anderson