OUR VIEW: Is immigration a moral issue?
http://www.standard
The LDS Church should issue a definitive position on state laws, such as Arizona's, that allows non-federal law enforcement to request citizenship identification under certain conditions. It it does not, it risks being defined on the issue without its own input by extremists on both sides.
Utah activist Tony Yapias, who runs the advocacy group Proyecto Latino de Utah, is urging Mormon Hispanics to write letters to LDS Church President Thomas S. Monson requesting that the church take a position on laws that crack down on illegal immigration, such as Arizona's law that allows police, if they have reason, to check the immigration status of people on the street.
Church leaders have no comment on specific law, although its hierarchy has urged Utah legislators to show compassion on immigration legislation. As mentioned, the church should issue a strong stand on the issue. If it does not, it takes the risk of having its position being defined by others. These "others" are often extremists on an issue or persons already hostile to the church.
That's exactly what happened in the California gay marriage debate, where many church members were active in campaigning against gay marriage. The LDS Church never took an official position on the issue, but was nevertheless clearly seen as a huge force in favor of Proposition 8. As a result, the church, and some of its members, have taken a lot of criticism.
Yapias, a columnist for the Standard-Examiner'
We have no problem with the LDS Church caring more about its members than their immigration status, but to be consistent the church must take an active concern for all its members' welfare. If the Arizona law, or future similar laws such as one being considered in Utah, leads to a law-abiding LDS illegal immigrant being separated from his family due to a traffic ticket, could he or she expect their church to speak up for their rights?
We acknowledge there are counter arguments against the idea that immigration laws, which should be obeyed, are a moral issue. And many LDS Church members will cite the church's 12th Article of Faith -- "We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law" -- as a reason not to speak out on state laws.
However, there are other reasons, other than immigration, to consider Arizona's law as a moral issue. The church can speak out on the morality of law enforcement, after stopping a person on the street, using that person's skin color as a reason to ask for their papers. How many Americans, or legal residents, will have to deal with that form of racial profiling? We suspect it will be a lot.
Other churches have spoken out on this issue. It makes sense for the LDS Church to be on the record
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