World News
Need for US immigration reform at a 'critical moment,' say speakers
Published: September 12, 2012
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (CNS) -- Christians, especially political leaders of both parties, have a moral duty to address the plight of undocumented immigrants in America -- as part of the Gospel message to bring justice to the poor, welcome the marginalized and stand up for the powerless. That was the main point during a recent screening in Charlotte of "Gospel Without Borders," an award-winning documentary that tells the story of illegal immigrants in several states, including Arkansas and North Carolina. It depicts how Catholics, Baptists, Methodists and Presbyterians address immigration from a faith-based perspective, without delving into the partisan divide on the issue. It was produced by EthicsDaily.com, a division of the Baptist Center for Ethics in Nashville, Tenn., and funded by a grant from the United Methodist Foundation of Arkansas. More than 90 people attended a screening of the film Sept. 4 at St. Peter Catholic Church, followed by a discussion led by religious leaders who were featured in the documentary or who advocate for immigration reform, including Bishop Anthony B. Taylor of Little Rock, Ark. The audience included other religious leaders as well as delegates in town to attend the Democratic National Convention. Bishop Taylor, who has worked more than 25 years in Hispanic ministry and wrote a 2008 pastoral letter on the human rights of immigrants, is featured in the film. The nonpartisan event was about "a moral witness of faith leaders to political leaders about the urgency of addressing immigration reform. Nothing more. Nothing less," said Robert Parham, executive director of the Baptist Center for Ethics and co-producer of the documentary, in an editorial. He also called on politicians to address the situation of close to 11 million undocumented people living in the United States and to fix a broken federal immigration system.
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