EARNED CITIZENSHIP: A DIALOGUE WITH THE CHRISTIAN RIGHT

By

Peter Wong[1]

1. INTRODUCTION

This article provides an Example Dialogue on how we, as moderate and progressive Christians, might effectively talk with our more conservative brothers and sisters in Christ ("Christian Right") about an earned citizenship legalization path for the nearly 12 million undocumented immigrants now residing in this country, while leaving each other whole and with goodwill at the end of the discussion.

The Example Dialogue below addresses the following objections to earned citizenship: (1) It would reward law breakers; (2) Keeping undocumented immigrants in their legal "limbo" status outside the law is just punishment for their breaking the law; and (3) It would encourage others to enter this country illegally in hopes of later gaining citizenship.

The Example Dialogue is excerpted from the author's syllabus entitled: Let's Dialogue With The Christian Right-A syllabus of strategies, moral values, and Biblical citations (hereafter referred to as "Syllabus"). The Syllabus explains the underlying framework, rationale, and strategy in dialoguing with a member of the Christian Right on "hot button" topics such as abortion, same-sex marriage, embryonic stem cell research, and global warming.[2] The Syllabus is intended to stimulate discussion and additional research on how to dialogue with the Christian Right, and is suitable for use in workshops and small group discussions. The Syllabus will be available for free downloads from www.micahscall.org in 2008. The anticipated table of contents is in the Appendix.

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2. LANGUAGE OF MORAL VALUES

A rational discussion with our brothers and sisters on the Christian Right on "hot button" topics can be emotionally explosive and damaging to family relationships and friendships, if not approached with the recognition of and sensitivity to the other side's deep religious convictions. This is why we often studiously avoid such discussions with friends and family.

We take the approach here that any such discussion on "hot button" topics must be based on a common set of moral values. Because as Christians we are disciples of Jesus and acknowledge him as Lord, as our Lord, Jesus' teachings must be our supreme moral guide. Jesus' teachings are the "lens" by which we scrutinize our actions and decisions. Accordingly, Jesus' teachings are the backbone of the Example Dialogue below. A more detailed discussion of Jesus' teachings as our supreme moral guide (along with a catalogue of Jesus' teachings) is provided in the Syllabus.

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3. RULES FOR NONCONFRONTATIONAL DIALOGUE

Below is a set of nonconfrontational dialogue rules. They are similar to those rules espoused in marriage counseling sessions to deescalate potentially confrontational dialogue between spouses. Here, we have modified the rules to deescalate a potentially confrontational dialogue with a member of the Christian Right on "hot button" topics. More discussion of these rules is in the Syllabus.

• Rule 1: It Is Not about Winning. Set your expectations at the beginning of the dialogue that it is not about winning.

• Rule 2: Engage in Active Listening. Use an expression like "I understand that you believe _________" to communicate to the other side that you have been attentive to and understand what they are saying about their beliefs and values.

• Rule 3: Use "I" Messages. Respond by using an expression like "I feel (or believe) that ____________," which is a nonaccusatory and nonjudgmental way to express your beliefs and values.

• Rule 4: Listen for Underlying Primal Concerns. Try to understand the other side's primal concerns that perhaps lie beneath the camouflage of rhetoric (e.g., simply citing a Biblical passage as authority, when fear of foreigners is an underlying primal concern). If we can understand the other side's primal concern, we may be able to deal with it and make more progress in the dialogue.

• Rule 5: Establish Common Moral Values. Try to establish a common set of moral values based on Jesus' teachings (e.g., Golden Rule, justice, righteousness, compassion, sharing abundance, mercy, reconciliation, forgiveness, tolerance, accepting the outsider, peacemaking, and stewardship) and then pursue the discussion from this common set of moral values.

• Rule 6: Pose Thoughtful Questions. Pose thoughtful questions that flow naturally from the common set of moral values, which may cause the other side to reflect and rethink his/her position. We emphasize thoughtful questions, as opposed to assertions, because they tend to elicit a less defensive response. Thoughtful questions are the agency of conversation and dialogue.

• Rule 7: Illuminate a Moral Dilemma. The key is to attempt to illuminate a moral dilemma, based on posing a countervailing set of moral values based on Jesus' teachings, exposing unconsidered facts, exploring unappreciated consequences, probing inconsistencies, and/or dealing with primal concerns.

• Rule 8: Seek Agreement on Sub-Issues: Although we may succeed in illuminating a moral dilemma, very likely that moral dilemma will not be resolved during this one encounter. Rather than pushing for resolution of the moral dilemma, it may be more appropriate to shift gears and try to come to some understanding and agreement on a set of sub-issues.

The above rules can make possible a nonconfrontational framework for dialogue that will leave everyone whole and perhaps cause a person on an opposing side to rethink his/her position, either during the dialogue or after reflection. These rules set the context for the Example Dialogue below.

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4. DIALOGUE ON EARNED CITIZENSHIP FOR UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS

Caveats: The Example Dialogue below is an illustration, not a prescription. The dialogue is in skeletal form and missing after each thoughtful question is the implied admonition to listen to the other side's response, and if the response is not what you expect, to invite further explanation and discussion. To be thoroughly prepared, you should be ready to discuss in greater depth Jesus' teachings and facts presented in the Example Dialogue. Citations to supporting Biblical text and facts are provided. Also, there are more arguments presented here than can be discussed in a single conversation, and you may not feel that all the arguments are equally compelling. Use only the ones that you feel most confident in discussing and that you believe are the most compelling. In addition, consider reordering the Example Dialogue arguments in a manner that makes more sense to you. Of course be prepared to deviate from your plan depending on the other side's response.

Depending on the circumstances, you might consider deviating from the emphasis on thoughtful questions and using a different mix of assertions, explanations, and questions. Furthermore, your dialogue should be supplemented, where appropriate, with your own personal examples, anecdotes, and arguments not covered below. In sum, you will need to customize the Example Dialogue to your personal style and spontaneously adapt your dialogue to the situation.

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EXAMPLE DIALOGUE

Active Listening

1. I understand your position is that we should not offer a way for undocumented immigrants now residing in this country to earn their citizenship. Is this correct?

2. Am I correct that your position is based on not rewarding those who break the law?

3. My view is different: I believe that offering earned citizenship is the right and moral thing to do.

4. Is this a subject you feel comfortable in talking about-sharing points of view?

President Bush Supports Earned Citizenship

5. Does it surprise you that President Bush-who consistently supports conservative Christian values in his domestic policies-favors earned citizenship?

6. In his 2007 State of the Union address, President Bush explained: "We need to resolve the status of the illegal immigrants who are already in our country, without animosity and without amnesty."

7. Do you agree with President Bush that allowing undocumented immigrants to earn their citizenship, is not amnesty?

Senator Brownbeck Supports Earned Citizenship

8. Are you aware that Sam Brownbeck, a leading Republican Senator from Kansas who espouses conservative Christian values, supports earned citizenship for undocumented immigrants?

9. Senator Brownbeck explains his support as follows: "To me, it goes to the core of your view and recognition of human dignity for everybody." (Karen Tumulty, "Special Report on Immigration: Should They Stay or Should They Go?" Time, April 10, 2006, p. 40, hereafter referred to as "Tumulty.")

10. As a Christian, do you believe that affirming human dignity in others is important?

Explore Support For Earned Citizenship?

11. Are you willing to explore why conservative Christians like President Bush and Senator Brownbeck support earned citizenship?

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Personal Encounters?

12. In your community, what are the types of jobs that undocumented immigrants tend to hold--e.g., farm workers, heavy manual labor, gardeners, cleaning and maid services, restaurant bus boys and dishwashers, nannies, etc.?

13. What has been your experience in dealing with these workers?

14. Do you think there are enough Americans to fill the need for and who want to work in these low-paying, low-skilled, and physically demanding jobs, if we didn't have the immigrants doing this kind of work?

Deeply Embedded In The Fabric Of Society

15. Did you know there are about 12 million undocumented immigrants living in the U.S.? (Jeffrey S. Passel, "Size and Characteristics of the Unauthorized Migrant Population in the US," Pew Hispanic Center, March 7, 2006, at http://pewhispanic.org/reports/report.php? ReportID=61.)

16. These 12 million undocumented immigrants are deeply embedded in the fabric of families and communities in the U.S.

17. Undocumented immigrants typically live in close-knit extended family situations in which there are mixtures of native-born Americans, naturalized citizens, and permanent residents. (Arian Compo-Flores, "Immigration," Newsweek, April 10, 2006, pp. 30-31, hereafter referred to as "Compo-Flores.")

Mass Deportation Not A Realistic Option

18. How would we identify, apprehend, and deport an estimated 12 million people, when they are deeply embedded within a protective and supportive family and community network of legal residents?

19. Are you willing to devote the resources necessary to create an enormous INS paramilitary police force to investigate, arrest, temporarily incarcerate 12 million people pending deportation, and then arrange for their deportation and transportation to their country of origin?

20. Are you willing to spend the enormous amount of money required to do this when we are struggling under the burden of large unbalanced national budgets, a huge national debt, and the costs of the Iraq War-- now nearly $460 billion as of October 2007, and growing? (See the continuing update of Iraq War costs at http://www.nationalpriorities. org/Cost-of-War/Cost-of-War-3.html.)

21. Are you willing to spend this enormous amount of money when we need to find the monies to fix the projected bankruptcy of our Social Security and Medicare systems?

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75% Favor Earned Citizenship

22. Are you aware that an April 2006 Time magazine poll, found that 75% of the respondents favored allowing citizenship for undocumented immigrants who are already here, if they have a job, demonstrate proficiency in English, and pay their taxes?" (Tumulty, p. 36.)

23. Would you allow undocumented immigrants to stay in this country as long as they become integrated into U.S. society by learning English, do not burden other taxpayers because they have a job, and pay their fair share of taxes?

Immigrants Benefit The Economy

24. Are you aware that the consensus of most economists is that, "on balance, immigration is good for the country. Immigrants provide scare labor, which lowers prices in much the same way that global trade does." (Roger Lowenstein, "The Immigration Equation," The New York Times, July 9, 2006, at http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/ 09/magazine/09IMM.html?pagewanted=all.)

25. First, immigrants work in less desirable jobs, thereby "keeping a lid on inflation and interest rates. As a result, prices for goods and services are lower, and citizens can purchase more." (Lisa Takeuchi Cullen and Daren Fonda, "Special Report on Immigration: What It Means for Your Wallet," Time, April 10, 2006, p. 43.)

26. Who would do these less desirable jobs done by undocumented immigrants-farm labor, heavy manual labor, cleaning and maid services, gardeners, restaurant bus boys and dishwashers, nannies, etc.-if undocumented immigrants somehow disappeared?

27. Second, immigrants contribute to the economy as consumers. A recent study by economists at the University of North Carolina "found that Hispanic residents, 45% of whom were undocumented, contributed $9.2 billion in spending to North Carolina's economy in 2004." (Ibid.)

28. Third, undocumented immigrants are keeping some American industries competitive, allowing them to remain in America, otherwise, these industries would have gone overseas. (Ibid.)

29. Fourth, undocumented immigrants pay taxes?

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They Pay Taxes

30. Are you aware that it is a fallacy that undocumented immigrants do not pay taxes?

31. About 7 million of the 12 million undocumented immigrants are employed using fake ID's and are paying payroll taxes withheld from their wages, (Eduardo Porter, "Illegal Immigrants Are Bolstering Social Security With Billions," New York Times, April 5, 2005, at http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/05/business/05immigration.html? pagewanted=all&position=.)

32. Are you aware that these 7 million undocumented immigrants who pay payroll taxes are subsidizing our Social Security System to the tune of about $7 billion dollars annually-a pension system in which they do not benefit? (Ibid.)

33. Also, the 12 million undocumented immigrants pay taxes not connected to their wages such as sales taxes on their consumption and purchases, property taxes as part of their rent, and gasoline excise taxes?

Bringing Them Out Of Their Legal "Limbo" Status Is Economic Pragmatism

34. Of the 12 million undocumented immigrants, 5 million are not paying payroll taxes; they are being paid "under the table."

35. If it is impractical to deport 12 million undocumented immigrants, doesn't it make more pragmatic economic sense to capture the payroll taxes of the approximately 5 million who are escaping payroll taxes-thereby, joining the 7 million who are paying payroll taxes?

36. If it is impractical to deport 12 million people, doesn't it make more pragmatic economic sense to allow these people to emerge from their legal "limbo" status outside the law and let them become fully productive and contributing citizens of society?

37. Does economic pragmatism help explain why many people are in favor of earned citizenship?

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Supremacy Of Jesus' Teachings

15.38.Let's see if we can find some common ground based on our shared Christian values. It will allow us to understand how and why we have a difference of opinion.

16.39.As Christians we acknowledge Jesus as Lord-would you agree?

40. Recall Jesus' command: "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." (John 14:15, RSV.)

19.41.Because Jesus is our Lord, we believe his life and teachings must be our supreme moral guide-would you agree?

42. Because Jesus is our Lord, when confronting a complex moral issue, we should ask ourselves: What would Jesus do based on his teachings? Would you agree?

Parable Of The Good Samaritan

43. Are you familiar with Jesus' parable about the Good Samaritan?

44. Recall that in the parable, a Priest, Levite, and Samaritan pass by an injured man on the road. Only the Samaritan has the compassion to help the injured man. (Luke 10:29-37.)

45. Jesus holds up the example of the Good Samaritan and commands, "Go and do likewise." (Luke 10:37, RSV.)

46. There is no equivocation in Jesus' directive to us, his disciples.

47. Do you agree that Jesus expects us to show compassion to others-just like the Good Samaritan?

48. If we left 12 million undocumented immigrants in their legal "limbo" status outside the law-would this not be like the Priest and Levite who without compassion left the injured man in medical "limbo" on the road?

49. Given that it is impractical to deport 12 million people, does Jesus' moral teaching of compassion in the Good Samaritan explain why a conservative Christian like Senator Brownbeck is motivated to seek a compassionate solution that recognizes the human dignity of 12 million undocumented immigrants?

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Discipleship Without Compassion Is Meaningless

50. The Apostle Paul teaches us that without compassion for others our Christian discipleship and achievements are meaningless.

51. Recall that in his letter to the Corinthians Paul admonishes them: "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love [compassion], I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love [compassion], I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love [compassion], I gain nothing." (1 Corinthians 13: 1-3, RSV.)

52. Would you agree that both Jesus and Paul make it abundantly clear that being a Christian means being compassionate towards others?

Is Punishment What Jesus' Wants?

53. I understand that you believe that remaining in their legal "limbo" status outside the law is just punishment for illegally entering the U.S. Is this correct?

54. Are you willing to look with me at Jesus' teachings about exacting punishment in strict adherence to the law?

God Takes No Delight In Punishment

55. Perhaps the most widely quoted words of the New Testament are the following: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son [Jesus], that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him." (John 3:16-17, RSV, emphasis added.)

56. Would you agree that the central tenet of Christianity is that God forgave our sins through Jesus' sacrificial death and resurrection, thereby not requiring our punishment?

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Jesus' Admonition To Forgive

57. Recall Jesus' admonition to forgive others, because we are forgiven: "[F]orgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses." (Mark 11:25, RSV.)

58. Forgiveness was so central to Jesus' teachings that he taught us in the Lord's Prayer to pray: "And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us." (Luke 11.4, traditional modern language.)

Jesus' Blesses The Merciful

59. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus blesses those who are merciful: "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." (Matthew 5:7, RSV.)

60. Would you agree that through this blessing, Jesus exhorts us to show mercy, rather than exacting punishment?

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Jesus Teaches Compassion Above The Strict Requirements Of The Law

61. Recall the famous incident when the Scribes and Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery before Jesus, asking him whether he would approve her punishment of stoning to death as required by the Jewish law. Jesus responded: "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw the stone at her." (John 8:4-11, RSV.)

62. After her accusers silently disappeared, Jesus said to the woman: "Neither do I condemn you; go and do not sin again." (Ibid.)

63. Would you agree that Jesus teaches us by his example that compassion and mercy may be more appropriate than rigidly requiring the harsh punishment of the law?

64. Does Jesus' teachings about compassion, mercy, and forgiveness help understand why a conservative Christian like President Bush seeks to find a solution for 12 million undocumented immigrants "without animosity"-that is with compassion, mercy, and forgiveness?

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Not an Encouragement For Illegal Immigration

65. I understand that you are also against earned citizenship, because you believe it encourages others to enter the country illegally. Is this correct?

66. This argument makes a good "sound bite," but on closer examination it doesn't hold up.

67. Earned citizenship was first proposed by President Bush in his 2007 State of the Union Address and, therefore, it could not have been an incentive for the 12 million people who illegally entered this country before 2007.

68. Earned citizenship is a one-time offer only to those undocumented immigrants now living in the U.S. Because it is a one-time offer it will not be an incentive for future immigrants to enter this country illegally.

69. Hence, arguing that earned citizenship encourages others to enter the country illegally is an emotional "red herring."

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Part of a Comprehensive Immigration Reform Package

70. Would you agree that the primary incentive for illegals to enter the U.S. is economic betterment?

71. Also, would you agree that in order to keep the illegal population from growing after earned citizenship is granted, earned citizenship should be part of a comprehensive immigration reform package that reduces the economic incentives and increases the disincentives to enter this country illegally? Many who have studied the issues, have come to this conclusion.

72. Are you willing to discuss ways to reduce the economic incentives and increase the disincentives for illegals to enter this country?

73. First, we should make it more difficult for illegals to cross the border. One approach is to have more and better trained border agents and to utilize the latest in high tech surveillance technologies to secure our borders.

74. Second, we should make it more difficult for illegals to find work in America. One approach is to increase the fines of employers who hire illegals, thus reducing the employment opportunities of illegals.

75. Third, we should attempt to close the wage gap between working in the U.S. versus working in their own country. One approach is to re-examine and modify the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)-and other trade agreements--to ensure that people who are working on products for American companies are paid a fair and adequate wage.

76. Fourth, we should provide a legal way for immigrants to enter this country seasonally to do specific jobs (e.g., farm harvesting) for which there are insufficient U.S. workers, then returning to their own country when the working season is over. One approach is to initiate a "guest worker program," ensuring our labor needs are met, while at the same time keeping the illegal population from growing.

77. Would you agree that earned citizenship for the 12 million undocumented immigrants now residing in this country is reasonable within the context of a comprehensive immigration reform package?

78. Does this explain why a conservative Christian like President Bush is a supporter of a comprehensive immigration reform package that includes earned citizenship?

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My Position

79. My position is that earned citizenship should be part of a comprehensive immigration reform package.

80. If it is impractical to deport 12 million people, then Jesus' moral teachings tell us that the compassionate and merciful thing to do is to provide a way for them to earn their citizenship.

81. From a pragmatic economic viewpoint, it makes sense to bring the 12 million undocumented immigrants out of their legal "limbo" status outside the law and to fully integrate them as productive, contributing, and tax-paying members of society.

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APPENDIX

LET'S DIALOGUE WITH THE CHRISTIAN RIGHT

A syllabus of strategies, moral values, and Biblical citations.

By

Peter Wong

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CONTENTS

1. Introduction

2. Personal Story

3. Evangelicals Are Not Monolithic in Belief

4. Understanding the Mindset of the Christian Right

5. Language of Moral Values

6. Rules for Nonconfrontational Dialogue

7. Supremacy of Jesus' Teachings as Moral Values

A. Competing Moral Values

B. Jesus' Teachings as Supreme Moral Values

C. Ethic of Reciprocity as Embodied in the Golden Rule and Second Great Commandment

D. Jesus' Other Teachings

E. Jesus' View of Rigidly Obeying Moral Codes

8. Other Generally Accepted Moral Values

9. Exposing Unconsidered Facts

10. Exploring Unappreciated Consequences

11. Probing Unrealized Inconsistencies

12. Dealing with Primal Concerns

13. Illuminating a Moral Dilemma: Weighing and Balancing

14. Shift to Agreement on Sub-Issue

15. Funneling the Dialogue

16. Abortion: An Example Dialogue

17. Same-Sex Marriage: An Example Dialogue

18. Embryonic Stem Cell Research: An Example Dialogue

19. Global Warming: An Example Dialogue

20. Immigration: An Example Dialogue

21. Concluding Remarks

[1] Copyright 2008 by Peter Wong. Permission is granted to MicahsCall^TM--www.micahscall.org-- permitting free downloads of this article. MicahsCall seeks to build a community of people-locally, nationally, and internationally-who believe in peace, social justice, caring for the environment, tolerance, and compassion, and inclusively welcomes all people of faith and goodwill. Peter Wong is a concerned Christian and an attorney who holds a Ph.D. in engineering. Appreciation is expressed to Carolyn Nicholson who made substantial contributions to its contents and thanks to Sarah Johnson for editorial assistance.

[2] Excerpts from the Syllabus on abortion, same-sex marriage, embryonic stem cell research, and global warming, have been previously posted on MicahsCall^TM--www.micahscall.org.