Archbishop Miller has released
a statement about the Tamil refugees. In the immigration debate that's now taking places he calls on the public to keep in mind the dignity of the men, women and children who have arrived here and not turn them into scapegoats in the process.
His Grace's message is important, but in structure, it is all over the map. It is important that Catholics ensure that human dignity is respected in society. It is virtually at the point that, if we do not, who will? Unfortunately, the message published has both good teaching and bad logic intermixed, potentially, I fear, to the detriment of the latter.
ReplyDeleteThe final paragraph encapsulates this unfortunate mixture:
"It is only just that as we discuss federal immigration policy, we keep in the forefront the men, women and children currently in detention – all of whom have risked their lives to escape persecution back home."
If the Archdiocese has evidence that all of these people have risked their lives to escape persecution, why has it not turned it over forthwith to the authorities for their consideration? It would save them having to take the time to determine that this be the case, and we are not dealing with escaping malefactors, a precaution alluded to in the first part of the message, but apparently discarded, for no apparent reason, by the end.
We must never forget that we are dealing with men, women and children who are made in God's image and redeemed on the cross by His Son. And we must not urge this imperative on our fellow citizens in a manner that is inconsistent with the fact that, right now, that is all we know about them for certain.
I hope the assumption, without apparent basis, at the end of the message does not serve to undermine the reception of the important teachings it urges on society for its consideration.