New Poll: Who Would Jesus Deport?

The anti-immigrant Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) has come out with yet another study that exposes their real desire to reduce all sorts of immigration to the United States. And our friendly neighborhood Scrooge could not wait till after the holidays to put Jesus on trial.

This time, the right-wing ‘think tank’ is taking it to the leaders of various faith denominations and wagging a new Zogby poll under their noses, which shows that most Americans, regardless of their faith, want less immigration and stand for tougher enforcement of immigration laws. CIS purports that this is in direct opposition to the family values, increased legal immigration, and legal pathway to citizenship promoted by several leaders of the faith groups in question.

We’ll let the various religious groups and their leaders answer this CIS “call to arms” after the holidays.

Of course the validity of the poll aside, CIS misses the simple fact that correlation does not imply causation. Just because one is Catholic or Protestant and opposes immigration, does not mean that religious beliefs drive that viewpoint. The study never poses the critical linkage questions: “Does your religion define your viewpoint on immigration?” and “Is your faith pro or against immigration?” The CIS conclusion is as flawed as concluding that just because a majority of Hindus polled state that they believe homosexuality is a sin, Hinduism is against homosexuality and henceforth, Hindu leaders should oppose it too. That makes little sense.

Still, I am curious as to how the faith leaders, who are seen as a major part of immigration reform by some groups, will respond to this new bait.

Till then, I will leave you to ponder: who would (insert name of your higher deity) stop at the border and deport?

(Photo Credit: lanier67’s photostream)