THE PREACHERS OF "ANOTHER GOSPEL"

I do not usually write an article that has a political flavour but it is amazing to me what is taking place around the globe with the ever increasing migration of peoples from one nation to another.

Illegal immigration is a problem for all western nations. It does seem Prime Minister John Howard of Australia has, at least for now, plugged the hole for those "illegal" immigrants who were flooding Australia’s shores mainly via boats from Indonesia. As usual the laissez-faire press and the social gospel (really it is "another gospel") clergy protested but Prime Minister Howard stayed the course and illegal immigration has dropped significantly.

However, the problem in the United States is much more difficult with an almost open and free border with its southern neighbour, Mexico. This border not only allows thousands of Mexicans to cross into the United States illegally each year but also many thousands from Central and South America as well. It has been said even those with jihad motivation have crossed this border into the US.

I grew up in southern Iowa in a small town of about thirty thousand people. Way back then in the dark ages English was the city’s official spoken language. In fact it was for the whole state of Iowa! The only Spanish I heard was when a missionary to a Spanish speaking country visited our church. Now when I occasionally have opportunity to go back for a visit I find that this is not the case. I say all of that to say this. As I was recently surfing the net for news items I came across the article in the Denver Post, RAIDS AT SWIFT PLANTS TARGET IDENTITY THEFT. The article said "Authorities contend workers bought or stole (Emphasis added) names and Social Security numbers of U.S. citizens and legal residents and used them to get jobs at Swift plants here and in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Texas and Utah." It is important to note that these raids took place on Tuesday, 12^th December. As I write this article in the comfort and security of my home it is hard to imagine that someone out "there" may have stolen my identity and Social Security number. Yet, that is what the immigration authorities are claiming this case is all about!

Not surprising then a few days later the article VIGIL HELD TO PROTEST HOLY DAY ARRESTS appeared in the Des Moines Register’s religious section. The Des Moines Register is definitely not a conservative paper and is sometimes referred to as the Des Moines Red Star. Their non-conservative bias is seen regularly in their articles. The caption under VIGIL HELD TO PROTEST HOLY DAY ARRESTS declared "Immigration officials are criticized for last week's Swift raids on the Day of the Virgin Guadalupe."

Now for a southern Iowa farm boy the first question is "what is The Day of the Virgin Guadalupe? Well, The Day of the Virgin Guadalupe is an official Mexican national holiday and takes place the 12^th of December. Remember, I told you that this was a significant day to remember. Here is what the web site http://vivasancarlos.com/virgin.html had to say concerning the Day of the Virgin Guadalupe. "The key figure in acceptance of the Catholic religion by the indigenous peoples of Mexico was the Virgin of Guadalupe, whose story goes back to 1531, just twelve years after Hernan Cortes first set foot on Mexican soil.

On December 12, 1531, as the story goes, a poor Indian named Juan Diego was walking along in a desolate area north of Mexico City, seeking water for his uncle. Suddenly, on a hillside, he saw a vision of a beautiful woman, who directed him to a spring of fresh, cool water. A few days later, in the same spot, the vision appeared again to Juan Diego. This time, she instructed him to go to Mexico City to tell the high church officials to build a church in her name on that site.

Of course, the ecclesiastical officials did not believe the poor Indian. Why would the Virgin Mary appear to someone so lowly? They asked for proof. When Juan Diego returned to the hillside and the Virgin appeared again, he asked her for a sign. Suddenly he saw some beautiful red roses, even though roses do not normally bloom in that area in December. He gathered them into his rough Indian tilma (blanket) and took them to Mexico City. When he opened his tilma for the high church officials, they fell to their knees in veneration and amazement. There, imprinted on the humble Indian blanket of Juan Diego, was the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe, exactly as Juan Diego had seen her. It is said that the image is so perfect in detail that one sees in the pupil of the Virgin's eye the image of Juan Diego." "Rich and poor alike venerate the Virgin of Guadalupe. One can see her image in small shrines in humble homes in the most remote villages. Her image can also be found in virtually every cathedral and church in Mexico, as well as in parochial schools, businesses, markets, buses, taxis, and many homes.

December 12, the day of Virgin of Guadalupe, is an official national holiday, observed with pilgrimages, processions, special masses, fiestas, and Indian dances in front of some churches. In a sense, the Virgin of Guadalupe represents the essence of Mexico, the fusion of two cultures, Catholic Spain and indigenous Mexico." This story is right at home with Roman theology and beliefs.

Now those who snub their noses at the law of another nation will usually find a friend in those who preach "another gospel". This Iowa vigil was sponsored by such people. One wonders if these same people would look upon this identity theft as such a minor thing if it had been their identity stolen. In fact, since these "another gospel" preachers are so compassionate perhaps they would give their own personal identity to an illegal and they take his or her identity and then head south to Mexico to live their new life. Nothing is too much to pay for another human being finding a better way of life, is it? However, I digress. Alan Scarfe, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa, is one of those preachers of "another gospel", and he sent a statement to be read at the vigil. Scarfe said "To do it on one of the most celebrated holy days, the Lady of Guadalupe, smacks of indifference that is chilling."

There are many things that are chilling but the arrest of illegal’s who have stolen another person’s identity is not one of them. Rather, it is the theft of your own personal identity that is chilling to most logical and rational people.

Here are a few questions for these preachers of "another gospel" to answer. Firstly, are you more concerned with the eternal souls of these people or just their desire for a better life here on earth? Secondly, when will companies such as Swift be required to give those from south of the border The Day of the Virgin Guadalupe off? Thirdly, if it is so offensive to the "another gospel" clergy that the raids took place on a Mexican Roman Catholic religious holiday, why is it not also offensive that these people broke the eighth commandment "Thou shalt not steal" Exodus 20:15? Fourthly, how do these religious leaders who preach "another gospel" conscientiously believe it is right for an illegal immigrant to take a legal US citizen’s job in that legal US citizen’s own sovereign nation (the US of A) without having gone through the proper immigration procedures? Fifthly, doesn’t every nation, including the US of A, have the obligation to protect their own legal citizens from all foreign aggression including the theft of individual identity? Sixthly, if the US economy ever gets to the place where it is on a par or lower than that in Mexico (and it will happen if this influx continues without abatement) and US citizens head south across the border to obtain jobs without following proper Mexico immigration procedures, will these same preachers of "another gospel" come to their defence?

The problem of illegal immigration from the south into the United States is only the tip of the ice berg. To get the impact of what all of this may eventually lead to go to http://www.newswithviews.com/Vieira/edwin50.htm and read "PORQUE EL AMERO, AMIGOS" by Dr. Edwin Vieire.

Also intertwined with the North American Union proposal is The Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) between Canada, Mexico and the United States. The SPP is a vital part of the North American Union. The web site http://www.amerocurrency.com/SPPprogram.html says the formation of the SPP "between Canada, Mexico and the U.S. is underway at this moment. Why such a massive international cooperative trade program has not been promoted by our government, may seem a mystery. It is touted as an arrangement to ‘increase security and enhance prosperity’ through ‘greater cooperation and information sharing.’"

That may be what the SPP is "touted" to do but what actually occurs may be entirely different. At least one goal of the SPP is the easing of national restrictions to facilitate a more lenient transporting of goods between Mexico, the United States and Canada. This will require a super highway running from Mexico straight through the United States into Canada. http://www.amerocurrency.com/SPPprogram.html states that "The initial leg of this highway system is already underway (Emphasis added) in South Texas. Cintra-Macquarie, a joint venture between Spanish and Australian (Emphasis added) companies, has not only secured contracts to construct the U.S.-Mexico stretch of international tollway, but is actively acquiring billions of dollars and thousands of miles of toll roads throughout the U.S. The flow of traffic through the countries will not be controlled by the ‘union,’ but overseas organizations." Macquarie is one of the largest banks in Australia with the former labour Premier of New South Wales, Bob Carr, now on Macquarie’s pay roll. My perspective of Bob Carr is that he was not a leader who took the welfare of the people as his primary concern! It was under Bob Carr’s regime taxes rose along with politician’s salaries and infrastructure within the deteriorated. That is what little I know about Macquarie Bank but that is enough (for one is known by the company he keeps) not to have any transactions with them.