The Washington Times
  • Subscribe
  • Times News Services
  • RSS
  • Mobile Headlines
  • e-edition
  • E-MAIL ALERTS
  • REGISTER
  • LOG IN
  • E-MAIL ALERTS
  • WELCOME
  • Your Profile
  • Log Out
  • Front Page Image
  • Classifieds
  • Autos
  • Real Estate
  • Jobs
  • Special Sections
  • Customer Service
  • Home
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Sports
    • NFL
    • NBA/WNBA
    • MLB
    • NHL
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • Motorsports
    • Soccer
    • NCAA
    • Olympics
    • Outdoors
    • Other
  • Culture
    • Home & Living
    • Family & Kids
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Health
    • Washington Visitors
    • Books
    • Military History
    • Life
    • Auto
    • TV Listings
    • Movie Listings
    • Death Notices
    • Entertainment
  • Themes
  • Communities
  • Shopping
    • Stores
    • Coupons
    • Daily Double
    • Promotion
    • How It Works
  • Videos
    • Two Guys
    • Birnbaum on Washington
    • Liz Glover
    • Amanda Carpenter
    • Morning Briefing
    • Documentaries
    • Joe Giganti
    • Video Game Minute
  • Podcasts
    • About Headlines
    • Audio and Radio
    • America's Morning News
  • National

    PRUDEN: Obama's due process doctrine

  • National

    U.S. links 8 to Somali terrorist group

  • Business

    Home sales surge 10.1 percent in October

  • Local

    Fenty trails Gray in D.C. poll

  • Politics

    S.C. governor faces 37 ethics violations

  • National

    China holds lawyer who tried to see Obama

  • World

    Israel-Hamas prisoner swap talks advance

Home » News » National

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Because the Bible tells them so

Rate this story

Average 0.00
after 0 votes
Login or register to rate this story

Churches offer immigrant families decreed kindness of strangers

  • Font Size -+
  • Print
  • Email
  • Comment
  • Tweet this!
  • Share
  • Article
  • Comments ()
  • Click-2-Listen
  • Videos
Please stand by, images loading!
  • Allison Shelley/The Washington Times
'INNOCENT CHILDREN': O'Neil Jamieson, 8, whose father was deported to Jamaica in 2004, participates in an outdoor prayer service, candlelight vigil and procession to kick off the sanctuary movement in Kansas City, Mo., in September.
  • Advocates of the sanctuary movement hold a candlelight vigil and procession in Kansas City, Mo. Many of them see immigration as a family issue and protection as a biblical proclamation.
  • Photographs by Allison Shelley/The Washington Times
Jean Montrevil of Haiti changes the diaper of his 6-month-old daughter, Jamya, in the foyer of Judson Memorial Church in Manhattan during a service in September. He faces deportation because he lost his green card after a 1989 drug conviction.

More National Stories

  • Kennedy political dynasty in question
  • Hot Button
  • PRUDEN: Obama's due process doctrine
  • WETZSTEIN: The language of Thanksgiving

By Julia Duin

Second of four parts.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - On a rainy evening last September in a Kansas City park, a group of 76 Presbyterians, Methodists, Mennonites, Roman Catholics and Disciples of Christ were clustered in a circle, trying to keep their candles from going out.

They were a stone's throw from Interstate 70, the most public place they could find to proclaim that illegal immigrants have a place in their churches as part of the "new sanctuary" movement.

After reading Scriptures in English and Spanish, church members pledged to offer "sanctuary," a concept that reaches back into Old Testament times when a fugitive could seek refuge from the law in designated cities and within the Jewish temple.

Signs such as "Love the immigrant as yourself" and "All religions believe in justice" rested on several shoulders, and three children dashed about with the slogan "The USA deported my daddy" emblazoned on black T-shirts.

Their mother, Winnie Jamieson - a self-described "college-educated, voted-Republican, born-again Christian and mother of three" - sported a slogan asking, "Who would Jesus deport?" She talked of losing $30,000 in court costs trying to keep her Jamaican husband, found guilty of using a false birth certificate, in the country. He was deported in 2004.

"This has devastated our family," she said. "I cannot begin to tell you of the hurt suffered by innocent children because of the loss of their father."

Just above them stood a sky-blue freeway billboard proclaiming, "Love the Immigrant as Yourself." Next came a Bible citation from Leviticus 19:33-34: "And if a stranger dwells with you in your land, you shall not mistreat him."

A subtitle read, "Keep Families Together."

The Rev. Patrick Murphy, head of Hispanic Ministries for the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, pronounced a blessing as an audience of birds lined up on an overhead phone cable. Then low on the horizon, the sun suddenly popped out, causing glassy skyscrapers to the west to glimmer in the golden twilight.

[Get Copyright Permissions] Click here for reprint permissions!
Copyright 2009 The Washington Times, LLC

1234Next »

Post a comment

There are comments on this article, submit your opinion!

Please login or register to post a comment

Ask a Question

You Report

Do you have another point of view, photos, audio, video or more information about a story?

Top Stories

Most Read

  1. Top Republican lawmakers not invited to State Dinner
  2. Islamic center in Maryland keeps ties to Iran
  3. EDITORIAL EXCLUSIVE: On terrorists, Justice recused
  4. Religious leaders vow civil disobedience on anti-life issues
  5. KELLNER: New Apple mouse really is 'Magic'
More Top Stories »
  1. Massive bill steals show in health care debate
  2. Report: D.C. schools chief Rhee mishandled sexual misconduct scandal
  3. Company that repaired Chairman Gray's house lacked license
  4. EDITORIAL: Gunning for Sarah Palin
  5. Green energy stimulus growing few jobs

Most Shared

  1. Ego of 'O': It's all about him
  2. EDITORIAL: Hiding evidence of global cooling
  3. Religious leaders vow civil disobedience on anti-life issues
  4. EDITORIAL: Schumer's change of heart
  5. Green energy stimulus growing few jobs
More Top Stories »
  1. EDITORIAL: Death for being a Christian
  2. Unemployment taxes hit small firms hard
  3. Top Republican lawmakers not invited to State Dinner
  4. Islamic center in Maryland keeps ties to Iran
  5. The United Socialist States of America

Most Commented

  1. Work site arrests of illegals fall dramatically
  2. Top Republican lawmakers not invited to State Dinner
  3. Lobbyists spending big to shape health care debate
  4. Islamic center in Maryland keeps ties to Iran
  5. ANALYSIS: Obama takes a bow, but applause is weak
More Top Stories »
  1. Green energy stimulus growing few jobs
  2. Schumer: Dems will pass health bill alone
  3. EDITORIAL: Schumer's change of heart
  4. Senate Democrats win key vote on health bill
  5. EDITORIAL: Gunning for Sarah Palin

Listen to Washington Times Radio

  • America's Morning News

    with John McCaslin and Melanie Morgan

Question of the day

Do you think the White House should have invited more Republicans to the state dinner honoring Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh?

Blogs & Columns

  • Hot Button Blog

    RNC: Breast cancer recommendations may lead to 'rationing'

  • Belief Blog

    Evangelicals OK civil disobedience

  • Out of Context

    Foods that might kill libido

  • On the Fly

    United lifts some 'award' blocking

  • Technology

    Facebook wins round against phishing spammer

  • Redskins 360

    Mason returns

  • SNOBlog

    Beyond 'Woody'

Videos

Advertising Links
TWT Store
  • e-edition
  • Print Edition
  • Weekly Washington Times
TWT Affiliates
  • Middle East Times
  • Golf
  • UPI
  • Arbor Ballroom
  • Washington Times Global
  • About TWT
  • Press Room
  • F.A.Q.
  • Work for TWT
  • Advertise
  • Sponsors
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site Map

All site contents © Copyright 2009 The Washington Times, LLC.