essays, stories and journaling by slegg
contact: to.slegg@gmail.com

Monday, May 12, 2008

From Christians for Comprehensive Immigration Reform"

“When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the stranger. The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you. You shall love the stranger as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God."
(Leviticus 19:33-34)

They then go on to make the case for compassionate immigration reform.

I'm really interested in folks who are redefining their religious traditions, and especially the political leanings of that tradition. It's a lot more exciting than people who are appropriating a religion and culture from which they were not sprung. I think that every religion has the potential to be what it's practitioners need it to be. (And the Dalai Lama agrees with me, so there!) For example, very few Christians know about their religion's history of mysticism. Instead, Catholics like Madonna decide to join up with the Kabbalists.

I'm not trying to be some sort of cultural purist, however, I do see value in the participation - although not necessarily preservation - of one's culture. I also think that there is damage when someone chooses to appropriate another's culture as though it were their own.

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