Arizona law a sin

“Who is my neighbor?”  In my faith tradition, this question shaped Jesus’ parable of good Samaritan.  In fact, don’t all of our faith traditions proclaim a God of love and compassion who attends to ur neighbors?  The recent passage of the anti-immigration Arizona Senate Bill 1070 makes it illegal to love your neighbor in Arizona. Some Utah lawmakers are promising to bring such a law here. Our state has always distinguished itself as a state founded by immigrants fleeing persecution, a state that values families and hard work. We are also a religious people. Religion finds its way into conversation every day. It is time for people of faith to name this Arizona law for what it is: a social and racial sin.

People of faith need to counter responses that are rooted in hostility, racism, prejudice and simplistic solutions. There are no easy answers, and we all have our differing views about the shape of comprehensive immigration reform. Yet, especially from people of faith, compassion for our neighbor compels us to speak out against such laws that create a climate of fear, racial profiling and hate.

Rev. Steve Klemz Pastor, Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church

Salt Lake City