VOA标准英语2013--US Evangelicals Call on Congress to Pass Immigration Reform

 

US Evangelicals Call on Congress to Pass Immigration Reform

Among the groups supportive of immigration reform are “Nuns on the Bus,” currently on a nation-wide tour. They drew a lot of attention last year campaigning against a Republican budget plan.

Sister Simone Campbell says now they want millions of undocumented immigrants in America to be allowed to stay.

“We must step back from fear. A democracy cannot work on fear. What we have to do is look with clear eyes at what our past is. Our past is beautiful because of immigration.”

Campbell says many of the people her Catholic sisters minister to are undocumented foreigners who work in America’s service sector¹.

“We also see every day the contribution that immigrants make to our society; how they work in the most menial tasks often.”

According to government estimates, some 11 million undocumented immigrants are thought to be living in the United States.

It could be argued that these progressive women are speaking to people who already agree with them.  But conservative evangelical leaders are preaching the same message. One group released an ad as part of a scripture-based campaign that argues immigration reform is a moral issue.

Reverend Samuel Rodriguez of the National Hispanic Christian² Leadership Conference says 30 to 40 percent of the congregants in Hispanic churches are undocumented.

“So deporting³ 11 million people may very well be deporting the Hispanic church, which in essence, at the end of the day, looking at the conversion⁴ rate, we may very well be deporting the future of American Christianity.”

Indeed, recent surveys show that fewer young Americans are joining religious organizations.

But Mark Tooley of the conservative Institute for Religion and Democracy says support for immigration reform won't win churches new Latino members.

"I'm a skeptic⁵ in terms of thinking that because some white Anglo-evangelicals speak out on behalf of a legalization process in favor of illegal immigrants, that therefore immigrants are going to be attracted to their churches."

Recent surveys have found that most evangelicals do favor reform, though they are less supportive than other Americans.

1 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

2 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

3 deporting   

v.将…驱逐出境( deport的现在分词 )；举止

参考例句：

4 conversion   

n.转化，转换，转变

参考例句：

• He underwent quite a conversion.他彻底变了。
• Waste conversion is a part of the production process.废物处理是生产过程的一个组成部分。

5 skeptic   

n.怀疑者，怀疑论者，无神论者

参考例句：

• She is a skeptic about the dangers of global warming.她是全球变暖危险的怀疑论者。
• How am I going to convince this skeptic that she should attention to my research?我将如何使怀疑论者确信她应该关注我的研究呢？