Year ends with religious leaders pondering their support for Latinos

A pair of reports worth acknowledging the next time you hear some person rant and rage about religion while trying to put a religious “spin” on their rhetoric.

GEORGE: Telling the truth, on this issue

The Los Angeles Times looked at the Alabama situation where officials have tried imposing new state laws meant to “crack down” on the problem of too many “foreigners” trying to live there.

THEY FOUND CHURCH congregations finding a sudden drop in their membership – because of Latinos who either left the area to avoid harassment OR are now living their lives incredibly underground.

Then, there is the situation involving Chicago Catholic Archdiocese Cardinal Francis George – who in a recent interview with the newscast of the local Fox affiliate said that Republican politicians have caused themselves serious problems because of the way their government officials want to spew intolerant rhetoric when it comes to immigration.

“They’ve got themselves into an impossible bind on immigration,” said the cardinal, which would seem to be backed up by the polls done by the Pew Hispanic Center that show Latinos backing Barack Obama for president by a 2-1 ratio of support even though a majority of Latinos have serious problems with Obama’s performance during the past three years.

In short, Latinos think Obama is too willing to appease those ideologues; who don’t return the favor with their support. There are times I think the only thing that GOP ideologues despise more than the growing Latino population is Obama himself.

THEN AGAIN, OBAMA might well be a close second on the Despise-O-Meter to the growing Latino population.

We have one religious leader admitting the problems being caused by the ethnic rhetoric, and church congregations in Alabama are seeing first-hand how such rhetoric is a turn-off and threatens to make them irrelevant in the society of today.

I could go into more detail about these pieces of reporting, although I think you’re better off reading them for yourselves.

Then go out and celebrate the coming of a new year. Fresh commentary will return here Monday.

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