Washington Examiner: New Poll Rejects Clergy's Push for Amnesty
The Washington Examiner broke the news of a new Pulse Research Opinion poll of evangelicals and focused on the disconnect between the people in the pews and a dozen or so high-profile national evangelical leaders who have lobbied vigorously and continuously for ore than a year to give work permits and legal status to nearly all illegal aliens, as well as to greatly expand the supply of foreign labor.
The headline and story stated:
Poll: 8 of 10 evangelicals reject clergy's push for amnesty; 29% want border closed
Christian ministers pushing for immigration reform, even suggesting that the Bible requires illegals to receive work permits, are out of touch with their flock of tens of millions, according to an extraordinary new poll that revealed the sharp division among evangelicals worshipers and their leaders.
On the eve of a major Christian convention Monday, the new NumbersUSA poll provided in advance to Secrets found that just 12 percent of 1,000 likely evangelical voters believe that the Old Testament verses on the “stranger among us” mean the government should give work permits and legal status to illegal immigrants.
In addition, 29 percent said the border should be shut to future immigration and that the government and employers should offer jobs, and even higher than minimum wage pay, first to poor Americans, especially blacks, Hispanics and younger workers.
“Evangelicals showed particular concerns for black and Hispanic Americans, younger less-educated Americans of all ethnicities and the disabled, all of whom have very high jobless rates and whom many employers say they find it difficult to recruit,” said the poll release provided to Secrets to put pastors on notice that they have strayed..
Most evangelicals, 73 percent, said that, instead of bringing in more immigrant workers, employers should be ‘required to try harder to recruit and train, Americans from those high-unemployment groups. And most evangelicals, 68 percent, said they are willing to pay higher prices if it is necessary for employers to raise wages to fill jobs with Americans instead of adding more foreign workers.”
The poll to be released at the NRB International Christian Media Convention in Nashville Monday, conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, revealed a schism in the conservative evangelical community. While they believe they should act humanely toward illegal immigrants, they don't believe the Bible requires government action.
Several evangelical leaders have applaud the Senate's comprehensive immigration reform, and also embraced a plan offered by House leaders to address individual issues. Many of the pastors have used the Bible to make their case. But the new poll suggests that those who fill their church pews don't agree.
Christian ministers pushing for immigration reform, even suggesting that the Bible requires illegals to receive work permits, are out of touch with their flock of hundreds of millions, according to an extraordinary new poll that revealed the sharp division among evangelicals worshipers and their leaders.
On the eve of a major Christian convention Monday, the new NumbersUSA poll provided in advance to Secrets found that just 12 percent of 1,000 likely evangelical voters believe that the Old Testament verses on the “stranger among us” mean the government should give work permits and legal status to illegal immigrants.
In addition, 29 percent said the border should be shut to future immigration and that the government and employers should offer jobs, and even higher than minimum wage pay, first to poor Americans, especially blacks, Hispanics and younger workers.
“Evangelicals showed particular concerns for black and Hispanic Americans, younger less-educated Americans of all ethnicities and the disabled, all of whom have very high jobless rates and whom many employers say they find it difficult to recruit,” said the poll release provided to Secrets to put pastors on notice that they have strayed.
Most evangelicals, 73 percent, said that, instead of bringing in more immigrant workers, employers should be ‘required to try harder to recruit and train, Americans from those high-unemployment groups. And most evangelicals, 68 percent, said they are willing to pay higher prices if it is necessary for employers to raise wages to fill jobs with Americans instead of adding more foreign workers.”
The poll to be released at the NRB International Christian Media Convention in Nashville Monday, conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, revealed a schism in the conservative evangelical community. While they believe they should act humanely toward illegal immigrants, they don't believe the Bible requires government action.
Several evangelical leaders have applaud the Senate's comprehensive immigration reform, and also embraced a plan offered by House leaders to address individual issues. Many of the pastors have used the Bible to make their case. But the new poll suggests that those who fill their church pews don't agree.
To read the full story, see the Washington Examiner.