Evangelical leaders like Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and James Dobson whisper sweet nothings to power; they love socializing with President Bush at events like the National Day of Prayer.

Jesus Christ did not attempt to ingratiate himself with the powerful; he blasted the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees.

But there are some religious groups that speak truth to power, and condemn President Bush for his immoral, unethical and criminal Iraq policy as well as for his heartless domestic policies.

From HispanicBusiness.Com:

“The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is urging Congress to approve ‘comprehensive immigration reform’ instead of the latest proposal from the Bush administration, which centers on a guest-worker program.

The chairman of the conference’s migration committee, Bishop Gerald Barnes of San Bernardino, California, said in an open letter to lawmakers that the bishops are ‘deeply concerned’ about the measures being proposed by President George W. Bush.

The Bush initiative imposes a series of requirements for legalizing the presence of a good part of the 12 million undocumented foreigners calculated to live in this country, and it puts in place a number of other measures considered by opponents to be harmful to immigrants.”

Undocumented workers deserve amnesty and a thanks from our elected officials for making such an important contribution to our culture and our economy.

The Bush initiative is a slap on the face to our undocumented brothers and sisters; it imposes heavy fines and intolerable waits for legalization of immigration status.

I seldom have kind words for the religious, but I thank the heavens for the courage and compassion of the Catholic Bishops, for speaking truth to power.