[Glenn]

Unfreaking believable.

[Michael Goldsberry]

an advocacy group

"Americans United for Separation of Church and State"

... I would have guessed the ACLU...

[Skooz]

Insanity

[Stevenc131]

Don't worry, we still have the liberal's program of protecting criminals and disarming lawabiding citizens. Don't you feel safer now?

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

See, liberals want to keep the prisoners angry and unregenerate, then they want to give them the right to vote. If they convert to Christianity, they might become Republicans.

[Brilliant]

What did they use the $1.53 million for?

[eleni121]

I believe this is Chuck Colson's group. They have done marvelous things...one left wing judge changes that.

[GadareneDemoniac]

I hope that one day before it's too late that right-thinking people will start using tar and feathers on lawyers and judges who are trying to destroy America.

[CaptainMorgantown]

What's particularly unbelievable is the order to 'repay' over a million dollars. The State of Iowa got the services they were paying for. Unless the Prison Fellowship group commited some sort of fraud, there is no justification for this. This sets a precedent that if a group accepts and spends any government money, they can be forced into bankruptcy after the fact by a judge who decides they weren't PC enough to deserve government money.

[Tax Government]

How did an "advocacy group" get standing to sue?

[Dr. Eckleburg]

Amazing.

[BIGZ]

Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.

How convoluted thinking can get separation of church and state our of this is insane.

[gcruse]

"It has attacked the right of people of faith to operate on a level playing field..."

Wrong. If someone could get taxpayer money to run a prison program that promotes atheism, then the playing field might be leveled by the Christian program.

As it stands, pushing religion is not a legal use of state funds. For anybody. That's level.

[after dark]

Liberals are trying to turn prisons into Gulags.

Of course, prisoners who convert to Christianity have lower recidivism rates than prisoners who do not find religion.

I have long suspected prisons have become such cash cows prisoner rehabilitation is not being encouraged.

[VOA]

Here's a link to the dangerous fundamentalist of religious fanatics:

http://www.prisonfellowship.org/default_pf_org.asp

Thank goodness this judge is keeping the prisons safe for Islam and Shari'a.
(end bitter sarcasm)
I hope O'Reilly "factors" this judge.

[joebuck]

Once again, Satan throws his head back and laughs. One day, when it's much too late, these people will realize how wrong they are and how they have been used by evil.

[longtermmemmory]

IOW the judge has used state money to PROHIBIT the excercise of religion.

I swear lawyers and judges have never read the constitution.

[RoadTest]

Shame on that judge! Shame!! The day he dies this man will stand naked before his judge and give an account to this same Jesus whom he rejects now. May he repent while he has a chance.

[Free Baptist]

Does this imply, somehow, that Prison Fellowship Ministries took money from the federal government? Did they take and use over $1.5 million in government funds?

There are very high profile prison ministries that are international in scope, and serving inside local, state and federal prisons, as well as prisons in other countries. One such ministry is Rock Of Ages Prison Ministry, which must be more than 30 years old. They are supported totally by local churches and take NOT ONE DIME of money from any government entity. Their workers are missionaries who raise their own support.

Or, does the judge consider the use of the facilities to conduct the ministries inside the prisons to be tantamount to accepting and using government monies??

Could someone clarify why the ministry needs to "pay back" money?

[Tribune7]

District Judge, Robert W. Pratt and why Bush + Pub Senate makes a difference

Badray, vote Santorum.

[goldstategop]

Of course if a prison group distributed porn, that would not violate any establishment clause. sarcasm> No sir, good character.... we can't have that in prison inmates. They might learn God is more powerful than the state. No wonder liberals managed to get that thought verboten.

(Denny Crane: "Every one should carry a gun strapped to their waist. We need more - not less guns.")