Bush Plans To Introduce Christian Rehab Program In Federal Prison System

Forward ^ | 6/27/03 | ORI NIR

[c-b 1]

Oh we can't do something that has been proven to work, it might offend someone.

[Cindy]

A wonderful program...

Prison Fellowship Ministries

[DPB101]

Nothing unconstitutional about these programs except perhaps some recent court rulings (which should be overturned). Religious programs have been routine in prisons since the early days of our Republic. Barry Lynn, of AUSCS, pretends to be unaware of who came up with the idea of a "penitentiary."

With radical Islam spreading like wildfire in our prisons, opposing Colson's work not only has no basis in the constitution, it is insane.

[skr]

""We have a Constitution not to protect us against bad ideas, but to protect us against good ideas."

?!?!?!?!?

[DPB101]

That's the AJCongress. Goes back to Leo Pfeffer. You probably won't see the AJCongress oppose the programs at the Otisville Federal Correctional Institution or the New Mexico Native American Counseling Act however. Those are constitutional.

[Psalm 73]

Big BUMP for Chuck Colson.
Christ heals. Period.
Government supporting the use of Christian evangelical techniques to heal (and save tax $$) is NOT the creating of a "Church of England" here in the US. Just calm down, and don't worry about what the followers of Islam think about it - Allah doesn't heal, Christ heals.

[Your Nightmare]

Your fear of radical Islam in the prisons is justified. However, the federal government is not going to get away with just funding Christian ministries. They will also have to subsidize Islamic organizations! Didn't think about that one, did you?

And $cientology programs.

There are a lot of religions out there besides Christianity. Do you want to fund them too?

[DonQ]

These "God Pod" programs have been tried in a number of prison systems (mostly the Bible Belt) and the successes have been mostly balanced (maybe even outweighed) by some of the problems.

Primarily it worked out that these programs managed to get the best accommodations in the prison - the nicest cells, the best TV sets, the better (or maybe only) education programs, etc. - either because of connections with the warden or because of church contributions to the pod. But to get into this program, to move to the nicer part of the prison, required the inmate to be a member of a "correct" denomination; Mormons didn't qualify, neither did Roman Catholics or Greek Orthodox, neither did a bunch of others (in some places even the old line churches like Episcopalian didn't make the cut) if they weren't close enough to the Pentacostal-type pattern.

Those who didn't qualify by religion were left in the rotten areas of the prison, with inferior furnishings, more dangerous ambiance, and sometimes no rehab programs that would favorably impress a parole board - and this primarily because of their religion.

[DPB101]

Why the hostility to religion? Why the assumption that because I defend the right to the free exercise of religion, I have some religious "value system" I'm pushing?

You are incorrect about the constitutionality of such programs. Liberal judges have created an interpretation of the first amendment which is the exact opposite of what it historically and originally meant.

[DPB101]

Do you want to fund them too?

Left wing talking point #1.

There is a lot of speech most people don't like too, should we censor that? Can you see the difference between supporting the right of someone to do something and the support of what they do (or say)? That a *difficult* concept to grasp?

How about this novel idea: We stop allowing judges to tell us when, where and how we can express religious sentiment.What if the people who pay taxes got to decide? Wouldn't that be a radical, subversive idea.

[DPB101]

Nope. Doesn't matter to me if this is funded or not. I don't want judges deciding the issue. Why do you want judicial tyranny? Because you cannot get your agenda passed democratically?

[RJCogburn]

Devout ping.

[gcruse]

I see federal prisons filling missionary positions.

[RJCogburn]

I see federal prisons filling missionary positions.

Double entendre?