Evangelical Conversion-for-Parole Program Thwarted

Proposterous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Next thing you know they will be trying to make Christians out of people to keep them from commiting crimes that lead to prison.

I do think government funding is a mistake.

I wish all the churches who are spending millions of dollars on multi media, buildings, and programs to attract attendance would send some of that money to people who are doing exactly what Jesus said we should do- visit those who are in prison, in other words- care about them and do something besides attend church.

I get to spend time visiting prisons and jails preaching and trying to help in practical ways. I can assure you there are not too many Americans out there volunteering to help inmates get their lives turned around. (anybody here doing it?)

I would like to ask all of you who are so alarmed by this just what are you doing? I love it when people complain and do nothing.

I am familiar with that program but I have never been involved with the group, I think the Christians should be caring and helping without any government assistance. Personally I am against government money going to churches.

I would be more concerned if they wanted to volunteer help and the state refused them because other religions did not make the effort to become involved and they didn't want just one religion doing it. Why punish those who care because others don't?

I think in some prisons there are islamic programs. In most there are Christian chaplains. It is nice to think that religion is helping. I hope it is and I agree with Madmax why are we so bent against some inmate getting his life put back together?

Oh yeah, it is a Christian thing and they are getting preferential treatment and government money, fine take away the government money and the preferential treatment and let the Christians who are trying to help inmates find a way. If they are really Christians God will help them find a way to help without government support.

It is discouraging to see how polarized people get not even considering that some of these people who go into prisons might actually love these inmates and have a good motive to help them.

Maybe we should just throw out Jesus' teachings out of America; if we don't history has shown that people may try to do what He taught- love your neighbor as yourself.

 

Nationalism is a modern extension of tribalism, in itself a form of racism. All of which are inherently collectivist and therefore depraved.

 

This is what alarms me and I'm glad it will be gone. A certain type of follower of a certain type of religion should not get preferential treatment for early release etc.

InnerChange for a while, even though he is not a Christian. Burens testified that InnerChange staff pressured him to become a born-again Christian and criticized him for taking part in Native American rituals, labeling them a form of witchcraft. Burens was eventually expelled from the program.

According to the court record, non-evangelical Christians were commonly referred to by InnerChange staff as "unsaved," "lost," "pagan," those "who served the flesh," "of Satan," "sinful" and "of darkness."

This criticism of other faiths even extended to other Christian denominations. As Pratt noted, "Testimony revealed a constant tension between Roman Catholic inmates involved in InnerChange and the chronic problem of InnerChange volunteers criticizing Roman Catholic beliefs and practices.... InnerChange's Field Guide clearly warns that non-Christians and those who desire time to observe faith practices not included in the InnerChange program, e.g., Roman Catholics who wish to attend Mass or Native Americans who wish to participate in the sweat lodge ceremony, may do so only if those observances do not conflict with the InnerChange program requirements."

 

I see that, everyone should have equal opportunities to help others and there should be no favortism or govenment sponsorship.

 

Believe me, I'm all for people being helped in prisons by religion. I just don't want to see favoritism.

 

Did I read that Prison Fellowship would go under without the funding? I used to go in under Prison Fellowship's umbrella and everything was completely voluntary from attendance to input. I "thought" it was a non-denominational Christian funded organization that the prison chaplin either let in or didn't let in.

I agree that there shouldn't be any govt funding and there shouldn't be any special treatment. There are some who would come in thinking it would get them paroled earlier - but I think it didn't have any bearing and it shouldn't. As they say - they don't call them cons for nothing - but there are some real ones and those are the ones just there for Christian fellowship and nothing more.

rhester,
I think most Christians are scared to enter the prison - Guido will make them their personal boyfriend kind of thing. I know I was at first and I didn't have the "sterile" upbringing that alot of Christians had. I figured that if God wants me to Guido's bf, so be it - {though not my first choice Lord}. But they are relatively safe and talk about low hanging fruit - some of these guys are ready for a BIG change at that point. But as much as I hope they'd get from the Bible conversations, I think I changed more from the experiences. Some of their commitments, trials and life stories are still with me - 15+ years later.

 

I really appreciate what you shared.

It is really a strange feeling when they close the bars behind you in a prison and you go in alone with about 100 inmates and talk to them.

I was involved going monthly in a prison in Brazoria County and teaching on forgiveness. The chaplain would take me back inside several prison doors into a small chapel and then leave. I remember the first time thinking 'where is he going?'- Well I met a lot of cons, alot of sincere people and alot of angry people and alot of smart people, but they were all people.

I used to go to the County Dentention Center and preach early Sunday mornings before our church started, but I don't anymore.

I just do visitation now, and there are plenty of families requesting visists from ministers.

I really respect people who just volunteer their time to go show love and offer help to inmates.

I don't see how anyone can criticize that even if they are against religion. I understand all the unfair treatment arguements, but most people I know who regularly go into prison are making a sacrifice to help others.

 

Call me a cynic, but the whole thing reminds me of Malcom McDowell in Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange. McDowell does and says anything, including faking his religious conversion, to get out of prison. Putting that aside, the Federal government has no business being involved with religion, in my opinion.



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