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Serve Time In Jail...Or In Church?

VanceMack said:
There is no establishment of religion occuring. There IS however a 'choice' being offered. I do strongly hope you stay true to your beliefs should you ever be in the unfortunate situation and choose jail.
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never said there was an establishment........i posted about the interpretation. and of course i wouldn't choose jail. you're making my point there.
 
DashingAmerican said:
ridiculing people isn't against the law.
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It is when it is done as a part of a legal punishment. It is wrong for a guard to ridicule a prisoner for pretty much any reason. Does it happen? Probably a lot more than we ever would hear about. But it is still against the law. Which means that if a person's punishment is to be forced to attend religious services with no/little way to get out of such a punishment and/or get away from the ridicule, then they are being forced to endure ridicule.
 
marduc said:
The only churches in this community are christian.
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so then the non-christians in the community must not really give a damn about their religion or a.) they'd live somewhere else where there was a church of their religion or b.) they would start a church of their religion in the community
 
liblady said:
what if the guy is an atheist?
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then does it really matter? he can pick the church building closets to his residence and go sit on the back row and sleep. or...he can go to jail
 
VanceMack said:
Dood...that is simply SO not true. Google it. You have pert near every denomination you can imagine, and we arent talking about just within the city limits...you are talking all of North Baldwin County.
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The goal of the program is to help steer those who are not yet hardened criminals the chance to turn their lives around. Those who choose to go to church (there are no mosques or synagogues in the area) will have to check in with a pastor and the police department each week.
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Jesus or jail? Alabama town offers options for serving time – This Just In - CNN.com Blogs

ok maybe they did not specific ally say that "all the churches are christian", but I don't know a community of 9k people with no mosques or synagogues in the area. what are the non christian options, Ba'hai, Buddhist, Shinto? DO they have a pastor?
 
OscarB63 said:
then does it really matter? he can pick the church building closets to his residence and go sit on the back row and sleep. or...he can go to jail
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Hell he can even sit in the rafter seats and nobody will even know he was there.
 
the point all the anti-religion folks keep missing is that:

no one is being forced to participate in a religious service. no one is being forced to change their religious beliefs.

what is occurring is that criminals are being offered the option of going and sitting in a church building on sunday for a year instead of going to jail.
 
I see a possible loophole. The bible says the church is not a building, but the church is the religious people that gather and praise together.
 
OscarB63 said:
the point all the anti-religion folks keep missing is that:

no one is being forced to participate in a religious service. no one is being forced to change their religious beliefs.

what is occurring is that criminals are being offered the option of going and sitting in a church building on sunday for a year instead of going to jail.
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I think I'd choose jail. Free meals, no water or electric bills and get this, I can STILL go to the religious services that are offered at jails.
 
OscarB63 said:
so then the non-christians in the community must not really give a damn about their religion or a.) they'd live somewhere else where there was a church of their religion or b.) they would start a church of their religion in the community
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You do not have to attend church to give a damn about your religion.
 
marduc said:
You do not have to attend church to give a damn about your religion.
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and if you really give a damn about your religion....it doesn't matter where you sit on sunday morning.
 
DashingAmerican said:
I think I'd choose jail. Free meals, no water or electric bills and get this, I can STILL go to the religious services that are offered at jails.
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and all the daily anal rapes you can stand. no thanks...I'll go to church ;)
 
OscarB63 said:
and if you really give a damn about your religion....it doesn't matter where you sit on sunday morning.
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and this matters how? Its still discriminatory and regular church goers get preferential treatment and an annual get out of jail free card if it should be needed.
 
liblady said:
what if the guy is an atheist?
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Then they choose to not take advantage of the program and serve their jail sentence, like they would have had to without the choice. Or...they choose to go to a nondenominational church that generally accepts everyone, participates in a community (as they would in any court ordered 12 step program) without the requirement to be baptized into anyones faith, checks in weekly with the officer, and at the end of the year has his record expunged. Maybe even makes a few friends or is (gasp) a positive influence on someone else.

isnt choice a wonderful thing?
 
As much as athiest want proof /evidence there is a God.
Can any athiest actually proove, or provide evidence without a doupt, there is no God.?

Because Satan does influence many minds and beliefs, in believing there is no God.

History has proven many facts of God's doings. Even through his Son Jesus Christ.
 
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OscarB63 said:
so then the non-christians in the community must not really give a damn about their religion or a.) they'd live somewhere else where there was a church of their religion or b.) they would start a church of their religion in the community
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That's one of the more limited statements I have read on this forum.

This might be a new concept for you to try to understand but many people, perhaps most, don't move strictly because of religion (Utah might be an exception to the rule). You may live wherever the hell you live in Alabama because of your church. That is rare in America these days. Apparently, you don't know that.

As a Buddhist I have been involved in trying to start a new sangha in my community. It isn't as easy as you might think. Often you start with 2 or three people in someone's home. Some groups don't meet on Sunday. Groups attempting to form a sangha are often unaffiliated for quite a while. Of course you know all this and you are quite certain an Alabama judge would be fine with 3 people meeting in someone's house on Saturday afternoons to meditate is going to suffice the judge's wishes. :roll:
 
dixiesolutions said:
As much as athiest want proof /evidence there is a God.
Can any athiest actually proove, or provide evidence without a doupt, there is no God.?
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It's not possible to prove one way or the other. Why do people feel the need to prove without a doubt that there is or isn't a god?
 
Risky Thicket said:
That's one of the more limited statements I have read on this forum.

This might be a new concept for you to try to understand but many people, perhaps most, don't move strictly because of religion (Utah might be an exception to the rule). You may live wherever the hell you live in Alabama because of your church. That is rare in America these days. Apparently, you don't know that.

As a Buddhist I have been involved in trying to start a new sangha in my community. It isn't as easy as you might think. Often you start with 2 or three people in someone's home. Some groups don't meet on Sunday. Groups attempting to form a sangha are often unaffiliated for quite a while. Of course you know all this and you are quite certain an Alabama judge would be fine with 3 people meeting in someone's house on Saturday afternoons to meditate is going to suffice the judge's wishes. :roll:
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And you are so certain that he wouldn't. How many times must I say that it isn't about what he meant, only what he said?
 
dixiesolutions said:
As much as athiest want proof /evidence there is a God.
Can any athiest actually proove, or provide evidence without a doupt, there is no God.?

Because Satan does influence many minds and beliefs, in believing there is no God.

History has proven many facts of God's doings. Even through his Son Jesus Christ.
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it is YOUR claim that the God of the Bible exists.

it is YOUR claim that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah and the Son of God.

prove it..or your claim is fraud.
 
marduc said:
Jesus or jail? Alabama town offers options for serving time – This Just In - CNN.com Blogs

ok maybe they did not specific ally say that "all the churches are christian", but I don't know a community of 9k people with no mosques or synagogues in the area. what are the non christian options, Ba'hai, Buddhist, Shinto? DO they have a pastor?
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They have Afrikan nondenominational churches. The have many other nondenominational churches. My guess is that somewhere in the county you might find one that is acceptable to you. Then again...if you were Budhist you probably would already know of the existence of said church there, right? Surely you wouldnt want them to ESTABLISH a religion for you?

Or not...choose your jail sentence and fine. Choice is GOOD!
 
How about people quit derailing the thread and stick to the damn topic.
 
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