Ché Ahn says drug users must choose between Christian rehab or Bible lessons in prison
The self-described “apostle” and California gubernatorial candidate says drugs addicts need Jesus, whether through court-mandated rehab or prison
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Ché Ahn, a self-described Christian “apostle” who is currently running to be governor of California, says that when he gets elected, he’ll force drug addicts to go to Christian rehab or prison… where they will also receive the Gospel.
He made the remarks during an interview with “prophetic voice” and pastor Heather Schott.
Some background: In 2024, California voters passed Prop 36, which imposed harsher punishments for certain crimes. Among them, if you were caught possessing illegal drugs, and you had similar convictions in the past, you would be charged with a “treatment-mandated felony,” meaning you could either go to jail or enter a rehab program. If you chose the latter option, your charges would be dismissed upon completion of the program. One study has found only limited success for those entering rehab in those conditions.
In their interview, Ahn argued that the previous law (which Prop 36 was intended to fix) put a lot of drug users back on the streets, and that led to a rise in homelessness, and that in turn made the drug problem even worse.
His solution? First, he would make sure Prop 36 is enforced. But also, he would require the rehab and prison to force the Bible on participants.
… And so what I’m going to do is, I’m going to give them the option. I’m gonna make… I’m gonna enforce Prop 36, make it a felony again if you’re a drug pusher. And I’m gonna give them an option to go into treatment. And if they don’t go to treatment… And I’m going to make it a Christian treatment! I’m going to [make it a] faith-based treatment—not a Christian, but a faith-based—because all the non-profit organizations that are helping the homeless, they can’t preach the Gospel because it’s separation of church… It is terrible! But the ones that are effective are people like Dream Center with Matthew Barnett, my friend… and they’re really seeing kids come off the streets getting not only delivered and healed up, but they’re learning job skills to go back and be productive.
…
… And if they don't want to go to these treatment centers, I'm gonna put them back in prison. Simple as that. And my prison’s gonna be reformed, because we're gonna preach the Gospel in the prison… I’m gonna have, you know, prison fellowship come in and preach... So it’s gonna be a detox, but also, the Gospel is gonna be presented to them.
Schott, to no one’s surprise, didn’t push back on any of this.
Needless to say, the idea that abuse of one harmful substance can be cured by replacing it with a different harmful substance is absurd, not to mention illegal. The government cannot impose religion on people and this would be a violation of both the California and federal Constitutions. Which doesn’t seem to matter to zealots like Ahn.
He only knows Christianity and he doesn’t care about evidence, so naturally, he believes his religion is the only option for everybody.
While faith-based rehab might be useful for people who choose it, there’s simply no evidence that forcing one particular religion on those who reject it (or who aren’t Christian) is effective. Not that Ahn cares. He’s not interested in their recovery. He just wants to use any power he acquires to force his faith on others because he’s incapable of persuading them to adopt it.
I guess it’s a good thing he’ll never be governor.
Back in March, a major paperwork error meant he would not appear on the ballot. (Apparently, God wanted him to run for office but never told him to submit his tax returns. Oops.) Ahn filed an emergency court motion to reverse that decision, but it was unsuccessful. He’s now asking voters to write in his name on their ballots instead.
During the Rededicate 250 rally in Washington, D.C. last week, however, Ahn said he plans to run again in four years if (by the grace of God) he doesn’t become governor this time around.
Che Ahn could stand to learn the following:
"There is no freedom of choice unless there is freedom to refuse."
-- Ursula K. Le Guin
And Che has about as much chance of gaining the governorship as I do. Then again, I ain't running!
The US prison population is already dominated by Christians. By contrast, imprisoned atheists barely register as a blip.
Hmm...