Right off the top ... West Virginia, eh? Of course, I could also have said, Tennessee or Mississippi or Alabama and it still would have tracked.
Seriously, it seems as though a great number of states in the Deep South need to understand that it is NOT within their purview to push religion on those entrusted to their care, as was the case with Miller. Sadly, this brand of religious rehabilitation / indoctrination is the default and the go-to too often and not just in southern states. Because many state officials can't be bothered to think in State / Church separation terms, people like Miller end up having to go through the wringer in order to have their rights, and particularly their right of freedom FROM religion, recognized and acted on.
For the sake of EVERY non-Christian who is incarcerated, this lesson needs to be broadcast to all 50 states and American territories ... because it's clear that the message has yet to fully get through.
I doubt that many people go into penology because they're constitutional scholars. When I was in the Wisconsin State Employees Union, I was struck by the difference between some of my fellow delegates from the Protective Services bargaining unit. The state-patrol officers were the nicest people, apparently having taken to heart the precept that they're out on the roads to help people (those involved with car crashes, flat tires, directing traffic after ball games, getting drunks off the road, etc.), but the prison guards were just mean as hell and had very limited appreciation of the concepts of dialog and compromise.
I suppose they got into that line of work for the same reason that pederasts are attracted to the priesthood: because it's where they get to exercise their basest instincts with a stamp of approval.
If America was to lose all its atheists, we would lose about 90% of the National Academy of Sciences, and reduce our prison population by about 2%. The people in our prisons today overwhelmingly self-identify as Christian. Their religion evidently did not deter them from crime.
Yesterday, I responded to one of Val's comments on the christian singer post about how I received an award at a military base I worked at (as a civilian federal employee) for a project I wasn't even present for. I am a member of an engineering club (we provide scholarships and do some occasional community projects and get continuing education credits to maintain professional licenses, etc.) and one guy who had been coming for a couple years, but I had never really talked to, came up to me last night at our meeting. He said someone told him I had worked at this base and he was wondering when, because he was there as well. I told him roughly when, and the first thing he said was "Oh, so you were there for the base commendation too!" We talked a bit, I had no idea about most of what he was saying. I was there for less than two years as my first job out of grad school, he had worked in the industry all his life and was on the base for over a decade.
Anyway, I thought it was completely insane that I hadn't thought about that award in years, and the same day I mention it, I come across someone who happened to work in the same place I did get the same award and bring it up.
You aren't fooling anyone, ladies- we all know you believe the same shit they do. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 know it, too. That's why they agreed to have their pictures taken with you. It 𝘪𝘴 funny to watch you eat your own, though!
Well, it's nice to see some 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 news for a change! Rehabilitation should be based on science, not superstition, and nobody should face harsher punishment than other people convicted of the same crimes just because they don't have an imaginary friend.
So… if you don’t follow the Christian religion, you are automatically more of a security threat. Meaning if you aren’t Christian you are a threat. “But it just spiritual not religious.” Doesn’t make any sense especially when the only acceptable responses to their “spiritual” questioning are based on Christianity.
I’m glad there was a sober judge on this case to make a reality based ruling.
I’m glad Mr. Miller won his lawsuit and is now a free man. He seems to have been a model inmate and there were secular programs he could have accessed. I have to wonder why did the prison deny that in the first place? Did they want to force the pesky Jesus-y program just to fuck with him? I wonder how many others before him went through that indoctrination just to get out (A: too many). Also, how many others were able to use the secular route? Statistics would be interesting and probably appalling.
This is exactly why we have to be vigilant. Christians have no problem pushing their beliefs down the throats of anyone under their control. They are ruthless with their unwanted proselytizing. They must be stopped
How ironic: backasswards West Virginia is run by a right wing MAGA Christian named Jim Justice. In his world, this ruling is a travesty of justice. He and his band of Jesus puritans will undoubtedly appeal and bring it up to the Righteous Catholic Majority of the United States Supreme Court to overturn, in keeping with In God We Trust that's printed on every piece of US currency.
But we are ignoring the truth of the situation, and that is that no true Christian is a drug user. It is just not possible. And that is why in such a strong Christian state like West Virginia, drug use isn't a major problem as it is for Godless New York and California. For instance, meth use is... **check meth statistics for West Virginia**..oh.... Like I was saying there are only 4 possibly 5 true Christians in all of West Virginia. It is a godless state of wickedness.
Right off the top ... West Virginia, eh? Of course, I could also have said, Tennessee or Mississippi or Alabama and it still would have tracked.
Seriously, it seems as though a great number of states in the Deep South need to understand that it is NOT within their purview to push religion on those entrusted to their care, as was the case with Miller. Sadly, this brand of religious rehabilitation / indoctrination is the default and the go-to too often and not just in southern states. Because many state officials can't be bothered to think in State / Church separation terms, people like Miller end up having to go through the wringer in order to have their rights, and particularly their right of freedom FROM religion, recognized and acted on.
For the sake of EVERY non-Christian who is incarcerated, this lesson needs to be broadcast to all 50 states and American territories ... because it's clear that the message has yet to fully get through.
I doubt that many people go into penology because they're constitutional scholars. When I was in the Wisconsin State Employees Union, I was struck by the difference between some of my fellow delegates from the Protective Services bargaining unit. The state-patrol officers were the nicest people, apparently having taken to heart the precept that they're out on the roads to help people (those involved with car crashes, flat tires, directing traffic after ball games, getting drunks off the road, etc.), but the prison guards were just mean as hell and had very limited appreciation of the concepts of dialog and compromise.
I suppose they got into that line of work for the same reason that pederasts are attracted to the priesthood: because it's where they get to exercise their basest instincts with a stamp of approval.
I’m glad in this one instance of how our prison system mistreats people that there was a religious freedom issue to challenge the mistreatment over.
Too bad there apparently is not a constitutional right to air conditioning in Texas prisons, or a right to be safe from prison rape.
If America was to lose all its atheists, we would lose about 90% of the National Academy of Sciences, and reduce our prison population by about 2%. The people in our prisons today overwhelmingly self-identify as Christian. Their religion evidently did not deter them from crime.
Crazy OT follow up from yesterday:
Yesterday, I responded to one of Val's comments on the christian singer post about how I received an award at a military base I worked at (as a civilian federal employee) for a project I wasn't even present for. I am a member of an engineering club (we provide scholarships and do some occasional community projects and get continuing education credits to maintain professional licenses, etc.) and one guy who had been coming for a couple years, but I had never really talked to, came up to me last night at our meeting. He said someone told him I had worked at this base and he was wondering when, because he was there as well. I told him roughly when, and the first thing he said was "Oh, so you were there for the base commendation too!" We talked a bit, I had no idea about most of what he was saying. I was there for less than two years as my first job out of grad school, he had worked in the industry all his life and was on the base for over a decade.
Anyway, I thought it was completely insane that I hadn't thought about that award in years, and the same day I mention it, I come across someone who happened to work in the same place I did get the same award and bring it up.
OT but ... https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/nov/15/marjorie-taylor-greene-book-january-6-mtg
I don't suppose we should expect any consistency from crazy lady, but I thought the capital rioters weren't actually rioters, just tourists?
OT- Two chapter leaders of Moms for Liberty (more like Morons Against Libraries) got the boot after doing photo-ops with the Proud Boys: https://apnews.com/article/moms-for-liberty-proud-boys-kentucky-d073732a6bbf2a65e08dcc76bc53cf06
You aren't fooling anyone, ladies- we all know you believe the same shit they do. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 know it, too. That's why they agreed to have their pictures taken with you. It 𝘪𝘴 funny to watch you eat your own, though!
Well, it's nice to see some 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 news for a change! Rehabilitation should be based on science, not superstition, and nobody should face harsher punishment than other people convicted of the same crimes just because they don't have an imaginary friend.
So… if you don’t follow the Christian religion, you are automatically more of a security threat. Meaning if you aren’t Christian you are a threat. “But it just spiritual not religious.” Doesn’t make any sense especially when the only acceptable responses to their “spiritual” questioning are based on Christianity.
I’m glad there was a sober judge on this case to make a reality based ruling.
I am glad that Trump did not manage to get the entire federal judiciary replaced with Christian Nationalists.
I’m glad Mr. Miller won his lawsuit and is now a free man. He seems to have been a model inmate and there were secular programs he could have accessed. I have to wonder why did the prison deny that in the first place? Did they want to force the pesky Jesus-y program just to fuck with him? I wonder how many others before him went through that indoctrination just to get out (A: too many). Also, how many others were able to use the secular route? Statistics would be interesting and probably appalling.
How sad. It’s said that W Virginia is a place where men are men and sheep are scared!
This guy needs to sue for compensation; otherwise, they will continue to deny parole to atheists based on religious doctrine.
How is this even possible in 2023????
This is exactly why we have to be vigilant. Christians have no problem pushing their beliefs down the throats of anyone under their control. They are ruthless with their unwanted proselytizing. They must be stopped
How ironic: backasswards West Virginia is run by a right wing MAGA Christian named Jim Justice. In his world, this ruling is a travesty of justice. He and his band of Jesus puritans will undoubtedly appeal and bring it up to the Righteous Catholic Majority of the United States Supreme Court to overturn, in keeping with In God We Trust that's printed on every piece of US currency.
But we are ignoring the truth of the situation, and that is that no true Christian is a drug user. It is just not possible. And that is why in such a strong Christian state like West Virginia, drug use isn't a major problem as it is for Godless New York and California. For instance, meth use is... **check meth statistics for West Virginia**..oh.... Like I was saying there are only 4 possibly 5 true Christians in all of West Virginia. It is a godless state of wickedness.