Seperation of Church and State wins again!?

Question

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071204/ap_on_re_us/prison_evangelism_ban;_ylt=AiUwRWvfcmYZPpxC1J.XiCwDW7oF

The State of Iowa was funding an Evangelical Christian prison ministry. So now, obviously, the Christians will shout about taking the Church out the prisons. Before that happens, I'll just say it's not about the ministry being Chrsitian, and everything to do with the State funding it. The ministry can stay, but they have to pay for the ministry themselves. How do the rest of you feel about the Church and State Issue?

Answer 1

Absolutely agree with you. The government shouldn't fund ANY religious programs. They can call it something else-some kind of moral upbringing class or whatever, if they want to pay for a class like that.

Answer 2

It depends. Constitutionally, it was created to keep one church from dictating the whole government like the Catholic church did in England whenever the USA was formed. There was a lot of tyranny back then, and if you didn't believe like the "Church" did, they branded you as a heretic and burned you at the stake. So... I really don't see what that has to do with funding a re-rehabilitation program for prisoners.

If the program works and the people put a lot of hard work into it, then recompense them accordingly. If they can run it without quitting their day jobs, then it is just greedy of them to expect money. Since it IS 24 hours a day, then they should be payed, but the prison itself should deem whether or not they want them to stay, not the government, and of course it should be optional for the prisoner whether they want to complete the course or not, and if an opposing religion would like to start a rehab program, they should receive funding appropriate to how many prisoners choose to be in that program. Cutting funding for them seems to be completely unfair. Since most of the US is based in Judeao-Christian roots, many of the prisoners probably actually want to be in such a program. Have you noticed that people usually "find Jesus" when they are in prison? Many people are sorry for what they've done and turn to faith to reconcile with themselves and God. I think that it's great that this program is there to help them out and I am sorry that they had to lose their funding because someone didn't agree with their choice of religion.

Answer 3

It's sepAration. Everyone should be for separation of Church and State. the Church becomes just as badly harmed as the state when they are not separated.

In regards to Prison Ministry, aside from a paid Correctional Facility Chaplin all the prison ministers I know have been funded by the Churches who work with the prison, seems odd that a state would fund one.

Answer 4

A lot of prison ministries get federal and state funding for their programs. This is NOT a separation issue. Catholic Charities receives millions for some of their programs, which are in services no one else wants to provide--same for Salvation Army. The Constitution provides for freedom OF religion, people, not freedom FROM religion in any sense.

Answer 5

If people would do a little research on the subject and not just go with the flow, they would find that the Separation of church and state is for the prevention of the state(ie country) to make it so it has no say in what religion you choose. Freedom of religion... Does this sound familiar ? That is why this country has so many different religions and sects as compaired to other countries where a certain religion is dominate.

Answer 6

Well, at the time they signed onto the Constitution, SEVERAL STATES had "official State Religions" supported by state taxes. They were terribly afraid the Federal Government would FORCE them to abandon their official religion, and REFUSED TO SIGN ON until an Amendment was drafted WHICH GUARANTEED STATES COULD CONTINUE TO HAVE TAXPAYER SUPPORT OF THE STATE RELIGION.

That Amendment says: "Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."

And this is where modern lunatics THINK they find 'separation of Church and State!??!"

The courts have absolutely turned the meaning UPSIDE DOWN.

Answer 7

Blah blah blahbutty blah. Liberals created all this "separation of church and state" nonsense, and now they get pisst while a church does it. How hypocritical (and favourite). "Congress shall make no regulation respecting a company of religion, or prohibiting the loose workout thereof;" PLEASE prepare me in that one little partial sentence the place it says something approximately no longer praying in public colleges and not expressing political ideals in church. Please. Edit: "loose tax holiday"? So do you have a challenge with ALL non-earnings, or purely church homes? How on the subject of the crimson bypass? Are you hounding them approximately no longer paying taxes? I doubt it. quit being a hypocrite.

Answer 8

I agree that these systems can sometimes be useful, but I strongly agree that they should NOT be state funded! If the church wants to fund such an issue, then they should search out the means to do so themselves.

If their attendees believe in such a program, and the community, they'll be able to fund it.

Answer 9

I agree with Iowa. Churches in prisons are a cop-out anyway. How many convicts who "found religion" in prison actually become better people? The numbers are exeedingly low.

And we're supposed to PAY for them? I think not.

Answer 10

I don't think it should be an issue at all. It's a founding law of the country.