If Christianity promotes morals, how come the most religious states have the highest prison populations?

Question

• Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Oklahoma and Alabama had the highest rate of incarceration by population, each with more than 635 prisoners per 100,000 residents. The national average was 482 prisoners per 100,000 residents.

Alabamans lead the nation in knowledge of the Bible:
http://www.christianpost.com/article/20070326/26522_Alabamians_Beat_Nation_in_Biblical_Knowledge.htm

Top 10 Most Christian States in the U.S.A.
(Organizationally reported/affiliated adherents of Christian churches, 1990)
Rank State Percent Number
1 Utah 79.60% 1,371,000
2 North Dakota 75.90 485,000
3 Rhode Island 75.10 754,000
4 Alabama 70.70 2,858,000
5 Louisiana 70.10 2,959,000
6 Mississippi 70.10 1,804,000
7 South Dakota 68.10 474,000
8 Oklahoma 66.50 2,097,000
9 Minnesota 64.20 2,807,000
10 Wisconsin 63.90 3,125,000

Answer 1

You'll find their mindless rebuttal to be "Those incarcerees weren't really Christians."

lame, and silly, but that's what they will tell you, if they haven't already.

However, when it is beneficial to them, and seemingly at will, this can morph into, "Christians aren't perfect. We are all sinners."

They can't make up their minds or settle on an argument to save their souls.

The very sad fact is that religious belief has no effect on morality. If things were otherwise, there would be no need for laws in those areas that had the most churches.

Those who would like to argue this point should visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Religious_scandals

Take your time. Browse it a bit, and look at all of the sublinks.
Tell me how much better theists are than atheists.

Apparently that Big Brother in the sky with the big stick isn't all that much of a deterrent after all.

El Chistoso

Answer 2

The data can be interpreted in different ways.

- Christians commit more crimes because the morality they promote is against the secular requirements, and thus Christians commit more crime and therefore feed the prison system. But their ideology does not support this premise, so it is a very weak argument.

- Christians promote their moral views at the ballot box. Therefore, areas where many Christians live tend to have stricter law or enforcement of law, even if the behavior of the population is no worse than areas that are lax in comparison. Therefore more of the population is snatched up and put into the prison system. I think this is a stronger argument.

I think if Christians embraced the anti-legalism preached by their guide, Christ, then they would be more favorable to libertarian political positions, allowing people to exercise their free will in nonviolent behavior and dealing it with faith, hope, and love. Then the objective of prisons would be to secure society from violent persons instead of securing society from nonviolent but distasteful behaviors such as consumption of marijuana.

Answer 3

I think AM Pirate hit the nail on the head. There are more dumb laws to break in those states and you'd also find the statistics comparing the race ratio between the general population and the prison population interesting as well. I live in one of those states, BTW. My state just banned sex toys. How many prisons do they plan on building? To quote RATM - "Is all the world jails and churches?"

Answer 4

You don't place a light in the rooms where the light is shining, you place a light in the dark areas of the room where you want the light to shine.

That is to say, obviously Where the light is brighter, the dark is also darker.

This is why you have so many Atheists that go crazy over Christians. It isn't the Christian that is the offense, it is Jesus.

Every man does what is right in his own eyes, and show me the man that wants to be told that what he thinks is right, is actually wrong.

We are all messed up units, and not everyone wants to face this fact. They know that if God is real, then life can't be about them. That maybe they are broken and running off doing what makes them happy, instead of what they are here for.

Answer 5

Few are saved. Christianity tells people how they ought to behave, however, like our first parents we have free will and we can choose to violate the moral teachings or our faith.

Abortion, contraception, homosexual acts, prostitution, theft, murder, rape, incest, fornicationn, adultury, et cetera. All these immoral acts existed 2,000 years ago (quite prominantly in Arabic countries as well as ancient Rome).

Nothing Christianity stands against today is new. (with the exception of stem-cell research, cloning and a few new modern scientific contraversies).

Answer 6

Christianity does not promote morals. Google this: "The Ineffable Carrot and the Infinite Stick"... Whoever wrote this is a genius.

Answer 7

Honestly, my amateur opinion is that Christianity teaches obedience, rather than morality. Disobeying God is the only sin. This type of ethical school doesn't allow one to analyze the depths of specific morals and why they are wrong. Without this rational support, one would more likely "slip up" more often.

Answer 8

Many people who label themselves Christian for a survey don't actually live a Christian lifestyle (one of practicing high morals and attending church).

Answer 9

Because they refuse to allow criminals to get by with only a slap on the wrist. Not everyone who lives in those states are Christians.

Answer 10

I was wondering too why California has the most Pedophiles? IT must be some lack of morals there.....