Serve Time In Jail...Or In Church?

[Zephie]

BAY MINETTE, Alabama --

Non-violent offenders in Bay Minette now have a choice some would call simple: do time behind bars or work off the sentence in church.

Operation Restore Our Community or "ROC"...begins next week. The city judge will either let misdemenor offenders work off their sentences in jail and pay a fine or go to church every Sunday for a year.

If offenders elect church, they're allowed to pick the place of worship, but must check in weekly with the pastor and the police department. If the one-year church attendance program is completed successfully, the offender's case will be dismissed.

<snip>

Bay Minette Police Chief Mike Rowland says the program is legal and doesn't violate separation of church and state issues because it allows the offender to choose church or jail...and the church of their choice.

http://www2.wkrg.com/news/2011/sep/22/serve-time-jailor-church-ar-2450720/

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At this moment 56 churches have agreed to participate in the program. So... What are they going to do to accommodate Jewish people? Buddhists? Pagans? Muslims? I'm willing to bet nothing.

[CC]

1. I do hope someone chooses a

Mosque. Then we will see how separated church & state are. So is there anything out there for an Atheist to choose?

[FSogol]

2. Atheists get to go to a local arts center or library.

But I doubt it. :shrug:

[CC]

12. It would be tempting to start

a weekly Atheist meeting just for this. The lawsuit could begin when they deny it during sign up.

[valerief]

16. Wouldn't that be FAIR! So, of course, it could never happen. Atheists aren't supposed to exist

in Merka.

[Initech]

10. I don't think this is what our founding fathers had in mind.

[safeinOhio]

15. Universalist Unitarians welcome

Atheist. About half of my Church members are Atheist. Very secular-liberal religion.

[Yo_Mama]

3. Some would claim that it is the same darned thing n/t

[sharp_stick]

4. It would be interesting to see what they'd do for an atheist

or Wiccan or Rastafarian.

[dtexdem]

8. Can Pastafarians spend the time in a restaurant?

Italian, of course -- FSM is strongest there. ;-)

[RagAss]

5. I'll take jail.

[Arugula Latte]

6. Me too.

Church ... :scared:

[Scurrilous]

9. Me too.

:thumbsup:

[brooklynite]

7. I can't believe this won't be the subject of a lawsuit...

The clear implication is that attending church is intended to instill "morality" (assuming there was any obligation to do more than show up and sit in a pew) without the opportunity to obtain equally valid moral instruction from any secular institution.

[sharp_stick]

11. It will be I'm sure

It looks like it's the "brainchild" of some local sheriff and elected judge(s) who figures that because the townsfolk elected them to a job he's now an expert on the Constitution.

Even without a law degree I can think of more than a few ways to challenge this.

[dawg]

13. I'll do my time in a Methodist church!

I'm too pretty for jail ...

or Presbyterians! :P

[texastoast]

18. Make sure you take a covered dish

There will be potluck. :)

[xmas74]

21. We do like our potlucks.

And at least at our church the entire community is invited, whether they attend services or not.

I think we prefer feeding to preaching.:hi:

[Warren DeMontague]

14. They have to offer a secular alternative, or they're in violation of the Establishment Clause

there's precedent from mandated treatment and recovery meetings, because 12 step meetings are religious.

[texastoast]

17. Will the Circle be eligible?

This could be interesting.

[HockeyMom]

19. Having lived through 12 years of catholic school,

I would take jail.

[Major Nikon]

20. Rastafari church

Reading the bible might not be so bad if you got all toked up first. Things might start to make sense.