http://blog.au.org/2008/03/18/courtordered-faith-its-time-to-sever-the-tie-between-religion-and-rehab/
Details in the above article
A man was arrested for marijuana and the court told him he could go to jail if entered “re-hab”. Once he was in re-hab, he was not allowed to practice his religion. He was not allowed visits with his clergyman, his prayer book was confiscated and was threatened with jail if he didn’t get with the program.
When a family member of his complained, they was told the young man had given up his religious freedom when he “signed up” for the program.
By the way, this man rec’d no actual drug re-hab services, the whole program was centered upon destroying his religious convictions.
Should our court system be facilitating these type of “drug rehab” programs in any way, shape or form.
Excuse me, I should have said he was told he could AVOID jail if he went to re-hab.
(no other re-hab was offered)
Yes, magiepix, I avoided letting people know right away that this was one Christian group denying a Christian of another denomination the right to worship.
Yes, as a Catholic he WAS denied the right to worship, and was also told that his religion was witchcraft. I have read several stories about this over the years.
I am sure that when he agreed to go into a “christian” based re-hab, that he was NOT informed that this “Christian” based “re-hab” was rabidly ANTI -CATHOLIC.
And this was not a “drug re-hab” program, it was a pure and simple religious indocrination boot camp.
Here are some more articles about this
http://www.aclu.org/religion/frb/16354prs20040720.html
http://www.catholicleague.org/annualreport.php?year=2004&id=96
Here’s a tongue in cheek article about this
http://atheism.about.com/b/2005/12/12/secularist-atheists-force-freedom-from-religion-on-teen.htm
http://newsgroups.derkeiler.com/Archive/Alt/alt.politics/2007-12/msg00363.html
#1 by Rebecca L on February 7, 2010 - 10:36 pm
I think the judge who ordered that should be placed on judicial probation until he learned how to be fair and impartial. Promoting any faith is NOT the function of the courts.
#2 by Prongs on February 7, 2010 - 11:06 pm
that’s not what our country was built upon. americas rock foundation is being slowly eaten away by the immoral people of the world.
#3 by Annie on February 7, 2010 - 11:40 pm
totally against his constitutional rights…….and he and his family should really shout out loud about it…… go in peace….. God bless
#4 by stripedspider on February 7, 2010 - 11:46 pm
It violates the separation of church and state amendment, which makes it unconstitutional.
#5 by sun will shine again on February 8, 2010 - 12:00 am
The Judge should receive sentence
:)
jlu
#6 by Virginia B on February 8, 2010 - 12:47 am
That’s awful! Sadly, there are many corrupt judges in our court system who think of themselves as “God”, but don’t realize they will have to answer to God Himself one day. I don’t believe it is within the jurisdiction of a court system to mandate a program preventing someone from worshipping.
#7 by Philip J on February 8, 2010 - 1:45 am
I think the story really sums up the whole affair. A local court ordered a diversion program, which was either not vetted adequately or not monitored. I don’t know what the procedural posture of the case was, but it sounds as if the accused filed either a suit under 42 U.S.C. sec. 1983 (a civil rights suit for deprivation of civil rights under the color of State authority) or possibly a federal writ of habeas corpus and the sentence of the local judge was overturned and, I would imagine, the contract of the service provider cancelled by the State. Unfortunately, many service providers in State mental-health and drug or alcohol rehabilitation programs as well as correctional-system health providers are not properly monitored because the people they treat are the very people our society regards as expendable, while State procurement laws require that contracts for services be given to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder.
Until we, as a society, are willing to regard all people as valued and valuable and are equally willing to spend the resources needed to provide quality treatment, these sorts of horror stories will continue to reappear. So far, we haven’t grasped the notion that all people are made in the image of G-d and are not simply fungible goods.
Grace be unto you and peace.
#8 by magpieix on February 8, 2010 - 1:57 am
I noticed you cleverly worded this to make it sound like a Christian was denied the right to worship at all–i.e. that it was some atheist plot to undermine his religion.
He was a Catholic, and volunteered to enter a Pentacostal rehab program. He should have been aware of that. He was not ordered to participate, merely given the option.
I agree that Judges should not order participation in faith-based rehab programs (including AA and similar) and should make secular programs available.
#9 by Eva B on February 8, 2010 - 2:19 am
That is the most disturbing thing Ive ever heard. Nope, no one should ever be forced to convert like that. Sue that swastika sniffin judge. Freedom to the people.