All other people should be helped by "faith-based" institutions, such as churches or other religious organizations. In fact, this is such an important part of Bush/Republican doctrine that during the past seven years the Bush administration has thrown millions of dollars at the sticky fingers of faith-based operators. How has that worked out?
Well, there may be some faith-based operations that operate in an unbiased manner to provide important services to needy people, but they seem hard to find.
The problem is that almost without exception, faith-based organizations have the over-riding goal of converting the world to their version of whatever religion they're pushing. Thus their "help" usually comes with strings attached. Like the soup kitchens of yore down in the bowery. If you wanted to eat, you had to sit through an hour or more of awful hymn singing, mournful prayer and hellfire and brimstone sermons. Not a bad deal for many people, but it still reeked of extortion.
The following story comes from Talk to Action. About 7 years ago, in Michigan, Joseph R. Hanas got nabbed for possession of maryjane. Pleading guilty he was informed that if he entered a drug rehab program, he wouldn't have to go to the clink.
Hanas found his way to Inner City Christian Outreach, an outfit sponsored by a Pentecostal church. When Hanas, a Roman Catholic, arrived at ICCO, his rosary and prayer book were taken from him; he was informed that Catholicism is a form of witchcraft and he could not see a priest.
When a relative of Hanas learned of his plight, she complained but was told that Hanas had given up his religious freedom when he signed up for the program.
Hanas reports that he was battered with the Pentecostal message. Forced to attend worship services, he also had to read the Bible several hours a day and was denied access to his attorney.
He also learned--surprise, surprise--that ICCO did not offer drug rehabilitation but referred their "clients" to another provider.
Hanas eventually sued and a federal court ruled in his favor, and an appeals court upheld the ruling. The court said that the violation of Hanas' rights was "flagrant" in that Hanas was facing jail if he was tossed from the program for disobeying the pastor's orders regarding worship.
It turns out that the court was well aware the ICCO was nothing more than a "Christ-centered Bible teaching program." There seems to be a sneaky connection between the court and ICCO.
Hmm. Let's see, Hanas rights were violated, he was denied access to legal representation, he lived in fear for his freedom, and he received no rehabilitation!
I am led to believe by sources in a position to know that this is par for the course in the world of Bush's "faith-based" fantasies.
2 comments:
It is another example of how little this administration cares about the Constitution. Wait until they realize what the Black Muslim organizations do in our prison system to convert prisoners. They always seem to forget that our Constitution [protects us all from abuses. They forget there are thousands of religions with beliefs and practices most people object to. They are either ignorant or insensitive to other’s beliefs as they know theirs is the true religion.
Bob Poris
This is scary stuff which needs to be snuffed out. Pronto. This kind of ignorant Christian fundamentalism is getting a big boost from radical Islam as you know and the Bushs' and their oil friends have been major enablers of this over decades. They still are.
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