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Add to FavoritesAccording to Allie Martin, a writer for the American Family News Network at OneNewsNow.com, the Federal Bureau of Prisons has asked the chaplains at the Federal prisons to "remove non-approved' faith books from chapel libraries." Apparently, the move is an attempt to make sure prisons do not become "recruiting grounds for Islamic and other religious groups" that may tend to violence.
How absurd! Purging the libraries of religious books, according to Mark Early of Prison Fellowship, is like "swatting a fly with a sledge hammer." I couldn't say it better myself. Prisons have thousands of religious books, often donated by churches, and many fear what will happen if all the religious books, excepting the 150 still allowed, are tossed of our Federal Prisons.
At least two prisoners agree and have filed lawsuits claiming a violation of their constitutional rights, and Early has made a call for action asking people to contact their representatives in Congress.
Yes, maybe there are a few books in the library that are from extremist groups. Yes, they should be banned. However, purging all religious books because of the actions of a few seems like overkill. If any one needs good religious books, it is our citizens in prison. Many have come to find God through their religious readings. Recruitment may happen in prisons, but it is not through the books at the library. Religious books have helped countless prisoners to find God and turn their lives around. Even if one does not believe the tenets of many religions, they often promote peace instead of violence. Get rid of the violent, but not the purveyors of peace.
I see this as another attempt to remove any and all religious expression from the USA. People have become so afraid of religion, in light of Islamic Jihadists, that they are willing to have everything removed in an attempt to keep them from gaining more members. There is also a group that would like to completely separate church and state and another that wishes to wipe out religion altogether. They see religion as the cause of all the world's problems.
I am not saying these groups are involved in this decision. I am saying that they have the same mentality as those who would purge our prison libraries of good, helpful books in an attempt to keep a few from converting to violent sects. It won't work, and it will backfire on them because the good influences will be gone but the inside (and outside) recruiters will not.
Federal Prisons should not purge their libraries of Religious books. They should instead embrace these books and seek to find more that are inspiring to the prisoners. This is another move to micro-manage people's lives. It is an attempt to slap a band aid on a festering wound that needs much more. The band aid is about as futile to healing an infected wound as purging books from a prison library is to stopping recruitment into violent sects.
Instead, let us get rid of books that promote violence, whether religious or not, and keep the others that have never been shown to cause violence in those who read them or those who practice them.
Learn more about this author, Angela S. Young.
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Yes
Think about what is being said here. It must be pretty bad inside the wire to want to ban religious books for inmates with time to do. Why would prison officials desire such action and intervention? Because jails like society are out of control in terms of liberal theology. Jail by nature is supposed to be structured where enforcement of the sanctions of the court can be imposed upon those found guilty.
The sad fact is that nothing or nearly nothing is deprived from prisoners. The prisoners are nothing more than warehoused human beings. Rehabilitation failed some time ago as witnessed by the 86% recidivism rate. A movie line "Some men just cannot be reached" rings more truth in these times than ever.
In most cases they have better living conditions than you and I. They have three hots and a cot, a job, a private gym (for inmates only), and they attend church if they want. Further, because the federal government is responsible for them while they are in "Time-Out" from society, should the need arise, they will get that medical organ transplant before you or I because as we all know the government is good for the money; whereas you and I, not so much.
So to the point should federal prisons ban religious books. Yes. Because the books in question are not ORTHODOX beliefs, rather radical, extremist, rhetoric designed to take the weakest of men and turn them against the institutions that made this country great. They refute all noble teachings of religion, education, and society in favor of twisted views of genocide,homicide,an d suicide.
There is a glimmer of hope in this religious reformation within federal prisons; faith based incarceration. Those prisoners demonstrating remorse can be housed in faith based prisons together while practicing all aspects of their faith. These programs are effective as it requires the prisoner to embrace the fundamental, Orthodox, Christian beliefs and values that this country was founded upon, including forgiving thy fellow man regardless of circumstances.
Finall y, You and I cannot determine when or if an man will change the mind that got him incarcerated, but we can try to prevent him from becoming a worse, radical, extremist bent on destroying our society's way of life before he is released back to our community. So banning religious books is necessary and prudent prevention in this time of religious reformation in federal prisons.
Learn more about this author, A. Justin Lines.
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