this post was submitted on 21 Jul 2023
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A federal judge in West Virginia has ruled that the state corrections agency can’t force an incarcerated atheist and secular humanist to participate in religiously-affiliated programming to be eligible for parole.

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[–] [email protected] 73 points 1 year ago (2 children)

In the “Big Book,” the foundational document of these programs, “Chapter 4: We Agnostics” tells atheists and agnostics that they are “doomed to alcoholic death” unless they “seek Him.” The chapter characterizes non-believers as “handicapped by obstinacy, sensitiveness, and unreasoning prejudice.”

This really jumped out at me. What a horrible thing to say about someone, especially someone looking for help.

[–] AlGoreRhythm 50 points 1 year ago

"Unreasoning prejudice" ain't that just the richest projection you've ever seen🤣🤣🤣

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Alcoholic death? That's weirdly specific. I barely even drink. If I do, then I do it to get drunk, but not to comatose type of levels.

[–] Kandorr 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The Big Book being discussed in this comment is one of the foundations of the Alcoholics Anonymous program. Hence this warning about alcoholism. AA features a higher power as part of recovery.

[–] Transcendant 2 points 1 year ago

I was thinking about going to some AA meetings, was massively put off though by all the bible thumping rhetoric. I don't want anything to do with the majority of religions.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Am I allowed to drink alcohol as long as I believe in God, I'm not quite I understand their random system of belief.

Also, I guess that drugs are okay?

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[–] FellowEarthling 55 points 1 year ago

Great now punish them for trying

[–] [email protected] 32 points 1 year ago (1 children)

As a Christian, I agree with this.

[–] [email protected] 30 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Seriously. Forcing prisoners to participate in a religion is just wrong. Imagine the uproar if it was Islam instead of Christianity.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (3 children)

And yet, I'm being downvoted.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 year ago

People are stupid.

[–] Transcendant 8 points 1 year ago

There will be people browsing the comments who read the article, left feeling angry and powerless. Then you reveal yourself as someone who ascribes to what they see as 'enemy', downvoting you is a way to exert some (small) sense of power. Try not to take it personally.

I wish more Christians thought like you.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yeah, I'm not sure if people thought you agreed with the state...? I guess we generally see "As a Christian, I ", so assumptions of that sort are likely, but I'm not sure. I try to do my part to show that we're not all the Westboro Baptist type, too.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

Good point. I do not agree with the state. Nobody should have a religion forced upon them.

[–] fucking_polite 28 points 1 year ago (3 children)

As a Latin American, it seems to me that Christian fanaticism is so wide spread in the US it almost feels cartoonish, like the sort of general impression one gets from any cult or fundamentalist religious group. And I’m from Latin America!

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

It always reminds me of North Korea, or China. No matter what else you do, you must be seen to believe in the right thing or else you are some kind of evil deviant.

What the religion or belief system is actually is is about is almost irrelevant. The important thing is to believe, understanding it is entirely not required and almost frowned upon.

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[–] negativeyoda 23 points 1 year ago (2 children)

So while I'm all for this, think about the person trying to get a parole board to write off on their parole. Even if the person is in the right I can only imagine that it's still in that person's best interests to at least act the good christian because the parole board can deny them for any reason with no need to explain.

American society is so fucked.

[–] irotsoma 8 points 1 year ago

Yeah, but it sounds like they already crossed that line. Once that happens, may as well stick up for your rights. Regardless of whether they went through the program. The corrupted parole board will already prejudge them as a bad person for not believing in their version of their god.

[–] FlyingSquid 6 points 1 year ago

You also get special privileges if you're religious in prison, like better food if you're keeping Kosher or Halal and being let out of your cell to go to religious services. Even if you're an atheist, I could see why you would pretend.

[–] MossBear 15 points 1 year ago

We have more work to do than I used to think.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Good. I have grown tired of the brainwashed reformed criminal that spends all his time being overly aggressive about religion and downright hateful with it.

[–] Plaid_Kaleidoscope 4 points 1 year ago

I fucking love this guy. Fuck RSAT and fuck the WV DOC. The whole thing is a mess. Prison reform, now!

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