Are we doing the enemy’s work?
While Barry Lynn and the Americans United for Separation of Church and State (AU) sound fairly confident that they did the right thing by taking IFI and Prison Fellowship to court and having a judge subsequently rule that the program must stop, I am concerned by their actions. On one hand we have a statement by the AU that mentions political figures, government funding, and government programs - nothing about the inmates who are the subjects of the program. Doesn’t their welfare mean anything? Also, why must they take people to court instead of meeting with them and reasoning with them? Are they interested in changing hearts and minds or winning court cases? Think back to history. Were the Pharisees interested in working with Jesus and learning where He was coming from - or did they just want Him to go away?
Read the full AU press release here:
Meanwhile, here’s what Barry Lynn and AU are in effect putting a stop to:
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Tags: News and Media, Theology
June 19th, 2006 at 7:23 pm
Doesn’t their welfare mean anything?
NO
actually they are predators and that is why there are in jail. They are in the system. You lose everything including your rights when you get in the prison system. The sad fact is some people enjoy that life style of being a predator.
But I see your point. FWIW
June 19th, 2006 at 8:26 pm
I agree that the people in prison are there for a reason, they have committed a crime. However, since not all crimes are such that life imprisonment is required, does it not make sense that a rehabilitation where possible should be permitted? For every prisoner that accepts Christ and turns their life around and comes out of prison to live a life that is changed and good for society, we should rejoice and applaud. I doubt that Barry Lynn and the group for separation of church and state become alarmed by the number turning to Islam or various other religions.
June 19th, 2006 at 9:12 pm
>Doesn’t their welfare mean anything?
It does to God. He’s the one who is working through programs like IFI to transform their lives. Don’t forget that Moses was a murderer. God used him. Paul was a religious terrorist of his day. God could use him. Chuck Colson went to prison for his crimes in Watergate. But God has used him in the 30 years since then. Most of the people that go into prison will come back out into society. So, it doesn’t make sense to ignore the problems that put them there in the first place. Only God can change hearts and give them a hope and a future and change them from the inside out.
June 19th, 2006 at 10:22 pm
[…] The Thought Quotient boys wonder if we’re doing the enemy’s work. […]