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Religious freedom: practice what you preach?

Forums: Legal, Religion
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boomerang
 
Reply Thu 19 Jun, 2008 08:49 am
I was just reading an article in the paper about a convict that won the right to vegan meals in prison because he is Buddhist.

This Buddhist man was sentenced to life in prison for stomping his 5 week old son to death and beating up the child's mother.

Now I don't really care what the guy gets to eat but doesn't the fact that he stomped a baby to death kind of disqualify him as a Buddhist?

For someone to be "awarded" certain rights in prison based on the idea of religious freedom shouldn't they at least have to practice what they preach?

What about if you convert from one religion to another while in prison?

What if you convert just to get better food?

I'm just kind of fishing around here with no particular direction but wondering what other people think.
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Type: Discussion • Score: 2 • Views: 1,018 • Replies: 5
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joefromchicago
 
  1  
Reply Thu 19 Jun, 2008 11:43 am
Re: Religious freedom: practice what you preach?
boomerang wrote:
For someone to be "awarded" certain rights in prison based on the idea of religious freedom shouldn't they at least have to practice what they preach?

What about if you convert from one religion to another while in prison?

What if you convert just to get better food?

That would require the government to determine who is a "genuine" Buddhist (or Hindu or Muslim or Christian or whatever). I don't think we want the state getting involved in these types of theological matters. As long as the state makes accommodations for one religion, it has to make accommodations for all religions. And as long as the state doesn't determine who is and who isn't a member of a particular religion, it is pretty much obliged to take the prisoner's word for it.
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boomerang
 
  1  
Reply Thu 19 Jun, 2008 04:59 pm
Hmmm....

So suppose I start a church where we worship by feasting on extravagant gormet foods as part of our ritual.

Suppose members are expected to tithe $20 each month.

Do you think I would get a large membership among the prison population?
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mismi
 
  1  
Reply Thu 19 Jun, 2008 05:09 pm
I think that is brilliant....
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Green Witch
 
  1  
Reply Thu 19 Jun, 2008 05:17 pm
Re: Religious freedom: practice what you preach?
boomerang wrote:
I was just reading an article in the paper about a convict that won the right to vegan meals in prison because he is Buddhist.


Personally, I consider being fed as a vegan to be an additional punishment.
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djjd62
 
  1  
Reply Thu 19 Jun, 2008 05:25 pm
i've always felt that prisons should provide decent nourishing food, but should only cater to medical conditions and not what i consider lifestyle food choices

if it's pork chop night, then the muslims and jews are not going to get any protein that night, eat the rice, or potatoes whatever

if you want to decide what you have for dinner, stay out of jail and cook what you want each night
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