Providing for Pagan Prisoners

[csberry]

I've become accustomed to seeing government searches for Catholic priests, Protestant ministers, Muslim imams, or Jewish rabbis...but does anyone know of any Wiccan priests or priestesses interested in a government contract?

DOJ
Bureau of Prisons
FCI Milan
G -- Wiccan Priest/Priestess
Synopsis
http://www.fbo.gov/spg/DOJ/BPR/41702/RFQ%2D41702%2D042%2D06/listing.html

Comments

[ex-allenb.livejournal.com]

You raise an interesting point. I know a guy whose going into the military in a couple of weeks. His declared religion? Jedi Knight. Apparently you can really declare that.

Wonder if they'll send Frank Oz and the Yoda Puppet if he needs spiritual guidance ... or absolution.

[csberry.livejournal.com]

Growing up in the military, I understand the primary rationale for the government hiring chaplains (the restrictive nature of where the services are to be rendered; such as the battlefront). However, I believe that there should be a different structuring for providing religious guidance to those in "governmentally restrictive situations."

I think it is a governmental obligation to provide a facility for members of the military, prisoners, or site-restricted employees. Those people retain the right to exercise their religious beliefs even when in situations were they are prevented from attending civilian services. The government, however, should not pay for the clergy for the facilities. Every religion has some sort of missionary work or outreach for members of the faith. Let the churches supply the clergy/volunteers for these services. An office would be needed at the governmental facility for scheduling/billing for the use of the religious facility, but would have NO involvement in the content of the religious services provided.

If the Baptists want to send people to do mission work at a correctional facility... If the Sunnis want to have prison outreach... If the Wiccans want to send priests to military installations... If the Jedi want to hold meditations at Gitmo...

Let religions rise and fall on their own strengths and not the sponsorship of government.

[ex-allenb.livejournal.com]

I concur for different reasons. I think the government funding religious ceremonies or chaplains of any sort is a violation of the basic premise of Government staying out of religion, and vice versa. If they fund them, then how long before they want some say?

Also, Paul didn't have the Roman government fund his missionary journeys. Nor did any of the other apostles. The government has never funded any of the mission trips that the C of C has sponsored, in some cases, foreign governments approved the activities of the Church where such activities wer frowned upon, but never funded them.

No, altruism loses it's quality when someone else holds the purse strings.