Prison Fellowship Ministries Being Sued?

I am appalled to hear that Prison Fellowship is now being sued. This ministry was founded by Chuck Colson, former Counsel for President Nixon, after Colson served seven months in prison for obstructing justice in the Watergate scandal. As a "new creature in Christ" Colson recognized the need for a Christian ministry inside prisons all across America, and he put feet to his dream, and the result is the most successful program on the planet! The recidivism rate (prisoners returning to prison after their release) is so much lower than any other program that there's not even a comparison!

So why are they being sued, you ask?

Americans United for Separation of Church and State, an organization that should be ashamed of itself, is suing them! In the U.S. District Court in Des Moines, Iowa the trial has begun. Americans United for Separation of Church and State is challenging the use of taxpayer funds to support Prison Fellowship Ministries' "InnerChange" Christian rehabilitation program in Iowa. Never mind Prison Fellowship Ministries has saved Iowa millions of dollars because prisoners who are released are becoming working, productive citizens paying taxes! And Iowa is not supporting these people anymore in Iowa prisons, saving Iowa taxpayers even more!

In most states Colson's work is funded by private contributions. In Iowa, the state legislature appropriated several hundred thousand dollars for the ministry to run a "value-based treatment ' at its Newton Correctional Facility. And it has been more successful than any Iowan ever dream! It seems to me that the success of Prison Fellowship Ministries - the bare statistics alone, would impress anyone! But no, this rogue organization with the "friendly" sounding name has an agenda!

What's their agenda, you ask?

Well, it's to protect all of us, of course! Don't you want to be protected from religion? By the way, I would like to point out that the words "sparation of church and state" is not mentioned in the Constitution of the United States. Read it for yourself! (If this link does not appear, use your search engine!)

The phrase "separation of church and state" is derived from a letter written by Thomas Jefferson in 1802 to a group identifying themselves as the Danbury Baptists. In that letter, referencing the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, Jefferson writes:

"Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, thus building a wall of separation between Church & State."

In other words, no king, queen, president or government in the United States shall establish a religion and make all Americans convert to it.

There's an old saying, "No good deed goes unpunished." Fatalistic and negative, yes. But it seems to be true in this case. I've talked to countless people in the Prison Fellowship Ministry organization, and I can tell you that these people operate on a shoe string. They rely on benefactors who want to make a difference in this world. And now they must find funds to defend themselves against this disgusting organization whose goal it is to drive God out of every facet of our society. Do the members of Americans United for Separation of Church and State really think God is intimidated by their stupid organization?

I urge all Iowans who care about crime in their neighborhoods, who care about how their taxes are wasted on supercilious legal fees, call your representatives! Tell them you are not happy campers about this frivolous lawsuit!

I urge all other people who are outraged by this lawsuit and want to help: send your donations to Prison Fellowship Ministry! You can find them online at http://www.pfm.org/

You can call 1-800-251-7411 to be directed to your local office. Yes! They're operating in your neighborhood! They make a difference in the crime rate where you live! Help them!

(c) 2007 April LorierPerspective