Once again the Jesus freaks have to have official government support for   
   their own personal lunacy.   
      
   Alabama Town: Church or Prison, your choice.   
      
   Stacey Tallitsch   
      
   Sun Sep 25, 2011 at 02:14:50 PM EST   
      
   Starting next week, the program will allow a city judge to sentence   
   misdemeanor offenders to work off their sentences in jail and pay a fine,   
   or go to church every Sunday for a year. Offenders who select church can   
   pick the place of worship but must check in weekly with the pastor and the   
   police department. If the one-year church attendance program is completed   
   successfully, the offender's case will be dismissed.   
      
   The Alabama branch of the American Civil Liberties Union plans to send Bay   
   Minette officials a letter demanding that they suspend the program. While   
   the group says it supports alternative sentencing programs that save money,   
   it believes the plan in Bay Minette violates the Constitution, state ACLU   
   Executive Director Olivia Turner said in a statement.   
    "But it is a fundamental principle of the Establishment Clause that the   
   government cannot force someone to attend church," she said. "When the   
   alternative to going to church is going to jail, the so-called `choice'   
   available to offenders is no choice at all."   
      
    City officials did not immediately return calls from The Associated Press.   
      
    Pastor Robert Gates of Christian Life Church leads one of 56 congregations   
   participating in the effort. He predicted it would succeed.   
      
    "You show me somebody who falls in love with Jesus, and I'll show you a   
   person who won't be a problem to society but that will be an influence and   
   a help to those around them," he told the television station.   
      
   http://www.talk2action.org/story/2011/9/25/141450/867   
      
   --- Xnews/5.04.25   
    * Origin: Fidonet Via Newsreader - http://www.easternstar.info (1:123/789.0)