On 9/25/2011 2:44 PM, Ross Sauer -> All wrote:   
    RS> Once again the Jesus freaks have to have official government support for   
    RS> their own personal lunacy.   
      
    RS> Alabama Town: Church or Prison, your choice.   
      
    RS> Stacey Tallitsch   
      
    RS> Sun Sep 25, 2011 at 02:14:50 PM EST   
      
    RS> Starting next week, the program will allow a city judge to sentence   
    RS> misdemeanor offenders to work off their sentences in jail and pay a fine,   
    RS> or go to church every Sunday for a year. Offenders who select church can   
    RS> pick the place of worship but must check in weekly with the pastor and the   
    RS> police department. If the one-year church attendance program is completed   
    RS> successfully, the offender's case will be dismissed.   
      
    RS> The Alabama branch of the American Civil Liberties Union plans to send Bay   
    RS> Minette officials a letter demanding that they suspend the program. While   
    RS> the group says it supports alternative sentencing programs that save   
   money,   
    RS> it believes the plan in Bay Minette violates the Constitution, state ACLU   
    RS> Executive Director Olivia Turner said in a statement.   
    RS> "But it is a fundamental principle of the Establishment Clause that the   
    RS> government cannot force someone to attend church," she said. "When the   
    RS> alternative to going to church is going to jail, the so-called `choice'   
    RS> available to offenders is no choice at all."   
      
    RS> City officials did not immediately return calls from The Associated Press.   
      
    RS> Pastor Robert Gates of Christian Life Church leads one of 56 congregations   
    RS> participating in the effort. He predicted it would succeed.   
      
    RS> "You show me somebody who falls in love with Jesus, and I'll show you a   
    RS> person who won't be a problem to society but that will be an influence and   
    RS> a help to those around them," he told the television station.   
      
    RS> http://www.talk2action.org/story/2011/9/25/141450/867   
      
    RS> --- Xnews/5.04.25   
    RS> * Origin: Fidonet Via Newsreader - http://www.easternstar.info   
    RS> (1:123/789.0)   
      
   No disrespect intended, I've always appreciated your forwarding of your "nEWS   
   stuff" to here...but after reading the new rules (new to me) all I've got to   
   say is that it seems that your kind of offerings are all that will be   
   permitted any more.   
      
   Quote this or that, but don't dare say anything!   
      
   Used to be that you were laughed at for factuality, now no one can say   
   anything.   
      
   No wonder there isn't any traffic! YOW!   
      
   --    
   Yep, I'm the Atheist. I'm chock full of Ath!   
      
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    * Origin: Fidonet Via Newsreader - http://www.easternstar.info (1:123/789.0)