Judge Rules Christian Prison Program Unconstitutional; Appeal Planned

Quote:
“The courts took God our of America’s schools –
now they are on the path to take God out of America’s prisons.”
– Mark Earley, Prison Fellowship President

Another Quote:
“The expenses of the paperwork and court fees involved in pursuing the appeal through the courts were not too high. In fact, as I recall, removing prayer from U.S. public schools cost less than $20,000…no Christian organization filed a brief in support of our opponents (Baltimore Board of Education).” (Bill Murray. Son of Madalyn Murray O’Hair. My Life Without God . 1982.)

Are we Christians going to sit on our hands again and let this happen??

(AgapePress) - Evidently it matters not that a well-known and highly successful prison ministry believes one of its premier programs is constitutional and well within the guidelines of the First Amendment, or that statistics bear out the effectiveness of the program. A federal judge has ruled the program is unconstitutional — and now the program that equips prisoners to successfully re-enter society is in jeopardy.
A federal judge has ruled that an Iowa prison program that involves inmates immersing themselves in evangelical Christianity is unconstitutional and must be shut down. Associated Press reports that Judge Robert Pratt, in a ruling expected to have national implications, said Prison Fellowship’s InnerChange Freedom Initiative amounts to a government establishment of religion.
Pratt ruled that the Iowa Department of Corrections must close the program within 60 days and that $1.5 million in contract payments must be returned to state officials, but he suspended those orders while an appeal is pending.

Read the rest here.