Canadian government fires all non-Christian Chaplains in federal priso

[bud]

either get rid of all of them or allow all of them to stay.

i don't recall toews ever doing anything right.

"The minister strongly supports the freedom of religion for all Canadians, including prisoners,” the email states. “However, the government … is not in the business of picking and choosing which religions will be given preferential status through government funding. The minister has concluded … chaplains employed by Corrections Canada must provide services to inmates of all faiths."

link

[cybercoma]

Not in the business of picking and choosing?

Uh.... you picked Christianity and chose to kick the others out. That's picking and choosing.

Edited October 6, 2012 by cybercoma

[jacee]

Unbelievable.

Creepy.

Edited October 6, 2012 by jacee

[MiddleClassCentrist]

We still only have one government sponsored religion in Ontario, Catholicism.

Either support most religions or support none.

[Shady]

If the part-time chaplains of other religions aren't being used, then the right move is to cut them. If eventually all chaplains aren't being used, cut them too.

[Topaz]

All these cuts the Tories are doing is because of their deficit, they created and everyone has to pay the price. I wouldn't put it past the Tories to create the deficit, just to make the changes they think need changing. I don't know if this will be held up in court because we all have the right to our religion. As far a Vic, he broke his religion briefs, when he cheated on his wife, that a no-no in the Mennonite religion and probably kick out of the church.

[TimG]

Uh.... you picked Christianity and chose to kick the others out. That's picking and choosing.

No - The government eliminated part time chaplains. There is one full time Muslim imam who position was not cut. It is reasonable to assume that corrections Canada will hire a few more non-Christians as full time when positions open up now that the part time positions are gone. Edited October 6, 2012 by TimG

[Michael Hardner]

This is part of the Conservative bundle of policies you get when you choose Harper Conservatism.

As with Bell, Rogers, Shaw, Cogeco - you can't get CBC Newsworld without getting FOX News too.

This part of the bundle is marketed at the hardcore former Reformers, who support reactionary policies and seem oblivious to the later rollbacks or supreme court shoot-downs that will come.

For all the things I like about the Conservative government - and there are things that I do like - stupidities like this ensure that I will never vote for them.

[Michael Hardner]

There is one full time Muslim imam who position was not cut. It is reasonable to assume that corrections Canada will hire a few more non-Christians as full time when positions open up now that the part time positions are gone.

Where did you get this ? I would really like for this to be true. Either the article is a hit-job or it's true.

[TimG]

Where did you get this ? I would really like for this to be true.

CBC radio. I have no reason to believe it is not true.

http://www.canada.com/Cutting+minority+faith+prison+chaplains+save+money+souls+critics/7352198/story.html

The prison chaplain program is said to cost about $6.4 million, $1.3 million of which covers the part-time chaplains. Figures obtained by Postmedia News suggest there are 49 part-time chaplains, 18 of them non-Christian.

There are about 80 full-time chaplains serving inmates at federal penitentiaries. Besides one imam serving Ontario, the rest are either Roman Catholic or Protestant.

Edited October 6, 2012 by TimG

[Michael Hardner]

CBC radio. I have no reason to believe it is not true.

http://www.canada.com/Cutting+minority+faith+prison+chaplains+save+money+souls+critics/7352198/story.html

Hmmmm.... one Immam to serve all of Canada though ? Given the numbers, that's not enough. They need to represent the religions of the inmates, and I would think that that is a road to rehabilitation.

[msj]

If the part-time chaplains of other religions aren't being used, then the right move is to cut them. If eventually all chaplains aren't being used, cut them too.

I agree although I wonder why we provide for chaplains at all?

With religions being tax-exempt charities why the heck don't they provide this service to our government (or, more appropriately, to "their flock") for free?

Or, how about we tax those organizations and then we will pay for this service?

[cybercoma]

Hmmmm.... one Immam to serve all of Canada though ? Given the numbers, that's not enough. They need to represent the religions of the inmates, and I would think that that is a road to rehabilitation.

Harper Conservatives don't care about rehabilitation. They only care about retribution.

[Tilter]

All these cuts the Tories are doing is because of their deficit, they created and everyone has to pay the price. I wouldn't put it past the Tories to create the deficit, just to make the changes they think need changing. I don't know if this will be held up in court because we all have the right to our religion. As far a Vic, he broke his religion briefs, when he cheated on his wife, that a no-no in the Mennonite religion and probably kick out of the church.

Yeah--- those bastards--- With the world economy as strong as it was/is, it isn't as if the deficit was due to recovery financing---

[cybercoma]

I agree although I wonder why we provide for chaplains at all?

With religions being tax-exempt charities why the heck don't they provide this service to our government (or, more appropriately, to "their flock") for free?

The reason we provide chaplains is in the hopes that it will in some ways help people be rehabilitated. Moreover, it's not reasonable to deny people access to their religion while in prison; it's a fundamental right.

I like your question about religious institutions being tax-exempt though. Why don't they provide the service for free? It might be interesting considering the many reasons why they would (or should) and why they wouldn't (or shouldn't).

One reason may be the cost incurred by the religious figure. They rely on donations for their operations and if there's not enough community support for them, then it may not be economically feasible for them to travel to the different prisons. Which also begs the question about having the time to devote to this, amongst their other duties. Even if it's part time, if they have to cover more than one prison, it could be very time consuming. So my first thought is that resources are probably a barrier to them donating the time, even though they're tax-exempt.

I'm sure other posters can come up with many other reasons the should or shouldn't provide this service pro bono.

[Tilter]

All these cuts the Tories are doing is because of their deficit, they created and everyone has to pay the price. I wouldn't put it past the Tories to create the deficit, just to make the changes they think need changing. I don't know if this will be held up in court because we all have the right to our religion. As far a Vic, he broke his religion briefs, when he cheated on his wife, that a no-no in the Mennonite religion and probably kick out of the church.

Gee--- Vic is human---- whooda thot

[cybercoma]

Yeah--- those bastards--- With the world economy as strong as it was/is, it isn't as if the deficit was due to recovery financing---

Give me a break. With multi-billion dollar accounting errors and millions spent on photo-ops, the Conservatives certainly don't give the impression of being in dire economic need. Critical thinking skills come in handy with the way they say one thing and do another.

[msj]

The reason we provide chaplains is in the hopes that it will in some ways help people be rehabilitated. Moreover, it's not reasonable to deny people access to their religion while in prison; it's a fundamental right.

If it is so fundamental then why can't people/organized religion see to it themselves?

Sure, I don't think the state should disallow a chaplain from going into a prison to do whatever alleged "goodwork" a chaplain may do.

To disallow this clearly violates a persons' rights.

However, I don't see why the state has to pay for it.

Your religion, your dime.

[Tilter]

If we provide a different Chaplin for each prison for each religion we'd end up with not only a gigantic(ER) deficit but we'd have as just a cause as the idiocy that requires us to provide English speaking prisoners with a French interpreter when they request it in Butthole Creek Alberta or any other town that has a 0% French speaking population.

If any religious person prescribes to one God (as all non-pagan persons are supposed to) they all can use the same religious interpreter

For myself, I am leaning towards Baal or perhaps Isis therefore I would need a parson that belongs to the same faith as the ancient Egyptians

[Topaz]

Yeah--- those bastards--- With the world economy as strong as it was/is, it isn't as if the deficit was due to recovery financing---

[/quote

Everyone knows that the Tories were in a deficit BEFORE the downturn. Maybe it was the pay raise Harper gave himself after two weeks in office!

[Michael Hardner]

If we provide a different Chaplin for each prison for each religion we'd end up with not only a gigantic(ER) deficit ...

Prove it. Give us a link ? How about a part time chaplain who is paid for visits to nearby prison ? That will give us a gigantic deficit ?

[Argus]

I see no reason why we should be paying for chaplains at all. A person's religion is their own business, as is maintaining it. I don't think most religions require regular access to some sort of religious figure. Perhaps the Catholics do for things like taking communion and the confessional but I don't believe even there that we should be paying for it. Let the religious types who want to minister their flocks do it on their own dime.

[Shady]

I see no reason why we should be paying for chaplains at all. A person's religion is their own business, as is maintaining it.

I agree.

[Guest]

Me too. If a church is worried about souls they can provide a rep to go in and do whatever it is they do. No need for the government to provide.

They don't pay for it for non inmates.

[Vendetta]

Somebody should report them to the "office of religious freedom" pfffftt! Harpercrites!