[FoRK] Amerika, prison-state

[Stephen D. Williams]

Jeffrey Winter wrote:
>>> Curious juxtaposition:
>>>
>>> Subject: [FoRK] Amerika, prison-state
>>> Subject: [FoRK] The Fastest Growing Religion in America Is  
>>> "Unaffiliated."
>>>       
>> If we were more (affiliated-ly) religious, we'd have less people in  
>> prison?
>>     
>
> I don't think there's cause and effect here, but they may
> be part of the same underlying phenomenon.
>   
Perhaps, but it is not necessarily a positive correlation. There are 
many obvious, and probably not so obvious, effects of the decline in 
active affiliation and the rise of modern thought and social evolution. 
Clearly, these "threats" helped cause the call to arms for the religious 
right in the last decade in an attempt to reverse the course.

I don't think that lack of affiliation is a direct cause of negative 
trends, although not teaching children any philosophy, logic, and a 
rational basis for ethics would be bad. Rather, I think that the push 
for conservative dominance includes every attempt at compulsory 
religiosity and attacks on every form of "fringe" behavior. Now, I think 
that glorification of illegal behavior, especially gang macho chic, has 
been very bad, however the recent trend of just locking up more people 
for longer periods is not a real or effective solution. It is shamefully 
wasteful of lives and resources in fact. It is however a perfect 
solution for those that are uncomfortable with other subcultures, fringe 
behavior, any perceived risk at all, etc.

So, it may be that the cause _is_ lower religious participation and the 
effect is that those that are trying to reverse this think that cleaning 
up "problems" will take us back to the golden age of sheeple, circa 
1950. Certainly that same group will point to this and draw a direct 
connection. I doubt the demographics support that. My impression is that 
most crime, drug related or not, comes from communities that are far 
more religious than most others, excluding outliers like the Amish.

sdw