Salutatio Fredric!
03-Apr-98, Fredric Rice wrote to Richard Meic
          Subject: In Prison
 FR>> 2) most prison inmates in the United States prison system are
 FR>> Christians?  And that there are extremely few atheists in prison?
 rm>> I was not aware of that.  Why do you think that is?
 FR> During the research I did for a newsletter, I got to talk to a
 FR> number of prison officials.  
     
Could you throw a reasonable guesstimate at me?
 FR> The most reasonable explanation I got
 FR> for this fact was one warden's sugggestion that since most
 FR> offenses are drug related and atheists perfer their reality
 FR> straight up, the prison system ends up filled with people who need
 FR> to use drugs.                             
 
It sounds reasonable, perhaps quite logical, but what were some of the 
other explanations you got that you did not consider that "reasonable"?
I ask this because one person's non-reason can be another's reason,... 
never know.
 FR> That still doesn't account for the lack of nearly any atheist in
 FR> prison. The prisons should contain anywhere from 18% to 22%
 FR> atheists since they "service" a populace comprised of anywhere
 FR> from 18% to 22% atheists.
I am sure there must be some atheists in prison.  How extensive was your
research?  Please be specific and detailed.
 FR> Not every prison requires inmates to fill out forms indicating
 FR> their occultism, if any, upon being locked up.  It's information
 FR> that's provided so that the system can meet their population's
 FR> religious "needs."  The data isn't the result of some "study"
 FR> where a small percentage of the already-in-prison populace is
 FR> asked what their occultism is, if any...  It's information written
 FR> onto forms at the time of incarceration.
                                           
I understand.  Should we not, then find other ways to get more data?
I mean, you have a theory that theists either are the only ones that 
resort to crime, or that theists are not as smart as atheists.  In order
to support a theory one MUST try to discredit that theory.  The repeated
failure to do so provides support, BUT only if one continues to try
discrediting the theory, right?
 FR> It indicates the fact that theism doesn't work; that atheism is
 FR> superior to theism in that it imparts a superior ethic -- or a
 FR> superior intelligence needed to escsape capture.  }:-}
Superior?  I don't know,... I am not ready to accept any superiority
over a theist (or fellow human).
Hey, ever consider that maybe atheists declare a religion in order to
lighten their sentences sometime down the road?  I mean if the panel of 
judges hears that such and such a prisoner is an atheist (and 
considering how most theists feel that atheists cannot be moral/ethical
without God), what do you think that prisoner's chances are of getting
an early parole? 
Is it also possible that the data could be taken from personal records of
the prisoners, (ie. I was baptized as Roman Catholic, though I denounce that
religion)?  Someone can be Jewish without practicing Judaism.
 Dicere...
 email address (vrmeic@nucleus.com)
Richard Meic
--- Terminate 5.00/Pro 
---------------