Comments on: Evangelical treatment program gets $2.4 million from state

By: Nick

Nick — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 21:43:34 +0000

Funny how crack addicts and heroine addicts always seem to find god right before they go to jail and after the whole “I found god” feeling wears off their back in jail.

Science has much better results…wasting money on a scam is still wasting money. No matter how long it delays a failed philosophy.

By: LAUREN

LAUREN — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 21:50:25 +0000

Are there still sick and homeless people sleeping outside in the winter? Are there still poor kids without basic school supplies, clothing or enough to eat? If so, that $2 million has NO BUSINESS being sent to this joke of a program.

By: Steve H

Steve H — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:50:11 +0000

Hmmm, this may be a good thing in disguise. Any Wiccans, Pagans or Zoroastrians out there who want to start some good-cause religious-based social service? If we’re not “respecting an establishment of religion” (i.e., giving any religion preferential treatment over others), there should be millions of dollars available to them. I for one suspect that a Wiccan-based drug treatment program would be many times more effective than a Christian-based one.

By: PapaHans

PapaHans — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:32:01 +0000

MN TC is a joke. I’m an RN with extensive experience with chemical dependency, and corrections, (I worked for nine years for the MN Dept. of Corrections, the last two at Oak Park Heights), and “faith-based” treatment does not work, period. It’s in line with jailhouse conversions, no matter the faith, they fade with every footstep out of jail or prison. MNTC fudges statistics, outright lies, and is a parasite on the body politic in our state. You’re outraged by ACORN? Save your outrage for an organization that provides nothing but superstitious nonsense and self-righteous prattle; MN TC needs to be defunded, now.

By: Pete Gokey

Pete Gokey — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 04:29:19 +0000

Great piece, Andy. Excellent journalism.

By: Lazercat

Lazercat — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 18:07:57 +0000

Faith healing and dirty dealin.

By Karl Bremer

If Tim Pawlenty decides to run for President of the United States, at some point he’s going to have to explain his relationship with campaign contributor, Tom Petters associate and convicted money-launderer/cocaine-and-gun runner Frank Vennes Jr.

http://liberalinthelandofconservative.blogspot.com/2009/09/pawlenty-pardons-for-cash.html

By: Lazercat

Lazercat — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 17:43:36 +0000

Who wants to bet all this money will all be funneled into elections?

By: V

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:41:54 +0000

gwh: “Is the State of Minnesota telling offenders they must attend only one state-sponsored church?”

How many other churches are state-sponsored? Why isn’t MN endorsing the Scientology-based rehabilitation program? The Scientologists over in CA report a near 100% success rate. That sounds like a much better program to me, based entirely on the self-reported, unregulated, non-transparent success rate. So how much money has Scientology gotten from the Minnesota taxpayers? I would venture a guess that it’s close to zero.

It doesn’t matter anyhow. The government should not be in the business of funding religion in the first place. GWH, your first post was absolutely correct – prior to your correction a few minutes later. It IS a violation of church and state. By funding a religious program, it is endorsing the establishment of that religion. Plain and simple. It doesn’t matter if they force citizens to go to this program – the simple fact that the taxpayers are paying for it violates the 1st amendment of the constitution.

By: Dave

Dave — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 01:30:34 +0000

-I have been coming here a long time and I can’t tell what religion Reporter Birkey is – he does a great job of keeping it professional. You have no basis to call him uneducated, however.
-There is at least a healthy chance that he is liberal, facts seem to matter to him, and don’t confuse him.
- anti-religion rhetoric? Most of the time that requires nothing more than bare reporting on something some cult member did or said, and then mentioning a few relevant facts to point out to the reader why this is news. They do it to themselves, mostly.

By: gwh

gwh — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 21:45:43 +0000

Correction – This is not a violation of church and state. IMO