Okay, so religion can help some people change in prison, but does it really help that many? I don’t see it. I think most people take up religion just like they take up many other things to keep busy (they read, do arts and crafts, draw, etc.). It fills a hole, gives a sense of belonging. But is it really about change? Does it push one toward a fundamental change in what one values? I don’t think so. Humanist values do that; they certainly did it for me. This is because they’re focused on the here and now, on what the mind is capable of achieving with effort and individual thought. Religion is the opposite of this: it asks that you pray for change, it tells you that miracles will help you, if you become a servant. There is a better way.

Daniel Turner
DOC #767569