I look around in here and see these young, impressionable kids arrive in prison, and the only people stepping up to pull them in (besides the gangs and other groups) are the religious people. Preaching the word. And so the battle for the (metaphorical) souls of young criminals is being lost. I realize that there needs to be atheist preachers. Why not? Someone who can sit down with a person and say, “Hey, have you heard about how rational thought can help you in life?” Or: “Did you know the Greeks and Romans had philosophies that dealt with how to be good in life, long before traditional western religion came along?”
Maybe I’m not even the best person for this, since I’m not a particularly social person even in the best of circumstances, but then again, maybe I need to try. It needs to happen. Religion dulls the metaphorical soul and individuality, and it doesn’t seem to be helping reduce recidivism rates. Atheists, and other proponents of freethought, including myself, need to be more proactive.
Dan Turner
DOC# 767569
