It’s difficult to get guys in prison to want to change, to want to take responsibility and the initiative to better themselves. As I’ve said, I think religion actually gets in the way of this because the “good” is defined by a holy book, and all too often, they are told that God loves them just the way they are. But if you’re in prison, chances are the “way you are” is not good enough. But the great thing about an atheist-based outlook is that the “good” is based on tangible results in the real world, not on dogma. The good is good because it benefits everyone in the world, including yourself. It is a fact that acting with decency gets you more out of life than being a criminal thug. Being polite is better than screaming. Working an honest job will get you more results than stealing. Loving will get you loved in return. And so on. I think it’s an important task to show guys that being good is the best thing they can do for themselves, and others.

Dan Turner
DOC# 767569