It truly amazes me how many people are becoming so religious like, Christians, or Muslims after comming to prison. I mean, Why all of a sudden? I don’t think they were this way before they got locked up. But now, because they went to prison, all of a sudden your some great religious man?
They try to become apart of something. It might be because they need someone to say everything is OK, when its really not. Someone to forgive them when they can’t forgive themselves. When noone else will take them or wants them. I get it, people just want to be wanted.
I don’t know. That’s just my perspective. I might be wrong. Or I might not?
So now what they do, is go to the extreme. Eat, breathe, sleep, talk, go to church 5 days a week and even solicit and preach it to other people. I call them Bible Thumping.
I am not knocking Being a Christian or a Muslim or any other religion by any means. That’s not what I’m getting at.
But I ask myself. Why the sudden change for these people?
I was raised in a Christian house hold. Attended a Christian school and went to church occasionally as a young adult. But I don’t go to church every day in here or at all for that matter. What I believe doesent have to be preached or studied every day. I just live it and be it. Be good, and good will come to you.
Yesterday when I was in line for chow.
There was a guy that was in front of me I knew. He had molested his own kids. He also attends church 2 to 3 times a week. He was talking like a sailor. He was cussing every third word and over all was being a very negative person. This guy was a perfect example of what I am talking about.
He says he’s a church going guy but doesent live up to the lifestyle of a person that’s religious and goes to church.
What I notice about religion in prison is people use it as a way out. Or somewhere to hide. Like protection of sorts.
I think its because most religions are forgiving. They want to bring you to the righteous path. I have yet to hear of a religion to turn someone away and tell them no. I guess, if they want to believe in what they believe in and follow what they preach.
You can tell who is genuine with it and who’s not. I have tried several times going to different church functions in prison. It doesent matter which one I attended they all felt the same and had the same type of atmosphere. It just didn’t feel right.
A few people were really genuine and had a good ora about them. But most just didn’t seem…. right. There was something off about them. It felt like those people were putting on an act. Like it was forced. Its like you could feel good, and evil in the room. To me it was akward.
That goes for in the unit and the dayroom too. Every day I see 2 or 3 people sitting together with big expensive bibles in front of them among other books. Knowing fare well most of the time those people are flat broke and would sell their mother for a bag of coffee. They sit there talking to each other, most of the time its about who is right. Or what the interpretation is of what they are reading.
I have seen people sitting at a table by themselves with pamphlets spread out on the table facing away from them as to be advertising their religion. Like its something for sale.
That just bugs me. I think if that’s what you want to do fine, but don’t bring it out and set up like your trying to solicit it in the dayroom. Remember, this isn’t just your living area but others too.
Over the years I have noticed that there are a lot of people that have become Christians and Muslims that are sex offenders. Like child molesters, Rapest and baby shakers among other crimes.
These crimes are looked at as super bad in prison. I attend to agree because doing those kinds of things, your taking something that’s sacred to the humane body. Like taking their innocence. That woman, baby, little boy or girl never even had a chance or a choice about it. You just took something neither you or anyone else can ever give back to them. Now they have to live with it for the rest of their life. Most of the time that person needs counselling to live a normal life. What’s normal for them now?
Yet this sex offender is welcomed with open arms? I don’t agree with that.
I think if you want to be a good person and show others that your a good person, act that way, live that way and just plain out talk to people that way. Just live your life in the right form and do good and good things will happen to you. That goes for everyone in life.
A person does not need to flaunt or show off they are a Christian or Catholic or whatever it is that you believe. It doesent matter to anyone else. It only matters to you and your creator. What’s in your heart, mind, body and soul is what makes you and your life either good or bad.
Jesse Bailey
DOC #879476
Dear Jesse, I think you have the gift of discernment. What a great gift to have. I, like you, was raised in a Christian home. Raised my children that way but about 20 years ago I stopped going to “church” because “religion” nor religious people (pew sitters) I called them was not what I was after; I am happy to say that Jesus didn’t die to give us a religion but a relationship with Him. When I stopped looking at the “religious” and judging them and began to focus on myself and pray. I found the Lord. I am happy and content with my relationship with Him, and I still do not think “religion” is the way to go. Fellowship with the ones you discern are in Christ, pray for the others
I really enjoyed your letter and topic.
I was a bit worried about this post when I wrote it. I was really trying to say something and not wanting it to come across wrong. I am so glad my words were understood as I was intending them. I feel a lot better about the post. Thank you for your words of encouragement. -Jesse
This is a good article. Out here in the “free” world, we have public bus drivers trying to get people to talk about the Bible and convert to their religion. Sometimes I have to tell them you do not have to belong to any religion to ride public transportation. Religion for me used to be a desire to believe in love only to find out that passion (sexual desire) for instance is not love, it is torture, and wanting to believe in love when it does not exist is just delusional. Don’t get me wrong. I “loved” my babies when they were babies, and I love my cats. But desiring to be loved by a man, for instance, who does not love you, and who KNOWS he doesn’t love you but just wants a sex partner, that is not love. That is torture. Out here in the free world, both men and women fool themselves. Women use men for money and men use women (or children!) for sex. I am sure it is not that way for everyone, but that is how it is for many, many people. Since your article deals a lot with sex offenders- yeah, I definitely have to agree sex offenders are only turning a loveless desire for sex into a religion.