Rights for prisoners in Canada: Teows vetos prison chaplain for Wiccans

[SebC]

Related to the prisoner sex change thread here...

It's not just the US that is having issues with prisoner's rights vs. fiscal prudence...

Earlier this week, Corrections Canada put out a request for a proposal for a Wiccan chaplain who will provide about 17 hours of service a month, about an hour less service than the department says it needs for the Jewish faith.

About an hour after The Canadian Press reported about the contract, a statement from Mr. Toews’s office said it will not proceed until after a review.

“Religious freedom is a paramount value in Canadian society,” Julie Carmichael, director of communications for the minister, said in an email.

“However, the government is not convinced all services offered through the chaplaincy program reflect an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars.”

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle4521684/

Personally, I'm no fan state-sponsored religion, but if we're going to allow it for some religions then it seems like the logic is inconsistent if we don't do it for all religious, and that includes Wicca.

Mods, feel free to merge with the linked thread if you feel it's appropirate.

[Resolute 14]

If I ever end up in jail, I am going to insist that Corrections Canada find me a druid for my spiritual needs.

At any rate, while Corrections Canada evidently does, I would question whether the federal government recognizes wicca as a religion. Calling something a religion does not automatically make it so, especially legally.

[AR_Six]

Wicca is pretty clearly a religion, even if you think it's. kooky.

[taco.vidal]

Do the Christian chaplains or others get paid by the prison system or do they work for free and get basics like gas covered?

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by AR_Six

Wicca is pretty clearly a religion, even if you think it's. kooky.

I think all religions are kooky, but that is not relevant to the question of whether the federal government recognizes it as one.

[Puppet Guy]

pity the poor inmate who picks "Jedi" as his religion.

[GGG]

Do Wiccans have Chaplins and are they part of practicing te faith. I was under te impression there was no structure and everyone was equal in wicca and terefore no chaplin woukd be required.

I also think it is reasonable for the government only o provide services to criticals masses of people. So if you have one wiccan and 100 chistians it is reasonable to provide a chaplin for te Christians and a space to practice for the wiccan

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

If I ever end up in jail, I am going to insist that Corrections Canada find me a druid for my spiritual needs.

At any rate, while Corrections Canada evidently does, I would question whether the federal government recognizes wicca as a religion. Calling something a religion does not automatically make it so, especially legally.

Unfortunately for Wiccans, they don't have a ton of money to throw at the cause of legitimacy.

If they could ever get their act together and extort their membership, they could become a real player in the 'largest private land holders who don't pay any taxes' circuit.

Now, someone please defend Vic Toews wasting taxpayer time and money by clogging up the legislative process and soon, the supreme courts time with these trumped up and unecessarry laws of morality that will not stand up to the rigours of a constitutional challenge?

What a farking joke this guy is.

He's more than Rob Anders style joke. This guy was hand picked.

[Fire]

They should remove it for all religions.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by GGG

I also think it is reasonable for the government only o provide services to criticals masses of people. So if you have one wiccan and 100 chistians it is reasonable to provide a chaplin for te Christians and a space to practice for the wiccan

From the text I quoted, it appears that the demand close to that for a Jewish chaplain, which they have.

Of course, there's another aspect to this that is do we really want to help prisoners cast spells? What if those spells are to escape prison? The very notion that religion is something they should have access to is dependant on the fact that it is hogwash. I find that amusing.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by SebC

From the text I quoted, it appears that the demand close to that for a Jewish chaplain, which they have.

Of course, there's another aspect to this that is do we really want to help prisoners cast spells? What if those spells are to escape prison? The very notion that religion is something they should have access to is dependant on the fact that it is hogwash. I find that amusing.

I dont know if it implies the same level of demand. many people can be served at a time by one chaplin. Say in a mass. So there would be a minimum amount of time to offer service for the first inmate but only.a.small.incremental cost for extra inmates

[SebC]

Originally Posted by GGG

I dont know if it implies the same level of demand. many people can be served at a time by one chaplin. Say in a mass. So there would be a minimum amount of time to offer service for the first inmate but only.a.small.incremental cost for extra inmates

Valid point. However, with a one-hour difference, it seems to imply that the request for proposal is scaled to the demand somehow.

[Daradon]

I was not aware Wicca had chaplains.

[Daradon]

Well here you go, it is a federal recognised right when it comes to correctional facilities.

'Correctional Services of Canada has recognized and thereby given status to Pagans within federal correctional facilities. This is established policy.'

http://www.wcc.on.ca/legal.html


Other rights and such vary from province to province. For example (and I don't know if this is right or not) I was once told that Alberta is the only province where a Wiccan/Pagan wedding was legal. Course it doesn't mean you can't get married by a JP or whatever.

[TurnedTheCorner]

But who will fat ugly goths pray to now?

[Sluggo]

What they really need is a weekly 1 hour atheist recess.

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by TurnedTheCorner

But who will fat ugly goths pray to now?

The gods the ugly fat sweatpant wearing folks pray to?

[TurnedTheCorner]

Originally Posted by Daradon

The gods the ugly fat sweatpant wearing folks pray to?

So the internet?

[MarchHare]

Originally Posted by Sluggo

What they really need is a weekly 1 hour atheist recess.

When I was going through basic training for the Canadian Forces, Christians received free time on Sunday mornings to attend religious services. If you were a non-believer or belonged to a non-Christian religion, you were assigned extra duties like cleaning the head in the barracks. Consequently, most of us just faked that we were Christian so we could get a break for an hour or two.

[MarchHare]

Also, does anyone else think this is less about Teows being frugal with tax dollars and more about him wanting to suppress a religion he doesn't understand/approve?