The religious right once again use government to push religion

In the Alabama town of Bay Minettee you have two choices if you are convicted of a non-violent crime. Go to jail or go to church. The sheriff in that town has created such a program, because he believes it will have a positive impact on those convicted. Maybe, but religious belief among a population doesn't always mean lower crime. The nations with the least violent crime, such as Sweden, Norway, Denmark etc, are the least religious. The most violent nations, are often the most religious.

Now, if there was a secular alternative dealing with anger management or a class on humanistic ethics, than maybe this would be O.K. But, it's hard to believe that the sheriff and others don't wish to further their own religious beliefs among those convicted. Which is a perfectly right and legal thing to do, along as it is not done through the power of the government.

In an even more blatant example of using the government to convert individuals to one's religion, a Christian middle school administrator invited a rap group whose sole purpose was to convert children to Christianity. This is in South Carolina where almost every child anyway, had a Christian parent. Maybe some of those parents weren't just considered religious enough. Again, if someone wants to convert people or even children outside of using governmental resources, fine, but it shouldn't be done through the government.