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rug

(82,333 posts)
Mon Jun 20, 2016, 10:24 PM Jun 2016

California Tells Non-Theistic Parolee He Does Not Have to Enter a Religious Drug Treatment Program

June 20, 2016
by Hemant Mehta

Last week, I posted about how Taylor Bast, who was arrested on drug charges, was told by his parole officer that he had to take part in a substance abuse program or he could end up in jail. Unfortunately, all three programs offered to him by the state of California were religious, while Bast is a non-theistic Buddhist. He argued that the state was coercing him to participate in a faith-based program or else he would be punished.

The American Humanist Association’s Appignani Humanist Legal Center sent a letter to state officials demanding that secular treatment options be made available for everyone, including Bast:

“There is no need for the state of California to only offer religious treatment programs when secular alternatives are available. Numerous secular programs, such as SMART Recovery, use science and sound research, not faith, to effectively treat substance abuse issues,” said Roy Speckhardt, executive director of the American Humanist Association. “Instead of treating substance abuse, the state of California is pushing a religious agenda that disregards the needs of nonreligious and nontheistic individuals.”

“The state is unconstitutionally coercing an individual to attend a religious program, as well as endorsing religion and discriminating against nontheists,” said Monica Miller, senior counsel at the Appignani Humanist Legal Center. “By failing to provide a secular alternative to these religious programs, the state of California is violating the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.”

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2016/06/20/california-tells-non-theistic-parolee-he-does-not-have-to-enter-a-religious-drug-treatment-program/

http://aha-files.s3.amazonaws.com/2/9f/c/5999/CA_-_Coerced_Religious_Treatment_Letter_re_T.B._6-8-16.pdf
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California Tells Non-Theistic Parolee He Does Not Have to Enter a Religious Drug Treatment Program (Original Post) rug Jun 2016 OP
don't know about the drug programs here, but, from what I gather, the alcohol programs niyad Jun 2016 #1
Here's a start: rug Jun 2016 #2
thank you niyad Jun 2016 #3
I'm not much of a fan of AA. backscatter712 Jun 2016 #4
Maybe. I find a lot of zen in AA meetings. rug Jun 2016 #5

niyad

(112,430 posts)
1. don't know about the drug programs here, but, from what I gather, the alcohol programs
Mon Jun 20, 2016, 10:27 PM
Jun 2016

seem to have a religious component to them. will have to look into this further.

backscatter712

(26,355 posts)
4. I'm not much of a fan of AA.
Tue Jun 21, 2016, 12:35 PM
Jun 2016

Alcoholics Anonymous, and other programs also based on the 12 step method, can often be very religious, and they're also not very science-based.

AA has a success rate somewhere in the 5% to 10% range. It's great at perpetuating itself, and telling addicts that AA didn't fail them, they failed AA. Which keeps people coming back for more, but doesn't solve the underlying problem.

http://www.salon.com/2014/03/23/the_pseudo_science_of_alcoholics_anonymous_theres_a_better_way_to_treat_addiction/

Programs like SMART, and techniques like the Sinclair Method are far better.

 

rug

(82,333 posts)
5. Maybe. I find a lot of zen in AA meetings.
Tue Jun 21, 2016, 06:28 PM
Jun 2016

Sponsee: "When will I get a good job?"

Sponsor: "When you are ready."

Sponsee: "How will I know I am ready?"

Sponsor: "You'll have a good job."

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