Judge Sentences Teen to Church

Well the judge did say a church of his choosing. Didn't say it had to be a Christian church. Just did a quick search and there is a Buddhist Temple in Muskogee.

Though it just is not right for a Judge to compel someone to attend church. I have family in eastern Oklahoma and from what I've seen I'm sure this Judge will be hailed as a hero.

Someone mentioned sentencing him to serve in the Army. Currently all branches of the Armed services will not accept someone who has been ordered by the court to join the military. Not to mention even if legal it certainly is not moral to force someone to join the military.

 

Except it kinda is. The state is on the record as being so. It's great that you live in a more open-minded area, but claiming "a lot of places are very liberal"in Oklahoma unfortunately isn't rooted in reality if you look at the state's politics these days. It's dominated by right-wing Christian religious fundamentalists. There aren't any liberal big cities, and there aren't even any real liberal college town oases like there are in other conservative states like Kansas or Montana.

 

He could've been sentenced to more community service or something like that instead of church.

 

Buddhism isn't too bad. I'd certainly prefer it to christianity if it were me. But surely the term 'church' implies christian, because most other religions don't refer to their places of worship as churches.

I agree that its not right to force someone to attend a church though, whatever the religion.

Question, as I'm not that familiar with how things work in the US: If it is unconstitutional, does that mean he doesn't have to attend the church?

 

It means he could appeal the sentence on the grounds that it's unconstitutional.

 

While being forced to attend church services is less freedom-denying than jail, it's still unconstitutional, and the relative severity of the two punishments is irrelevant. That judge. Should not. Be on the bench. Period.

 

I live in a college town, one that will not be named for obvious reasons, and its a very liberal place. Cant say I saw a single political Romney sign anywhere. Norman and Tulsa and several smaller cities are very liberal. I don't know how you can even argue with me on this, I live here. I get that people think that Oklahomans are a bunch of hicks, my mom grew up in California and that's how she viewed oklahoma before she moved here, but that's just not the case. Stop hating on oklahoma people.

 

It appears there is judicial dumbfuckery afoot!!

 

he can just as well get moral and values if he like, take a philosophy class or something

 

I can't speak for Norman as I don't have much experience there. The Tulsa area is pretty progressive, though it has its share of conservatives. I like Tulsa and have considered moving there a couple of times.

Now the rural areas, are very conservative and very "Christian". My parents live in a small town in north eastern Oklahoma. I could see this happening in their town. Then again you can say that for most rural areas in this country.

 

I'm not hating on Oklahoma people, I'm just stating a fact...politics in your state are what they are. Anecdotes about how many signs you've seen for different candidates where you live don't change that. Oklahoma IS by some measures the most conservative state in the Union.

Of course there are liberals in conservative states just as there are conservatives in liberal states, but a minority isn't in any position to control government or culture, for that matter.


Look at the results from this blatantly Islamophobic, xenophobic, nationalistic paranoid right-wing conspiracy theory of a referendum that Oklahoma voted on in 2010...it got 70% statewide and at least 62% of people voted for it in EVERY SINGLE COUNTY:




This absurd law was later struck down by the courts, thankfully. It was so poorly written that it might have actually prevented Oklahoma judges from citing such "international laws" as the Ten Commandments, never mind Islamic or European laws.

 

And Oklahoma will never allow gay marriage I am firmly certain in this , an if it does happen ill die of shock. That's why gay marriage needs to come for, the federal level , they won't ever vote yes on it if left up to the state, same with Texas .

 

You're missing the point. Do we know if the defendant is Christian? Do we know if he shares the same denomination of the judge? No, we don't know. He could be a Muslim or an atheist. Forcing your beliefs down someone else's throat is wrong. That's why our fore fathers banned the integration of church and state. This judge's sentence is extreme and should be repealed.

This idea that church turns evil people into good people needs to end. There's enough religious psychos out there that proves that this isn't true. If anything, religion has a tendency to attract and promote destructive ideas: racism, classism, sexism, and programming people into believing that there is such a thing as justifiable violence.

He did intend it to be specifically a Christian church: his church. He's forcing the defendant to attend the same services he does. He didn't leave it open for the defendant to decide, so he could be forcing his own beliefs down the throat of this kid.

 

On top of that, they also recently struck down the state's affirmative action laws in a referendum in the 2012 election. There's no doubting that Oklahoma is a red state, and like any other red state, there are blue dots. They just aren't very common.

 

dumb judge. Agreed with pret. Disbar.

 

>>>gay marriage needs to come for (sic),the federal level"

The President's position is correct on this..in that it is a 10th Amendment issue..meaning that it is a state issue. The Federal Government has no business meddling around in this realm.

And I think Oklahoma is a fine state...wish we had more like it

 

Yeah, I don't know, must be something in the water down there...

As pointed out, there literally aren't any blue dots on the map of Oklahoma these days. Its neighbors are red states too, but Texas has left-leaning urban areas like Austin and even Kansas has Lawrence and Kansas City.

For some reason, Oklahoma is also the only state where they have not allowed any third parties to be on the ballot, for the third election in a row. (Subsequently the Republicans have won every single county by double digits in all three of those elections)

So our queer comrades and allies in Oklahoma clearly have their work cut out for them...:eek: I salute those courageous (and patient) enough to stick around and fight in conservative states like this rather than run off to NYC or SF when they hit their 20s...

Nah, it's a federal issue.

Today's backward red states will have to be dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century, just like the South had to be dragged kicking and screaming into the 20th century during the civil rights movement, and dragged kicking and screaming into the 19th century by the Civil War.

Hmm, no, I think we have enough Evangelical fundie-dominated states to deal with already.