Religion

pinto

(106,886 posts) Thu Jul 9, 2015, 07:55 PM Jul 2015

600 U.S. Churches Call for an End to the 'War on Drugs'

600 U.S. Churches Call for an End to the 'War on Drugs'

NBC

A group of more than 600 churches has joined a small but growing movement within the religious community to call for and end to the war on drugs through legalization.

The New England Conference of The United Methodist Church, representing more than 600 congregations, voted last month to support efforts to address the nation's drug abuse problem through "means other than prohibition."

The resolution was passed during an annual conference in which supporters argued that the war on drugs had unintentionally left countless dead, overwhelmed courts and prisons, wasted taxpayer money and destroyed innumerable families — most of them black and Latino.

"To people of color, the 'War on Drugs' has arguably been the single most devastating, dysfunctional social policy since slavery," the resolution says.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/600-u-s-churches-call-end-war-drugs-n389511

to IDemo

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10141141703

9 replies

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Highlight:

600 U.S. Churches Call for an End to the 'War on Drugs' (Original Post) pinto Jul 2015 OP

Without religion standing in the way Lordquinton Jul 2015 #1

I think there's a growing number of voices, across the public spectrum, challenging this. pinto Jul 2015 #2

Great opportunity for Democrats to lead on this issue. n/t PoliticAverse Jul 2015 #3

Yes, a growing number saying religion can help Lordquinton Jul 2015 #9

YES! Those are the churches filled with decent people I remember from my youth Warpy Jul 2015 #4

It's such a pathetically small number of churches, it's pitiful. AtheistCrusader Jul 2015 #5

"Nice of them to notice the issue all the sudden though." pinto Jul 2015 #6

It's obnoxious. AtheistCrusader Jul 2015 #7

Good for them. Would like to see more get on board. cbayer Jul 2015 #8

Lordquinton

(7,886 posts)

1. Without religion standing in the way

Reply to pinto (Original post)

Thu Jul 9, 2015, 08:05 PM

Jul 2015

we can have a chance to end it.

pinto

(106,886 posts)

2. I think there's a growing number of voices, across the public spectrum, challenging this.

Reply to Lordquinton (Reply #1)

Thu Jul 9, 2015, 08:11 PM

Jul 2015

Failed, regressive and costly. It's good to see others step up.

PoliticAverse

(26,366 posts)

3. Great opportunity for Democrats to lead on this issue. n/t

Reply to pinto (Reply #2)

Thu Jul 9, 2015, 08:28 PM

Jul 2015

Lordquinton

(7,886 posts)

9. Yes, a growing number saying religion can help

Reply to pinto (Reply #2)

Fri Jul 10, 2015, 12:38 PM

Jul 2015

And none saying that for too long it's been a part of the problem. When will one of these churches take responsibility for their religions actions, It's always a case of "they're doing it wrong, we're doing it right, join us!"

The takeaway is that religion is stepping out of the way of progress on this issue, one less opponent. Until the tide turns again.

Warpy

(111,274 posts)

4. YES! Those are the churches filled with decent people I remember from my youth

Reply to pinto (Original post)

Thu Jul 9, 2015, 09:09 PM

Jul 2015

instead of the huge palaces with some pompadoured front exhorting to hate and providing them with targets.

Churches were in the forefront of ending abortion prohibition, too, because ministers were tired of being called to emergency rooms because their parishioners had been brought in, butchered, bleeding and septic.

I am delighted about this.

AtheistCrusader

(33,982 posts)

5. It's such a pathetically small number of churches, it's pitiful.

Reply to Warpy (Reply #4)

Thu Jul 9, 2015, 09:16 PM

Jul 2015

That's like... All the churches in Seattle and half of Portland.

Nice of them to notice the issue all the sudden though.

pinto

(106,886 posts)

6. "Nice of them to notice the issue all the sudden though."

Reply to AtheistCrusader (Reply #5)

Thu Jul 9, 2015, 10:24 PM

Jul 2015

You obviously don't mean that other than in a sarcastic and derisive way. Or seems so to me. You're welcome to your point of view, but why bother with it here? Sarcasm and derision only goes so far in a discussion. I think you know that. And I know you have had actual discussions with some of our members beyond all that.

AtheistCrusader

(33,982 posts)

7. It's obnoxious.

Reply to pinto (Reply #6)

Thu Jul 9, 2015, 10:42 PM

Jul 2015

600 congregations it's news. 6000 wouldn't be. 60k, might be newsworthy, but you're still talking just a handful of states.

Religious people are statistically more conservative. You gotta make an actual dent in the pro-punishment conservative religious to even pretend to be anything other than free advertising for one sect of less than 1% of church congregations.

It's insultingly hopeful. If it was in context of the vast bulk of religious inertia in this country, it would at least be honest, and not so pandering.

Edit; there's an enormous body of criminology studies on this effect, and the article in the op isn't even a glimmer of a hope of a solution.
http://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/crim34&div=33&id=&page=