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| Barry A. Hazle Jr. |
A California atheist has won a settlement of nearly $2 million after being sent to jail on a parole violation for objections he made about participating in a faith-based rehab program.
Barry A. Hazle Jr., 46, served time for a conviction of methamphetamine possession in 2007. As a condition of his parole, he was enrolled in a drug treatment program where participants were required to acknowledge a "higher power," according to the Sacramento Bee.
Hazle complained and asked for a different treatment program, but was told the only option in his area was the faith-based, Westcare 12-step program, according to the Record Searchlight.
Hazle was sent back to jail for more than three months for allegedly being “disruptive, though in a congenial way, to the staff as well as other students" and being "sort of passive-aggressive,” the paper reported.
"I’m thrilled to finally have this case settled," Hazle told the Searchlight. "It sends a clear message to people in a position of authority, like my parole agent, for example, that they not mandate religious programming for their parolees, and for anyone else, for that matter."
This may seem like a small thing, but it is actually a rather significant victory for Atheists.
Religious organizations discovered long ago that proselytizing to people when they were at their most vulnerable had a much higher success rate for conversion then simply going door to door, having potlucks, or hosting bingo.
That is why there are so many religious based therapy groups, substance abuse clinics, and prison programs. They know that people struggling to stay afloat in a sea of adversity will cling to any lifeline thrown their way.
So yeah winning the right to be excluded, without fear of incarceration, from organizations which really only substitute one crutch for another, is kind of a big deal.
I both agree and disagree with you on this issue - my disagreement stemming fro having spent many many years in Al-Anon meetings because my sister was an alcoholic and in AA meetings down the hall.
ReplyDeleteI've not only read the 'Big Book' I've had the pleasure of meeting personally with some old-timers who were there 'at the beginning' and I think it's incredibly unfair to lump these groups (from which most other 12-step programs stem) into the category of religious groups preying on people struggling with addictions.
The entire point of using the term 'higher power' was to NOT force anyone into a particular religion. Your higher power could be an ashtray named George - nobody would care.
To be sure there are groups who impose their beliefs on the group and I am diametrically opposed to those. And maybe we need to develop a second 12-step program that doesn't call for anyone to recognize a higher power at all - but until then please don't arbitrarily lump all 12-step programs into a religious zealot bowl, add milk and stir.
-Oz
"from organizations which really only substitute one crutch for another, is kind of a big deal."
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So true G! In a nutshell yes...
Oz, as I read Gryphen's posting, the main point of this was there should not be ONLY these types of programs available!
DeleteYes, he is against any form of religious program for this type of problem for the reasons he quoted, but that is because like myself - and a LOT of others here at IM - he is against organized religion which is provably responsible for a tremendous amount of death, destruction, pain, murder, torture and war.
His psychological references are also quite on target.
There is NO justification for demanding ALL go through the same program and I am in complete agreement with Gryphen. This is a HUGE step forward for those who disagree with the thought of a "Superior Being"!
Although 12 step groups take pains to emphasize a higher power of one's understanding, most meetings end with The Lord's Prayer.
ReplyDeleteAddiction is not cured by faith alone.
Philly K & 4:18
Delete"The entire point of using the term 'higher power' was to NOT force anyone into a particular religion. Your higher power could be an ashtray named George - nobody would care. "
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This is supposed to be the case of using "Higher power" But as Philly K says it evolves into a "gawd thing" making it hard to support these programs or the people in them start blatting about gawd saved me bla, bla, and gawd, this and gawd that in spite of the fact it is not supposed to be "faith based" most of them ARE. And then its almost like a CULT Religion!
At the end of AA meetings they chant "God grant me to power to change the things I can and accept the things I can't" or something like that... GAWD!
So I have never been able to fully support people who enter these programs b/c it is so cult like and RELIGION based. Sometimes after years they lose the gawd crap and still hold on to their sobriety but other times when they wake up to the hypocrisy of "Gawd" the sobriety is lost unless they have truly embraced that the "Higher power" is REALLY YOU!!! JMO.
OT: G, Parnell that ASShole has put a stop to Gay marriage in Alaska for now... :( http://bit.ly/1wcUyKH
DeleteBowing to the fundy's....I hope he gets arrested for the NG debacle/Crime!
As both an Athiest and a member of AA, I feel compelled to comment here.
ReplyDeleteAs Oz said above, it's not really fair to lump AA in with the other religious substance abuse programs; many of those programs have taken the 12 step concept and applied their religion to it, giving many people the misguided notion that AA is affiliated with a religion.
A "Higher Power" for many is the group- because here is a group of people who have been able to stay sober. Also, the group as a safety net, is more powerful than 1 person alone. A Higher Power can be the ocean, or the wind, as those are a power greater than [me].
And a little AA humor, GOD can also stand for Group of Drunks.
So while I can appreciate that an Athiest sued and won on religious grounds, and I'm happy about that, but I want to make the distinction between "12 step programs" that a religion has co-opted, and AA.
And a little AA humor, GOD can also stand for Group of Drunks.
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Now THAT is FUNNY!!! TY :)
"Acknowledge our GOD or we'll throw you in jail."
ReplyDeleteHow very Christian of them.
One doesn't need to believe in myths to be a good person.
My brother who is an atheist hated the AA religiosity. As he will tell you he got sober in spite of AA not because of AA. Those who act as apologists for AA are obviously NOT coming from the position of those who are negatively impacted by all the proselytizing and 'assumed' faith of those who substitute an addiction to cigs, coffee,and Gawd for their addiction to alcohol. Seems to me that those who find the religious aspect objectionable are the ones who get to say that it is objectionable - without be brushed aside by those who have no problem with it. Good for Hazle. The surest way to change behavior of apologists and enforcers (like Hazle's parole agent) is to hit them where it hurts - the pocketbook. I'm with Gryphen (and my brother) on this one.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was laid off in the outsourcing hysteria in the early 90's, I attended a "help" group set up by a community organization which ended with the serenity prayer and a lot of God talk by the members.
ReplyDeleteWhen I said that I was an atheist and I didn't see how belief in a supernatural presence would get me another job, I was told to be quiet and just believe (so the magic would work, I guessed).
It never worked.
I remain an atheist who is glad that someone is fighting the fight for our rights not to be proselytized about the most important issues in our lives by ignorant fools.
I know, I'm too tough on those sweeties, who are only "looking out for us."
Right.
(I do believe in the TBTF gods, though.)
My daughter suffers from a severe illness and has been hospitalized b/c of it. Another member of our church (the former pastor's wife) met w/me b/c "god needed her to tell me" how god healed a friend of hers. She went on and on abt how b/c she stopped taking her medication, depended on god and b/c of it, was healed. I was so f*in offended, I pasted on a smile the entire meeting until that. I very sweetly told her god wanted me to tell her that {according to the bible} god can work through anyone, no matter the illness or disability. What she doesn't know is that b/c of people like her in our church, Gryphen's blog, a religion class I took at Berkeley 15 years ago, and my own doubts over the years I am no longer a believer. I have semi come out to my husband, but not my kids(who attend church & youth group there) or Christian friends. So this is my coming out to all y'all. ;-D I'm still contemplating what to do abt the woman, bc I feel I need to do something. Ideas?
ReplyDeleteMy son also was forced into attending AA meetings as a condition for parole. He simply could not get into it because of the religiosity of the system. Yes, you can make anything your "higher power", but the closing prayer as well as other activities are based on God-power. Maybe if he had found another way to get the support he needed/needs to get and stay clean, life would have been much better for him. I simply do not accept that another's belief system should have the power to overturn my own personal beliefs, and neither does my son.
ReplyDeleteI think this guy deserves more in compensation for what he was put through, but I'm glad he stood his ground and won within the parameters of the legal system. His constitutional rights were being violated. We are NOT a christian, nor any other religion based, country.
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