In prison, why do Christians vastly outnumber atheists?

[TomC]

But they weren't bound by any regulations

I can assure you that they were. Those regulations were perhaps unspoken, and certainly put in place by unelected power brokers from the church heirarchies, but they were certainly there. It wasn't an anarchy.

Perhaps you think that "What you do for the Least you do for Me" is a regulation. I suppose it is.

But your arrogance is annoying. You believe you know more about my town and the people who live here than I do.
Have you ever actually been to southern Indiana, or are you just pontificating from afar?
Tom

 

[bilby]

your arrogance is annoying

While yours is a pleasant and soothing balm to the senses.

 

[bilby]

Have you ever actually been to southern Indiana

Are churches a southern Indiana phenomenon?

The more you know...

I note that your response is very long on complaining about how I said it, or about my qualifications for having an opinion in the first place; But interestingly short on a denial that what I said is in fact true.

 

[TomC]

your arrogance is annoying

While yours is a pleasant and soothing balm to the senses.

When I start telling you what Australian people think and why they do what they do you'll have a point.
In the meantime, you're pontificating from afar.
Tom

 

[Elixir]

When I start telling you what Australian people think and why they do what they do you'll have a point.

Unless YOU do when you offer such opinion.

 

[TomC]

When I start telling you what Australian people think and why they do what they do you'll have a point.

Unless YOU do when you offer such opinion.

Umm...
Wut?

What are you talking about?

Tom

 

[Elixir]

If the shoe fits, wear it. If bilby has an opinion about Indiana or you have an opinion about Queensland, the validity of that opinion can be questioned due to the holder’s lack of proximity, but it can’t be invalidated on that basis alone.

 

[TomC]

If the shoe fits, wear it. If bilby has an opinion about Indiana or you have an opinion about Queensland, the validity of that opinion can be questioned due to the holder’s lack of proximity, but it can’t be invalidated on that basis alone.

I don't remember expressing an opinion about social agencies in Queensland.

I'm extremely sure that I didn't.
Tom

 

[bilby]

If the shoe fits, wear it. If bilby has an opinion about Indiana or you have an opinion about Queensland, the validity of that opinion can be questioned due to the holder’s lack of proximity, but it can’t be invalidated on that basis alone.

I don't remember expressing an opinion about social agencies in Queensland.

I'm extremely sure that I didn't.
Tom

I don't remember expressing an opinion about social agencies in Indiana.

I do remember expressing an opinion about humans in general, and religious humans in particular; And nothing you have said even contradicts that opinion - lots of whining about my holding it, and my being allegedly unqualified to do so (on the apparent basis that human nature and religious organisation are completely unique in Indiana); But no actual contradiction, which is hardly surprising, as a claim that Indiana church charities are an anarchistic free-for-all, with no regulations of any kind, would get you deservedly laughed at.

 

[Elixir]

I do remember expressing an opinion about humans in general, and religious humans in particular; And nothing you have said even contradicts that opinion - lots of whining about my holding it, and my being allegedly unqualified to do so (on the apparent basis that human nature and religious organisation are completely unique in Indiana)

They might be completely different and unique in Indiana. I should have kept me mouth shut; Indiana is one of just a handful of States where I have never spent a single night in my life (that I remember) For all I know, they all speak Swahili there and have their own religious rituals involving animal sacrifice.
Never been to Australia either; do you have to pass a boomerang test to attain citizenship?
Assuming that there is any similarity between geographically isolated human populations, can be a disastrous mistake.

 

[ideologyhunter]

They might be completely different and unique in Indiana. I should have kept me mouth shut; Indiana is one of just a handful of States where I have never spent a single night in my life (that I remember) For all I know, they all speak Swahili there and have their own religious rituals involving animal sacrifice.

Well, I won't keep me mouth shut. What a slander on Indianer. Animal sacrifices!! I live an hour and a half from the Indiana border, and have crossed over several times. With proper precautions, it is a safe area to visit.

INDIANA
Capital: Indianapolis (ranked 47th in Most Original State Capital Names)
State Motto: Hang Mike Pence!!
State Song: On the Banks of the Wabash Far Away, in a Canoe with Cheap Beer
Currency: the USD, but the Hoosierand is preferred. (1 Hoosierand = .55 USD)
State Bird: dead heron
Landforms: In the absence of mountains, canyons, and majestic skylines, the residents worship dunes.
Languages: English and Naptown. (Naptown: English/Irish/German dialect, with expressions like "Ope!!" for "Oops!!" and "Yun too?")
Cuisine: deadly dull Midwest, with lots of lard crust. The sugar cream pie was born (and curdled) here.
Famous Indianans: John Dillinger, Homer Van Meter (subject of the most grotesque morgue photo ever), Gertrude Baniszewski (officially the State Mother, and What a Mother), Michael Jackson (JAMONE!), Axl Rose, Danny Quayle.
Fun Facts: In 1923, 30% of the native-born, male citizens were Klansmen.
Indiana has a township called Floyds Knobs with a Catholic Church called Our Lady of the Knobs. I have no idea who Floyd was, what he farmed, or how prominent his knobs were. Another township, not far from the Knobs, is Cementville. I believe the mayor is Joe Mortar.

 

[TomC]

They might be completely different and unique in Indiana. I should have kept me mouth shut;

This derail started with:

I can assure you that they were. Those regulations were perhaps unspoken, and certainly put in place by unelected power brokers from the church heirarchies, but they were certainly there. It wasn't an anarchy.

Which is quite incorrect, and the implication was that bilby knows more about that agency I was talking about than I do. A bit insulting.
What I said is that it's private money and volunteers almost entirely. So they aren't bound by government regulations the way state agencies are. As a result, they can and do help with all sorts of issues that government agencies simply cannot.
Nor do I think this is unique, much less unique to Indiana. Not all churches are the grifty outfits you seem to think they are. I'm talking about the ones I personally know about, which are in Indiana because that's where I have lived my whole life.
Tom

 

[Don2 (Don1 Revised)]

There were instances when a Catholic priest who wanted to molest me was very charitable. For example, one time when I was 11 years old, he took me clothing shopping and bought me some blue jeans. My understanding which is not directly involved in the regulation is that there was a whole system of bureaucracy involved when money was being passed to him, through him, and then outward to the things he did.

For example, another time--I was maybe 13 or 14 years old--I needed a bus ticket to get somewhere and he was able to procure one for me somehow charitably but some condition somehow on the process was that it had to be a non-refundable ticket. So I was taking the bus from one state to another and sitting in the middle of the bus. Some guys in the back had some guitars and were acting weird. I had gotten on the bus at the same stop as them and every once in a while I looked back because stuff happened. Generally, I look around and see things everywhere, observing sometimes, daydreaming sometimes, and introverted. Halfway to my destination at a bus depot, the bus driver had pulled over and there was a police car waiting that apparently he had called.

I got ordered out of the bus along with those older fellows in the back of the bus. The bus driver claimed that we were all smoking pot on the bus. I had nothing to do with those people and no idea if it was true. So, I stated my innocence. The bus driver wanted me off the bus with them. The police officer said that he could either take us all down to the station and drug test everyone or let us go and we could get refunds for the remaining part of our tickets. So, he had put a 13/14 year old in a position lacking power and authority, knowing I would cave so as not to get other people in trouble and just go away quietly. In his defense, I probably looked 16 and maybe could pass for 18 since I was 6 foot, broad shouldered and traveling by myself.

Not having a way home, I was going to hitch hike, which I regularly did anyway, but that time I had not wanted to do so. It can be dangerous. So, I was off to the highway. Then, two of the guys who were in the back of the bus asked if I wanted to hitch hike with them. So, I said sure. So, then these strangers and I--now 3 of us--were hitch hiking. They both had guitars. And after a while, they stopped to smoke some more pot and offered me some. I smoked with them.

Within just a few minutes a car with two young ladies stopped to give us all a ride.

True story!

But I wonder...

How many spoken and unspoken, official and unofficial, government and non-government, legal and illegal regulations did you notice?