This is the problem I have with it: "Hey, as part of your service we need you to tithe 10% of your income to our church. Otherwise we're going to report that you failed in your service and you'll go back to jail."Djinnkitty83 wrote: I just see it as too much of a black-and-white view on things, not all religion is bad even if it is behind a lot of nasty shit in history. I agree that offering church-time instead of jail-time is both illegal preferential treatment of Christian prisoners, and kind of demeaning to those who view themselves as 'genuine' Christians because it will just encourage non-Christians to fake it for their own benefit. On the other hand, stating that it give the church their own 'pet thugs' is just I'M A JUGGALO WOOP WOOP and too far in the other direction. I'd fully support a church-run community service alternative to jail time for non-violent offenders, so long as it's regulated to make sure there's no unreasonable coercion/conversion attempts taking place.
Maybe some wouldn't be quite that blatant about it, but stuff like that isn't exactly an unreasonable concern.