Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2017/10/05/exactly-what-jesus-would-do.html
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I read this article yesterday and the moment I came across the word “Christian” prefacing the name of an American rehab* enterprise I knew that the rest of the story would be grim and filled with abusive and exploitative behaviour. I was not proven wrong.
[* edited for accuracy. Almost any American enterprise using “Christian” in its branding (many churches included) raises a big red flag]
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In case you missed it, slavery is legal in the U.S.A. and always has been. The 13th just made it so we can only enslave prisoners.
Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.
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“Notably, the Amendment does allow a person convicted of a crime to be forced to work. Thus, prison labor practices, from chain gangs to prison laundries, do not run afoul of the Thirteenth Amendment. The Thirteenth Amendment has also been interpreted to permit the government to require certain forms of public service, presumably extending to military service and jury duty.”
**https://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/amendments/amendment-xiii
Not quite “slavery” as would use the term today, but certainly indentured servitude.
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Christian as a term is simply a dog whistle for the right wing bigots and opportunists who make money off the misery of others. If Jesus actually existed and returned to find these "Christian " organizations I suspect there would be a “come-to-Jesus” meeting that would leave these vultures torn to hell.
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perhaps not chattel slavery but I would definitely not call it indentured servitude. These people aren’t freely entering in to a contract here.
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Perhaps I assumed too much. I would think a prisoner would have to agree to the terms of “rehab” in order to get into the program. or are they simply sent there against their will?
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It sounds from the article like they’re being pressured into choosing what’s supposed to be a slightly less crappy option than prison. Leave it to American holy-roller capitalists to identify the midpoint between slavery and indentured servitude as a business opportunity.
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But it looks so nice on Guidestar!
https://www.guidestar.org/profile/20-8810021
Meh, I wouldn’t be shocked if there’s some Christianized version of Synanon cult programming lurking in the background, like the Drug Free American Foundation (aka Straight, Inc).
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“Smote” is what the result would be. Nothing left after that meeting besides the Holy Socialist and a whole lot of smoking Earth.
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“S’mote it be!”
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I’m tired of doing laundry, cleaning, taking out the trash, doing the dishes, etc. Maybe it’s time to set up a rehab diversion program in my spare bedroom.
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and the people who run the program believe in hell?
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Of course they do. They’ve created it for their wards right here on Earth.
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When I read “Christian Rehab”, I thought it was like “Drug Rehab”…so Christians would go there to be cured of Christian beliefs.
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I find very little in the article that is defensible, they even imply that the program tacked on “Christian” more as a ploy then an actual intent to promote the religion. The idea that the forced Bible study and church attendance is the entire “rehab” regimen also seems more like a ploy, as in “how can we meet the requirements of calling it ‘rehab’ with as little effort and cost as possible?” (With the added bonus that the masses of Fundamentalist types will defend them if they get in trouble.)
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They needed something to distinguish themselves from filthy commie “re-education through labor”; and a thin smear of Jesus usually does the trick.
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So I guess Jesus doesn’t save then?
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Jesus is now a late stage capitalist.
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