Last year, [state] Senator [Dan] Patrick began a prison ministry in Texas through the showing of his documentary film, “The Heart of Texas.” The movie, which documents the powerful effect of forgiveness on a Texas community is a compelling and life-changing message for incarcerated inmates. Angola Warden Burl Cain saw the film and invited Senator Patrick to visit his prison and the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary located at the prison.Patrick and Senate Criminal Justice Committee Chairman John Whitmire are presently visiting Angola prison in Louisiana, according to the blog West Side Story, to meet the warden and review Angola's prison ministry program.
Monday, May 17, 2010
State Sen.Dan Patrick dips toe in prison ministry waters
Here's something I didn't know:
Its amazing that in a state full of people who consider themselves to be Christians, there is so little forgiveness.
ReplyDeleteNice troll, 2:30 -
ReplyDeleteSpoken from someone who has never been a victim.
4:35 You have no idea.
ReplyDeleteI was going to leave it at that but I just have to add a little more. Dave, it was from being a victim that I learned to forgive (and am still learning). We aren't told to forgive for the benefit of the person who has done us wrong. We're told to forgive because it is in our interest to do so. Holding onto hate and anger can destroy a person. That hate and anger directed through the criminal justice system is also harmful to society. There are good reasons to lock people up, sometimes even to execute people. Sometimes those things are necessary to protect society. But, it shouldn't just be about vengeance, which it often is.
ReplyDeleteVengeance is not always the motive. It usually is the motive for those involved, but not for the DAs or Judges, it is all about winning a case to help their careers progress. More than once innocent people get hurt in this shameful act by "Our Justice System" which is more trajic than any words can describ.
ReplyDeleteForgiveness will bring peace.
ReplyDeleteInnocent people get hurt in the shameful act by "our Judicial system"? You are very correct, innocent people are being sentenced to prison because of this sorry excuse of a "judicail system". If you don't have the money to pay a high powered lawyer, you get screwed and you go to prison. I have such a family member, in prison, because we did not have the money required to take the case to trial. I have little to no sympathy for victim who is a liar, and you would be shocked how many are. Unless you are involved in this process, you will never know.
ReplyDelete