Church or Jail???

CHURCH OR JAIL???

According to the Huffington Post Religion/AOL News, offenders in Bay Minette, Alabama can choose Jail or Church for a year for misdemeanors - to work off the sentence by paying a fine and jail or go to church every Sunday for one year. Offenders can pick the place of worship but must check in weekly with the pastor and police.
There is some controversy about this program. Executive Director of the Alabama Branch of the ACLU, Olivia Turners says:

"It violates the Constitution, based on the Fundamental Principle of the Establishment Clause that says that Government cannot force someone to attend church. When the alternative to going to church is jail, the so-called choice is not a choice at all."

There are 56 congregations participating in the effort.

One must look at this objection in the light that the person is not going to jail for refusing to go to church - they are going to jail for the misdemeanor that they committed initially. That is the reality - the offer to attend church is an offer of grace and an opportunity for spiritual growth and change - even repentance.