Inmate Gets Kosher Meals Due To Festivus Belief

Convicted drug dealer Malcolm Alarmo King cited his belief in Festivus to get out of eating the usual meals served at the Orange County, Calif. jail. Instead of salami, King was served kosher meals even though keeping kosher is not one of the tenets of Festivus. From the article: "Sheriff's spokesman Ryan Burris says King got salami-free meals for two months before the county got the order thrown out in court."

Comments

Perhaps...

[Anonymous Coward]

He grew tired of hiding salamis...

Just because his religion is made up....

[Kjellander]

...doesn't make it any less real.

Or actually, that is exactly what every religion thinks; that their made up stories, rules, hats and dietary needs are somehow special and real. Well you can't have it both ways. Either concede that your own religion is made up, or respect the nutty wishes of every nut job out there who believes in anything, or else you deserve no freedom of religion.

Re:Just because his religion is made up....

[operagost]

Should someone who is simply morally opposed to eating meat be forced to eat it?

Re:Just because his religion is made up....

[Jonner]

To anyone who believes in a religion, your belief is just as nutty as theirs is to you. You seem to be saying that no one should believe in anything unless they agree with you. Your logic will be consistent as soon as you concede your opinion that all religions are "made up" is just as unfounded as the religions about which you claim this.

Re:Just because his religion is made up....

[Stregano]

I want to start a religion where the funny hat is a BK King crown you get from, uh, BK. We will worship, uh, uhm... ...a snake, since snakes are cool. Not just any snake, but Snake from The Simpsons.

Re:Just because his religion is made up....

[Kjellander]

To anyone who believes in a religion, your belief is just as nutty as theirs is to you. You seem to be saying that no one should believe in anything unless they agree with you. Your logic will be consistent as soon as you concede your opinion that all religions are "made up" is just as unfounded as the religions about which you claim this.

You are erroneously assume that believing in something holds an equal truthvalue compared to simply not believing in something, and that not believing necessitates a belief. And is it is very commonly coached among religious to perpetuate this false dichotomy.

Also, not telling you children once a week to believe in X, is not the same thing as telling your children not to believe in X, nor telling your children to believe in X.

Get it? It is even logically consistent.

To reiterate my point, anyone who believes and then doesn't respect the wishes of someone else who believes, (and it doesn't matter if the belief is made up, or if the person i crazy and thinks he's Napoleon) deserves no freedom of religion, and is just a lame hypocrite.

Re:Just because his religion is made up....

[Profane MuthaFucka]

Should someone who is morally opposed to war be forced to pay for it?

Should Operagost's wife be forced to have sex with him?

Re:Just because his religion is made up....

[bill_mcgonigle]

These rules are imposed by people who believe that if you can get a majority of people to believe in something then it's the right thing to do. Individuals are marginalized.

Why do you need any beliefs?

[NotQuiteReal]

If the prison offers regular, halal, vegan and kosher diets, can't you just pick one?

Your religious belief (or lack thereof) should have no bearing on the matter - the 1st "freedom of religion" and 14th "equal protection" amendments seem to apply.