The district attorney for the 18th Judicial District wants to include the Bible, Koran and other religious writings with reading material offered to victims when they visit the courthouse.
Carol Chambers has asked her staff to make “spiritual materials” available in victim witness waiting rooms. Works also will include the Book of Mormon, and Buddhist and Druid writings, to name a few.
Chambers said it’s important to provide people with support, and such writings might help.
“Most of the victims we see in court are at a time of crisis in their lives,” Chambers said Friday. “It makes sense to me to provide them some sort of comfort material.”
Chambers, the district attorney for Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln counties, said she recognizes separation of church and state and she isn’t trying to push a Christian or spiritual agenda.
“We are not proselytizing to anyone,” she said.
Even so, a public official promoting religious issues through her work is bad practice, said Barry Lynn, executive director of the Washington D.C.-based Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
Lynn said he has never heard of a DA doing this anywhere in the country. He wonders whether such material would create as many problems as it might solve.
What if, for example, a battered wife read that just like Christ is the head of the church, a husband is the head of the family, and that perspective persuaded her to drop the charges, Lynn said.
“The laws that govern conduct in Colorado are contained in statute books, not in the Holy Scriptures,” he said. “In this case, she needs to be a prosecutor and fair to the laws of the state. Anything beyond that should be done by private counselors.”
While Chambers’ initiative is “unusual,” it could have positive effects, said Nancy Lewis, executive director of the Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance.
“When people have been traumatized, some find comfort in their religion,” Lewis said.
So far, Chambers, who is a member of the Cherry Hills Community Church, has only made available a copy of Guideposts magazine, a publication of inspirational stories that has some spiritual aspects to it. She is asking that materials be brought by employees or that they be donated. She said no taxpayer money will be used for the effort.
While Chambers says she plans to offer the readings to victims, she may keep the writings out of plain sight to avoid offending anyone.
“It’s an issue of principle,” Chambers said. “What I’m doing should be transparent, and I should be held accountable for it. Keeping a low profile and trying not to get into trouble is not right for the people.”
Staff writer Carlos Illescas can be reached at 303-954-1175 or cillescas@denverpost.com.
