Orange Is the New Black Theme of Religion

You'd think that someone who is religious wouldn't end up in jail in the first place, but what do we know? There's a nun in jail with Piper for Chri… oh, pardon our language, sister.

In Orange is the New Black, it seems like almost everyone but Piper is religious in prison for some reason or another. They pray and go to church and listen to gospel music super loudly. Maybe if they were as devout outside of jail they wouldn't have ended up on the inside. Oh, there we go again—if religion has taught us anything, it's that it isn't our place to judge.

Questions About Religion

  1. Why do otherwise non-religious people turn to religion in prison?
  2. What prompts Piper to change her mind about religion? Even though she begins to see the value in it, why doesn't she pray herself?
  3. Does the prison system treat inmates of all religions equally?