Freedom of Religion gets the axe

[Covertibility]

Well its official, no more FoR. We already knew this since the christian tv evangilists told us they read the Koran and said Muslims were evil. Anyway:

Divorced Wiccans Fight Judge's Order

A Wiccan activist and his ex-wife are challenging a court's order that they must protect their 9-year-old son from what it calls their "non-mainstream religious beliefs and rituals."

homas Jones, a Wiccan activist who has coordinated Pagan Pride Day in Indianapolis for six years, said he and his ex-wife, Tammy Bristol, were stunned by the order. Neither parent has taken their son to any Wiccan rituals since it was issued, he said.

"We both had an instant resolve to challenge it. We could not accept it," Jones said Thursday. "I'm afraid I'll lose my son if I let him around when I practice my religion."

A court commissioner wrote the unusual order after a routine report by the court's Domestic Relations Counseling Bureau noted that both Jones and his ex-wife are pagans who send their son, Archer, to a Catholic elementary school.

In the order, the parents were "directed to take such steps as are needed to shelter Archer from involvement and observation of these non-mainstream religious beliefs and rituals." The judge let the wording stand.

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Yup. This must be part of that "Culture of Life" thing thats going on.

 

[Gordon Gekko]

that is seriously scary.

and the judge probably has a son with a circumcised penis. lol

what document on earth contains more nonsense than the bible? i pretty much can't think of one. yet if a lot of people believe it and it's mainstream, OH THEN IT'S OK!!!

"...it looks to me as if the whole Christian religion is a major symptom of schizophrenia in half the world's population: civilizations scrambling to rationalize their chaotic existence." -Paul Verhoeven

 

[ratboy88]

Quote from Gordon Gekko:

that is seriously scary.

and the judge probably has a son with a circumcised penis. lol

what document on earth contains more nonsense than the bible? i pretty much can't think of one. yet if a lot of people believe it and it's mainstream, OH THEN IT'S OK!!!

"...it looks to me as if the whole Christian religion is a major symptom of schizophrenia in half the world's population: civilizations scrambling to rationalize their chaotic existence." -Paul Verhoeven

it is odd how much you hate religion but it seems that you have a tolerance for wicca?

 

[AAAintheBeltway]

This is actually a very difficult issue. The standard used in these types of proceedings is the "best interests of the child." I seriously doubt this child's best interests are advanced by having his nutcase parents indoctrinate him into wicca. However, it is troubling to see a court intrude into a Constitutionally protectd area, " the free exercise" of religion, assuming that one could even call wicca a religion.

There have been somewhat analogous cases involving one homosexual parent who secured an order preventing the other parent from teaching anything critical of homosexuality, including exposing the child to religious teaching. Very troubling.

Basically, I think the entire child custody machinery is prone to serious over-reaching. Unless the child is in some quantifiable danger, I tend to say leave it to the parents. The last thing we want is some judge deciding what parents can teach their own child.

 

[ratboy88]

if it were not so sad it would be funny. gekko gets his panties all bunched up because satanism is at risk.

 

[maxpi]

Quote from ratboy88:

if it were not so sad it would be funny. gekko gets his panties all bunched up because satanism is at risk.

Says a lot.

Hey, Gordie is so smart he is going to figure it all out, like the last generation did, and the one before that... wait a minute, they didn't figure out anything that works did they?

 

[ZZZzzzzzzz]

Why is it dangerous for a child to be raised Wiccan?

Please provide some proof of your claims.

Wiccanism is of course a religion as defined by the courts, as is Atheism.

Parents should be free to teach whatever religious or non religious beliefs they hold to their children.

THIS IS NONE OF THE STATE'S BUSINESS!!!

p.s. Your Christian dogmatism, sitting in judgment of the Wicca belief systems is showing off its ugly butt again.

Quote from AAAintheBeltway:

This is actually a very difficult issue. The standard used in these types of proceedings is the "best interests of the child." I seriously doubt this child's best interests are advanced by having his nutcase parents indoctrinate him into wicca. However, it is troubling to see a court intrude into a Constitutionally protectd area, " the free exercise" of religion, assuming that one could even call wicca a religion.

There have been somewhat analogous cases involving one homosexual parent who secured an order preventing the other parent from teaching anything critical of homosexuality, including exposing the child to religious teaching. Very troubling.

Basically, I think the entire child custody machinery is prone to serious over-reaching. Unless the child is in some quantifiable danger, I tend to say leave it to the parents. The last thing we want is some judge deciding what parents can teach their own child.

 

[ratboy88]

Quote from ZZZzzzzzzz:


p.s. Your Christian dogmatism, sitting in judgment of the Wicca belief systems is showing off its ugly butt again.

while you're at it put me on this list too !!!!!!

 

[Kit Kat]

If there is a God ... he'd of shown by now. C'mon.. how long you christians going to keep this farce going?

 

[Thunderdog]

Quote from ZZZzzzzzzz:

Wiccanism is of course a religion as defined by the courts, as is Atheism.

Atheism is a religion?! I guess that must be one of those new-fangled "paradigm shifts" again.