[Cross-posted at
Los Punditos]
A Marion County, Indiana superior court judge has ruled that two parents cannot teach their child their religion. Such a ruling must be in a very dire case indeed, right? Only in a case where the parents sacrifice the blood of puppies and eat the heads off birds to their horrible, heathen gods while fellating each other in front of their children would a judge decide that the First Amendment's protection of the right to worship doesn't mean bupkis. Alas, no. The horrible, evil religion in question is Wicca, a pagan religion that emphasizes balance with nature.
Judge Cale J. Bradford has refused to withdraw a provision he inserted in to the shared custody agreement of Thomas Jones Jr. and Tammie Bristol's divorce settlement. The provision ruled that Jones and Bristol may not teach their son about their religion. You see, the Marion County Domestic Relations Counseling Bureau, which provides recommendations on child custody and visitation, decided that, since young Mr. Jones attends a Catholic school, "There is a discrepancy between Ms. Jones and Mr. Jones' lifestyle and the belief system adhered to by the parochial school. . . . Ms. Jones and Mr. Jones display little insight into the confusion these divergent belief systems will have upon (the boy) as he ages..."
Golly, well, by that logic, no non-Catholics should attend parochial school! God forbid the child of atheists or Episcopalians (Catholic-lite) be allowed to attend a school of their choice. Since it's a private school, maybe the school could decide not to let the Jones boy attend, if they feared so for the "confusion" of "these divergent belief systems."
Nevermind that the ruling is completely outside the scope of the matter in front of the court. Both parents are in complete agreement as to the boy's schooling and both are Wiccans. The judge made this decision all on his lonesome, without consulting the parents and without charge by the state. Indeed, the Domestic Relations Counseling Bureau also stepped outside its authority to recommend on child custody and visitation; they only thing they were supposed to recommend is which parent should have primary custody. Turns out, the boy now lives with his father, who is appealing the judge's ruling with assistance by the Indiana Civil Liberties Union on the grounds that Judge Bumfuck... I mean Bradford... violated the parents' First Amendment rights and failed to explain just how the boy's upbringing would be harmed by exposure to Wicca.
I think Indianapolis attorney Alisa G. Cohen put it best: "When they read the order me, I said, 'You've got to be kidding me."
Indeed not. Here's a headline: "Midwest conservative judge makes a moronic ruling on a religion he knows nothing about." Quel suprise.
-Jim