Cross-post from "so anyway..."

I usually keep my religion to myself but I want to blog this here:

Judge: Parents can't teach pagan beliefs

Father appeals order in divorce decree that prevents couple from exposing son to Wicca.

An Indianapolis father is appealing a Marion County judge's unusual order that prohibits him and his ex-wife from exposing their child to "non-mainstream religious beliefs and rituals."

The parents practice Wicca, a contemporary pagan religion that emphasizes a balance in nature and reverence for the earth.

Cale J. Bradford, chief judge of the Marion Superior Court, kept the unusual provision in the couple's divorce decree last year over their fierce objections, court records show. The order does not define a mainstream religion.

Bradford refused to remove the provision after the 9-year-old boy's outraged parents, Thomas E. Jones Jr. and his ex-wife, Tammie U. Bristol, protested last fall.

...

"This was done without either of us requesting it and at the judge's whim," said Jones, who has organized Pagan Pride Day events in Indianapolis. "It is upsetting to our son that he cannot celebrate holidays with us, including Yule, which is winter solstice, and Ostara, which is the spring equinox."

The ICLU and Jones assert the judge's order tramples on the parents' constitutional right to expose their son to a religion of their choice. Both say the court failed to explain how exposing the boy to Wicca's beliefs and practices would harm him.

...

Jones and the ICLU also argue the order is so vague that it could lead to Jones being found in contempt and losing custody of his son.

"When they read the order to me, I said, 'You've got to be kidding,' " said Alisa G. Cohen, an Indianapolis attorney representing Jones. "Didn't the judge get the memo that it's not up to him what constitutes a valid religion?"

...

"Wiccans use the language of witchcraft, but it has a different meaning to them," Goff said. "Their practices tend to be rather pacifistic."

...

Even the U.S. military accommodates Wiccans and educates chaplains about their beliefs, said Lawrence W. Snyder, an associate professor of religious studies at Western Kentucky University.

"The federal government has given Wiccans protection under the First Amendment," Snyder said. "Unless this judge has some very specific information about activities involving the child that are harmful, the law is not on his side."

...

Getting the judge's religious restriction lifted should be a slam-dunk, said David Orentlicher, an Indiana University law professor and Democratic state representative from Indianapolis.

"That's blatantly unconstitutional," Orentlicher said. "Obviously, the judge can order them not to expose the child to drugs or other inappropriate conduct, but it sounds like this order was confusing or could be misconstrued."

I cut out a lot of stuff that wasn't relevant to what I want to say and some stuff that was downright wrong (Wicca does not inherantly involve nudity).

What has happened with religion in this country? First it was "if you're not with us, you're against us" militarily. That became politically. Now it's religiously. Does this judge realize that one can be Christian and a Wiccan? Of course evangelical Christians would argue that that's impossible and would probably start quoting scripture to back themselves up.

What bothered me most about this story is that this was not a point of contention between these parents. Both follow the same religion. Who is this judge to say that their religion is wrong?

Without getting too personal, Hawk & I had some difficulty and delay in getting Baby Z to make her appearance. We considered several options, one of which was adoption. Now in my opinion, I've already done my part for the adoption movement and I wanted a biological child of my own. But that was a side issue. The only agencies we knew of in this area are "faith-based." The main one is a Catholic organization and they require that one parent be a practicing Catholic.

Beyond the idea of how discriminatory I feel that is (but hey -- they're a private organization) and not in the best interest of the children who need homes, I worried that we would never make it past stage 1 with any agency b/c of my faith (for those who don't know, I'm a witch. Boo!).

Now that I have my youngling, I don't keep my religion hidden away from her but I don't necessarily involve her in the way I am involved. While she's too young to watch any of the rituals I do, I do teach her about respecting nature and all living things. We celebrate our eight sabbats (holidays, like Yule) in appropriate ways. We also celebrate Christian holidays, to a point, b/c that's part of who she is as well. She may go to a parochial school some day, like the child in this news story.

It gives me pause to think that someone might stick his nose in and say that my religion is "wrong" and how dare I teach it to my child. Luckily Hawk and I have a slightly different socio-economic standing so we would be more likely to be left alone than another family.

I have no problem with Christianity. I find it very groovy and I continue to learn about it and study it as I do Hinduism, Buddhism and other religions. It's just not the one I practice. I also have no problem with people of other faiths. I do have problems when they show up on my doorstep and want to give me pamphlets. I also have problems when they replace kindness, tolerance and love with a metal fish decal. I got news for that kind of person: your car decor will not help you get through the pearly gates.

Is it just Wicca or would this judge have ordered a Buddhist couple to stop teaching their child their religion? What about a Jewish couple? A Muslim couple? Would he have insisted an atheist or agnostic couple start teaching religion to their child? If so, which one? He didn't specify which "mainstream" religion he wanted them to practice.

Of course this will be struck down. It violates Constitutional law. But the judge did decree it in the first place and it scares me that a judge would take that step.