Judge: You can't teach your son Wicca

[thaiboxerken]

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050818/NEWS02/508180520

An Indianapolis father can share his Wiccan beliefs and rituals with his 10-year-old son, a state appeals court ruled Wednesday in a unanimous decision upholding parents' rights to share their religion with their children.

The court declared that a Marion County judge erred in approving a divorce decree last year that also directed the man and his ex-wife to shelter their son from "non-mainstream religious beliefs and rituals."


Secularism wins out again. I bet this burns O'Reilly and company.

 

[aerocontrols]

How is this a victory for secularism?

 

[Mycroft]

How is this a victory for secularism?

Your post seems to disagree with your title.

I agree with the decision, btw. A father should be able to introduce his child to whatever religious practices he wishes, mainstream or not.

 

[thaiboxerken]

Freedom of religion is a secular value, that's why this is a victory for secularism.

OH, and the title does agree with my post. A judge DID say that the father shouldn't teach Wicca.

 

[ceo_esq]

Freedom of religion is a secular value, that's why this is a victory for secularism.

You could equally characterize it as a religious value.

But the appeals court did not address freedom of religion; it based its ruling on a state parental authority law. So this is really a victory for parental rights.

 

[thaiboxerken]

You could equally characterize it as a religious value.

Depends on the religion, it's certainly not a christian value.

But the appeals court did not address freedom of religion; it based its ruling on a state parental authority law. So this is really a victory for parental rights.

That too.

 

[username]

In watching a relative go through a divorce where the parents are sniping at each other it has been curious to me at what the judge handling their divorce is allowing each party to set as conditions of custody.

The mother is forbidden to allow the child to sleep in her bed - ever. The father is forbidden to see his girlfriend when he has custody of the child.

Neither is of any importance to the health and well being of the child as far as I can see, both conditions were used by the spouses to punish the other.

Divorce can be nasty and it is depressing to me to see judges allowing children and the courts to be used as weapons in a bitter divorce.

I suspect that the judge forbidding the teaching of wicca did so at the request of the other spouse. I doubt it had anything to do with religious values and more to do with taking a cheap shot at the other spouse.

 

[crimresearch]

I thought the story said that both parents were practicing Wiccans, and both were opposed to the first judge's ruling?

 

[delphi_ote]

I think we can all agree that any victory against Wicca is pretty much a victory for mankind.

 

[username]

I thought the story said that both parents were practicing Wiccans, and both were opposed to the first judge's ruling?

Yes, you are correct. That is what I get for not reading the article. My bad.

 

[crimresearch]

FWIW, I agree with your overall assessment that judges are a fulcrum that one party tries to use to gain leverage in the divorce.

 

[ceo_esq]

Depends on the religion, it's certainly not a christian value.

Well, you're simply wrong there. But you're not alone. Tony got surprised in this thread on the same issue.

Christians, as a group, are among the strongest and most predictable supporters of religious freedom in the United States. They also tend to be parental-authority partisans. Accordingly, the outcome in the Indiana case is guaranteed to be a big hit with Christians.

 

[thaiboxerken]

Christians, as a group, are among the strongest and most predictable supporters of religious freedom in the United States

That's due to the secular idea of freedom of religion that has been instilled in unites states citizens by the 1st ammendment.

The christian stance on freedom of religion can be ascertained by simply looking at the 1st and 2nd commandments.


So, while many christians in the united states value freedom of religion, it does not come from their religion. Many christians like vanilla icecream as well.

They also tend to be parental-authority partisans.

Except when it comes to issues of abortion.

 

[Art Vandelay]

Christians, as a group, are among the strongest and most predictable supporters of religious freedom in the United States.

They're also one of the strongest opponents of religious freedom. Pretty much every time a Christian stands against a violation of religious freedom, the perpetrator is also Christian, as your link illustrates. How many times has a Wiccan judge said that parents can't expose their child to Christianity?

As long this idiot is still a judge, this is only a partial victory. He should be forced to pay all their legal bills in connection to his "ruling", just for starters.