Utterly Meaningless » Blog Archive » THE LAW IS A ASS
  • THE LAW IS A ASS

    Filed at 4:29 pm under by dcobranchi

    Or at least the judge is.

    This one really is a no-brainer. An IN judge, presiding over a divorce, has ruled that the parents of a 9-year-old cannot teach him their Wiccan beliefs. Why? Becasue he has attended 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,” the bureau said in its report.

    So the school’s practices take precedence over the parents’? Or, more likely, the judge is just prejudiced against Wicca. What a dumb ruling. It will be overturned just as soon as the Indiana branch of the ACLU can file its brief.

    9 Responses to “THE LAW IS A ASS”


    Comment by
    Chris Abraham
    May 26th, 2005
    at 5:27 pm

    Isn’t it “An Ass?” Isn’t this an education and home schooling site? Shouldn’t you have known that?


    Comment by
    Anne
    May 26th, 2005
    at 5:39 pm

    I’m a Catholic homeschooling mom, and that ruling really bothers me. Not because I’m a former Wiccan (which I am) but because I don’t think the state has any business telling me what religious beliefs I can teach my children. If they can take it away from those parents, they can take it away from me. Thanks for sharing!


    Comment by
    Daryl Cobranchi
    May 26th, 2005
    at 5:43 pm

    And you should read more Dickens: “If the law supposes that,” said Mr. Bumble,… “the law is a ass—a idiot. If that’s the eye of the law, the law is a bachelor; and the worst I wish the law is that his eye may be opened by experience—by experience.”


    Comment by
    Chris
    May 26th, 2005
    at 8:38 pm

    The score…

    Daryl – 1
    An Ass – 0


    Comment by
    speedwell
    May 27th, 2005
    at 9:08 am

    Anne nails the issue, well and concisely. Was going to post, but I have nothing to add.


    Comment by
    Stephanie
    May 27th, 2005
    at 9:13 am

    Thanks, Anne. I’m still angry I can’t talk about it without using strings of obscenities. You hit it on the head. If it happened to them *it can happen to you.*


    Comment by
    speedwell
    May 30th, 2005
    at 10:19 pm

    Could be wrong, but didn’t I remember a “word omitted” dash in that Dickens quote? Didn’t the beadle say, “Then the law is a — ass…”? If that’s true (may depend on your edition), then the word left out is probably “b–y” or “d–d.” Hm?


    Comment by
    Dy
    June 1st, 2005
    at 11:26 am

    I wonder how the state would feel about the potentially dangerous effect of “divergent belief systems” of mixed-faith couples raising children? Hmmm. Shouldn’t the state step in to do something about that, then, following this man’s attempt at logic? And, then, in order to determine a “healthy” belief system vs. a “problematic” one, we’ll need to have State authorized belief systems. You can register for one when you get your National ID card…

    Dy


    Comment by
    Dy
    June 1st, 2005
    at 11:27 am

    Oh good heck, in reviewing that, I realized it wasn’t terribly clear that I am not advocating those measure, but I agree. The man is a ass!
    Dy, getting back into the groove after a move.