Bizarre, Constitutional Law, Religion, Society

Church Bars Father From Taking Daughter to Easter Mass

We previously followed the dispute between Joseph Reyes and his ex-wife over the religious upbringing of their daughter, here. The judge in the case has now barred Joseph Reyes from bringing his daughter to Easter mass in a ruling that raises some troubling questions under the first amendment and parental rights.

Without question, Reyes has been begging for sanctions, particularly after he baptized his daughter without the mother’s consent. The mother is raising the 3-year-old girl in the Jewish faith with the support of the Court.

Barring the daughter from attending church with her father is problematic since she can be raised in the Jewish faith but the father can still expose her to his religion. It will be interesting if Reyes challenges this order. His past conduct, however, may cloud the appeal. Absent his past alleged violation of the court order, this would be a promising challenge.

For the story, click here

51 thoughts on “Church Bars Father From Taking Daughter to Easter Mass”

  1. A more enlightened society would view as child abuse any parental attempt to delude the child into supernatural beliefs.

    But, given that this is the USA (by far the most religious First-World country), I’ll be happy if the courts merely to refuse to compel or prohibit the religious expression of any party.

  2. Keith

    This is the main reason my wife and I have not had a child yet. Until there’s a consensus of what to do (I’m atheist, she is not), we won’t bring a child into the world.

    I can’t imagine they had conversations before having a child, and agreed that they’d argue in court over how to raise the child…

    ==============================================================
    I understand your concern … my spouse and I felt the same way 37 years ago so we adopted two children … best move we ever made! Lot of love in our home and now 6 great grandkids.

  3. Tootie

    I’m not a baiter … not clever enough … not interested enough

    Lost a few posts myself … god only knows where they are

  5. Nope … talking about how sometimes posts get lost and don’t show up … bounce around like ping-pong balls

  6. This is the main reason my wife and I have not had a child yet. Until there’s a consensus of what to do (I’m atheist, she is not), we won’t bring a child into the world.

    I can’t imagine they had conversations before having a child, and agreed that they’d argue in court over how to raise the child…

  7. Tootie,

    The usual reason is including three or more links in the comment, that generally means your post ends up in moderation limbo.

    Also, sometimes the internet just eats them. It’s happened to me. Try rewording it slightly and re-posting.

    Or you could just feel persecuted. Your choice.

  13. BIL,

    I thought they just did the weather on there! I will have to check it out.

  15. Woosty’s still a Cat points to something just as salient as the legal questions: this is a situation where the parents are using the child as a ping-pong ball.

    There is only one loser here. And that party has nothing to do with starting the battle proper. In warfare, that’s called collateral damage. In divorce, that’s called a harmed child.

  16. Did the court order the father’s cable
    company to block “The 700 Club”
    as well?

  17. “The more fundamental question is whether any agreement between spouses to raise a child in a particular religious faith is legally enforceable.”

    or practically enforceable, given that this child is likely to be ripped apart regardless of what the courts do.

  18. I believe that the trial court recognized that the father has been using religion as merely another weapon in a battle over control. However, the remedy he fashioned is likely unconstitutional. The more fundamental question is whether any agreement between spouses to raise a child in a particular religious faith is legally enforceable.

  19. “The mother is raising the 3-year-old girl in the Jewish faith with the support of the Court.”

    The biggest ball of mud in this puddle seems to me to be that the decision to raise the daughter in the Jewish faith was initially also supported and agreed to by the father. I don’t know how the law looks at this but this child is being set up to take a lot of future blows if these parents can’t work together.
    In this instance, if the Church denied this man acess to the service…my Kudos to them.

  20. And what is to stop the Church Official from coming to her home and offering a “Church” service? This seems a little excessive to me.

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