Family not allowed to adopt...

[FuzzBall 005]

...becuase they were atheist...

A judge of who-knows-wheresville told a family that they could not adopt due to how there might be a chance of teaching there child that there is no god...

My first thought was -So the religious familys wouldnt force the child to believe in a higher power...-



This pic I found also goes into the same theme

http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/8558/bothsidese.jpg  

[Lethkhar]

This is the only article I can find about this: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,877155,00.html

And it was written in 1970. The ruling was later overturned in a superior court, if that makes you feel any better: http://www.americanadoptions.com/adoption/article_view/article_id/2435?pg=1

It still makes me angry beyond belief that they even had to go through that, much less the baby during such an important developmental time in her life.  

[Undecillion]

Is that judge to dumb to realize that a religious family might teach the child that there is a god? How can that possibly be worse than teaching a child that there isn't a god? Especially considering that such discrimination is against the law.  

[Rosculus]

"the child should have the freedom to worship as she sees fit, and not be influenced by prospective parents who do not believe in a Supreme Being."

How is that any different from being influenced by prospective parents who do? In fact, no matter what (unless you keep the child completely alone with IVs giving her the nutrients she needs to survive), everyone is influenced in their beliefs at one point or another. What difference does it make which religion influences them? Unless, of course, it's (gasp) atheism. Can't let that happen.

I wonder if Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, etc. prospective parents would have had the same problem adopting that child? We all know it would have been no problem if they were Christian.

I also find it interesting that the judge neglected to mention the wife being a pantheist.