Those Wacky Activist Judges

So this judge has ruled that these parents cannot expose their child to "non-mainstream religious beliefs and rituals."

The parents are Wiccan.

Those activist judges are just crazy I tell you. Crazy!

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050526/NEWS01/505260481

How some folks actually become judges never ceases to puzzle me.

Gee, I wonder what religion the judge is There's no way that ruling will stand, and that judge should be thrown off the bench.

That has to be overturned, unless there's something major missing from that story, it's obviously unconstitutional. So there's conservative activist judges out there too..how shocking.

WTF?? The judge just tossed that in of his own volition, without a request from either parent? Where the hell does he get off making that kind of decision?

I hope you relize that with the current politcal system in place, religion reigns over logical thinking.

It's not just with the current political climate. The good news is that when the religious right gets power they always overreach to their own detriment. Not that the current administration has anything to do with this judge per se, but it does highlight the danger of mixing religion and law. Liberal secularists should be paying people like this judge, Tom Delay, Bill Frist, Roy Moore and the like... they do more damage to their own cause than any amount of sane secular rationalism could ever do.

The family has requested that the Wiccan community refrain from irritating any of the decision-making bodies involved until the court of appeals can finish reviewing the case. That's the only reason I'm not hitting critical mass at this moment.

If you go through the story and replace the word "Wiccan" with the word "Jew" or "Native American", you might have a better understanding of why pagans are a little bit on edge right now. Cultural genocide can come in drips and drabs as well as dramatic final solutions. Ask the Sioux.

Somebody's cruising for a major binding ritual.

Well we lawyers have known for centuries that judges are not infallible. Put some guys in a black robe and they think they are god. this is why we have an appeals process. It is also why the Supremes Court nominations are all so critical. Imagine if this guy got appointed to the Supremes.

Well, I'm not a big fan of Wicca (Used to be Wiccan, now mostly agnostic due to some bad experiances with a handful of overly-fluffy wiccan acquaintences), but I'm not gonna slam someone for their beliefs and I think it's disgusting that a judge would make a decision such as this. Luckily, the appeal should be a rather easy victory, as usually the justices on state higher courts have a bit more common sense when it comes to these matters.

I'd be watching from my new home in British Columbia.

I just love the survey on the side:


Spun much?

-----

Oh, and Chip:


This would so be sigline material. I'd use it, but I don't want direct politics on mine.

Considering our country was built on the concept of religious freedom, I'd say he'd better be comfortable in his seat because there's no way he'll ever get promoted to a better one.

This is Indiana you're talking about. I'm surprised the judge let the couple retain custody at all.

hehe, yeah that might ruffle some feathers. I'm fond of telling that to my atheist friends who get involved in activism. Why waste your time? Just stand back and watch them shoot themselves in the feet. More Terri Schivo cases please!

I said I wouldn't, but now I will.

I TOLD YOU SO!!!


Back in my thread about activist judges all you same people were going on and on about how rational the judge was and blah blah blah. I told you-the moment one of these judges hands down a judgement with which you disagree you'd be beside yourselves. And here it is.

While it's on a much smaller scale than some of the more high profile cases, its impact is not slight. Think of the precedent this sets. It's digusting.

Sure I'm a Christian and I have strong beliefs. But I'm also an American and I believe that Americans have the right to worship or not worship as they see fit and this is a clear violation of, not only the boy's freedom of religion, but the parents' rights to raise their son.


-Kiamat Dusk

OMGWFTLOL!!!! You're right!!!!!

I think we should immediately change the rules of government right now instead of trying to work through the appeals process!!!

Get rid of those activist Liberal...oops...Conservative judges!!!

If you can't see the difference between a judge enforcing a constitutional principle and one clearly violating a constitutional principle, you've moved beyond the realm of rational discussion.

The Ridiculous Right just doesn't understand that the Judicial branch is supposed to prevent wanton civil rights abuses, and uphold the constitution regardless of who is in office. It's not supposed to be a politically motivated job. But they just keep stuffing the bench with slackjaws who evidently don't know what the constitution even is.

And I'm sure liberals do the same things when they have the opportunity...

Stuff the bench with judges who understand the establishment clause? I guess we do, at that.

Edit: Whoops, "establishment clause" is another debate. Substitute "basic principles of fairness and equality" instead.

I saw this on Yahoo! and flipped. I sent it out to everyone I know including those who don't know my religious preferences. If they had wanted to raise their child as a devout Muslim because they are devout Muslim would the judge have done this?

I don't have children myself just yet, but when I do have them I would like to think that I could raise them in the religion that I practice as my parents did. I chose something different for myself and my parents respect that. I know that a lot of people find my personal choices odd, they are mine to make for myself and my family and not some judge. This judge has a very slanted view of the world even for the midwest.

~Adrian

Is quite different , your post was in outrage the "WILL OF THE PEOPLE" was subvereted by a judge who declared a law unconstitional. We explained how this WASNT Judical Activism.


This cases beyond Judicial Activism . This is Judical Pontificating.

This Judge has clearly violated the couple's (and their child's) Freedom of Religeon.

A couple steps beyond this would be requiring parents to take their kids to an approved "Christain Church" even if they were Wiccan/Jewish/Aethist/agnostic.

The Judge should be impeached.

Not even close to the same thing. In your example, the constitutional amendment overreached, and allowed for a "Tyranny of the Majority" type situation to impede on the rights of the minority. America is specifically a REPUBLIC for the very reason that Democracy sucks bigtime, and this is a reason why.

Had the amendment not overreached, it would have stood the judicial test, in the way that most other state amendments have.

In this situation, a Conservative activist judge completely pontificated from his position on high, and violated the rights of the parents blatantly.

But hey...I know you want to keep on with the theory that the source of everything bad in the world is from "Lib-ruls". Frankly, I think both sides behave badly enough on occasion, it's just the NeoConservatives who are doing more damage since they are trying to take over all three branches of the Government.

When the Liberals get swept into power, and become corrupt and complacent once again, I fully expect the same behavior, eventually But that time is not here yet.

I want to be corrupt and complacent. It seems like it would be a lot less work than trying to figure out what's right and fair!