There has been an interesting news story flying under the national radar: recently divorced parents in Indiana cannot teach their Wiccan beliefs to their son, according to a local judge. Apparently, Wiccan is not a “mainstream” religion, and because the child is enrolled in a local parochial school, the judge has decided that the disparity between the belief system is not good for the child. Since the belief system at issue here is Wiccan, and not Christianity or Catholicism, few people have caught wind of the story. Get Religion, however, has found that this case is important to people of all faiths, and I agree:

Religious liberty is only as strong as the rights of miniorities. Take away the rights of parents to advocate their own faith to their children and the next thing you know you?ll have evangelical kids forced to sit in school classes that openly attack the faith taught in their homes. Wait, that?s happening already, isn?t it?

But the point remains the same. Parents have a right to pray with their kids and even preach to them. If Christians ? even very conservative ones ? want that right they should defend that right for others.

Christians should be appalled that a judge has attempted to define what mainstream religion is, and what belief systems are appropriate to teach children. While many evangelicals promote the idea of teaching Christianity in public schools and further shrinking the separation of church and state, they often too short-sighted in their goals. The Christian Church is a terribly complex beast, and denominations and churches regularly split over issues like singing Psalms or women praying aloud during a worship service. Certainly, most of them believe in God, and believe that Christ died for our sins, but the similarities often end there. Government should not be in the business of telling us what belief systems are valid.* Isn’t this what Kuyper fought against?

* At this point, many will argue “but what about a faith that promotes the sacrifice of innocents? Well, faith should not infringe upon the rights of others. certainly the slope here becomes slippery, but it is one we must tread nonetheless.

Posted on 1 June 2005