Dad Can Take Daughter to Church

Joseph Reyes (in the pic) faced contempt of court sanctions in family court for taking his daughter to Catholic Church services over the objections of the girl's mother, who is raising her in the Jewish faith.  Late yesterday afternoon, Judge Renee Goldfarb announced that he is entitled to take her to Christmas and Easter services and Mom can take the daughter to. . . well, here is the excerpt from the Chicago Tribune article by Manya Brachear:

"Judge Renee Goldfarb said Tuesday that Joseph Reyes can take his daughter to 'church services during his visitation time if he so chooses. This court also ordered that Joseph have visitation with [their daughter] every year on Christmas and Easter.'  Likewise, the order stipulated that Rebecca Reyes always have their daughter on Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Passover.

'I have to be very, very happy that I got additional time with my daughter and got to expose [her] to all of who I am,' Joseph Reyes said.

Goldfarb declined to keep Reyes from taking his daughter to church as long as no evidence exists that it would harm the child. Though Rebecca Reyes testified that contrary religious teachings could confuse the pre-schooler, Goldfarb avoided doctrinal questions, saying it was not the court's place 'to focus on or attempt to interpret or judge official religious doctrines.'

'She is three years old and, according to Joseph, while at church, she waves at the other children, looks around and giggles,' Goldfarb wrote. 'This court found that testimony credible.' The ruling in the divorce proceeding between Joseph and Rebecca Reyes lifts restrictions placed on Joseph Reyes last year that barred him from exposing his daughter to any 'non-Jewish" r'ligious activity. The injunction was imposed after Reyes sent photographs of his daughter's baptism to his estranged wife, who had not known about the baptism."
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Yesterday I remarked in a comment to the post about the shrink who's suing the homeless man, that I find much of what happens in our world heartless and inexplicable. 

When this story was first reported on the wires I held my fire to see what would develop.  I am relieved that common sense seems to have prevailed.  Any reader of this blawg realizes that the Bad Lawyer has enormous respect for religion, being both a pissed off, Roman Catholic married to an Episcopalian who practices Kabbalah.