As the Rev. Ivan Stang puts it, “We’re suddenly in the news, for all the wrong reasons.” http://revstang.blogspot.com/2006/02/were-suddenly-in-news-for-all-wrong.html Sister Mary Magdalene (Rachel Knight), fiancee of the Church’s business manager, Steve “Jesus” Bevilacqua, was denied all contact with her son after the natural father presented Judge Punch (honestly!) with proof of her participation in CotSG events. See also:
In the early ninties, after I bought and enjoyed High Wierdness by Mail, compiled by Ivan Stang, I wrote to him about Fred Phelps and his “church”. They would have fit right in with the chapter “Groups You Love to Hate, But They Probably Hate You More”
This was before Fred was so notorious. Stang wrote back, and told me it would be fun to write a letter, that went something like this. Dear Mr. Phelps: I’m a heterosexual male, rich as hell, who had never thought of donating to, or supporting gay rights. But after a person in Topeka Kansas sent me some of your faxes, I just wanted you to know that the gays and lesbians here in Dallas are going to be $10,000 richer." Stang said that of course it was all false, but it would be fun to mess with Fred’s head.
I wish I could say that I’m shocked that a judge in my state (in my part of the state, too) would be so bone-headed. Alas I’m not particularly impressed with family court judges anyways.
Of course, before anyone gets the idea that one must be a judge in a backwater part of a state to be boneheaded, I’ll just say that I can point to at least one far worse travesty, going off the top of my head.
The judge is an ass, to be sure. Rachel has my sympathy, not being able to see your child is a terrible thing; I’ve been in that situation.
OTOH, Stang, Bevilacqua et al. having been working very hard for a very long time on being just as outrageous and offensive as they can possibly be. It looks like they finally accomplished their purpose, as the judge seems very offended. I am ordained in The Church since 1995. I’ve been to devivals. I sometimes still visit the website. But you know what? The Church itself is pink. Stang and Co., and all the catch-phrase spouting little subgenii out there need to remember the most important thing “Bob” taught us:
Here is a good law review article discussing some other custody and visitation restrictions based on religion, or lack of it, among other things: http://www.law.ucla.edu/volokh/custody.pdf (pdf)
