# Texas judge denies mother custody because she's Church of the SubGenius member **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 8, 2006, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-judge-denies-mother-custody-because-shes-church-of-the-subgenius-member/347585 "2006-03-08T21:25:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-judge-denies-mother-custody-because-shes-church-of-the-subgenius-member/347585/21 "2006-03-09T17:45:10Z")
Am I the only one who thought that the Church of the SubGenius was just a joke? I had no idea that there were actual gatherings of members. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-judge-denies-mother-custody-because-shes-church-of-the-subgenius-member/347585/22 "2006-03-09T18:30:27Z")
[QUOTE=Ludovic] Heck, that even makes me want to join those clowns. [/QUOTE] Go here: [Membership](http://www.subgenius.com/scatalog/membership.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-judge-denies-mother-custody-because-shes-church-of-the-subgenius-member/347585/23 "2006-03-09T18:42:00Z")
[QUOTE=iamthewalrus(:3=] I had no idea that there were actual gatherings of members. [/QUOTE] Are you kidding? They shake them in your face. (I’ve never been to any devivals (since they’re all too far away) but I met Stang years ago when I used to fiddle about with a sort of dadaist noise program on Co-Op radio – and I’ve had a few of my f-d up tape collages played on _The Hour of Slack_.) And **scumpup** , of _course_ the exoteric church is Pink. You’re not in the real church until you _demand_ your dollar back. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-judge-denies-mother-custody-because-shes-church-of-the-subgenius-member/347585/24 "2006-03-09T21:35:01Z")
[QUOTE=Scumpup] 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: Kill “Bob!” [/QUOTE] Ahhh yes, the ritual “Bob” assassination. Everybody cool is doing it. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-judge-denies-mother-custody-because-shes-church-of-the-subgenius-member/347585/25 "2006-03-09T21:42:31Z")
[QUOTE=iamthewalrus(:3=] Am I the only one who thought that the Church of the SubGenius was just a joke? I had no idea that there were actual gatherings of members. [/QUOTE] 1. You say this like these are antithetical. 2. The biggest secrets of the universe come after the word “just”. 3. Hi, Eris! ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-judge-denies-mother-custody-because-shes-church-of-the-subgenius-member/347585/26 "2006-03-09T22:25:24Z")
I have killed “Bob” many times in my heart, but the fucker KEEPS COMING BACK! What’s interesting to me is that this could lead to the Church finally becoming an official, legal religion. Would that mean the days of “the only religion that is proud to pay its taxes” could come to an end? There’s really no question in my mind that the activities that Mary Magdalene and Jesus were engaged in are protected First Amendment religious expression. How is it different than weekly ritual cannibalism? But then again, there’s the sticky part about extending First Amendment religious protection to a group of avowed atheists. I don’ t have a problem with that (freedom OF religion should also include freedom FROM religion), but I can see the legal arguments getting quite heated. And, irony of ironies, if the ruling did declare that this was protected religious expression, then the joke religion would have finally become what it was mocking. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2006, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-judge-denies-mother-custody-because-shes-church-of-the-subgenius-member/347585/27 "2006-07-01T22:37:22Z")
Does anyone know of any new developments in this case? I can’t seem to find anything by googling. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2006, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-judge-denies-mother-custody-because-shes-church-of-the-subgenius-member/347585/28 "2006-07-02T03:40:49Z")
You’ve got to be shitting me. People are getting denied custody because of their religion? Holy shit. Holy fucking shit. How different would this case be if the mother were a famous Bible-thumper who had ruined her son’s life by disowning him and kicking him out on the street after she came out as gay? ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2006, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-judge-denies-mother-custody-because-shes-church-of-the-subgenius-member/347585/29 "2006-07-02T03:48:05Z")
I was going to say, I was under the impression that the Church Of The Subgenius was supposed to be a joke (much like the whole Invisible Pink Unicorn thing)- I had no idea they actually had meetings and gatherings and so on… :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2006, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-judge-denies-mother-custody-because-shes-church-of-the-subgenius-member/347585/30 "2006-07-02T04:59:56Z")
:eek: People are _exercising their freedom_ to congregate together and talk about whatever they want! The horrors! Burn them! Burn them all! ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2006, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-judge-denies-mother-custody-because-shes-church-of-the-subgenius-member/347585/31 "2006-07-02T15:37:40Z")
The Cleveland **Free Times** ran an article on this case in its May 31 edition, but I can’t find a link to the full article. She was granted a new hearing with a new judge who thought the first judge was out of line, and there was supposed to be a hearing on June 12. Rachel’s blog hasn’t been updated since March, and I can’t recall hearing in the news about the outcome of the hearing. Not much help, I know, but at least she was getting a new hearing with a judge who would focus only on the custody issue, not Rachel’s activities when her son wasn’t even around. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2006, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-judge-denies-mother-custody-because-shes-church-of-the-subgenius-member/347585/32 "2006-07-02T17:30:06Z")
[QUOTE=Martini Enfield] I was going to say, I was under the impression that the Church Of The Subgenius was supposed to be a joke (much like the whole Invisible Pink Unicorn thing)- I had no idea they actually had meetings and gatherings and so on… :eek: [/QUOTE] Are you sure they’re not just like Dopefests, or whatever? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2006, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-judge-denies-mother-custody-because-shes-church-of-the-subgenius-member/347585/33 "2006-07-02T18:30:33Z")
[QUOTE=fetus] How different would this case be if the mother were a famous Bible-thumper who had ruined her son’s life by disowning him and kicking him out on the street after she came out as gay? [/QUOTE] In that event, there would be no custody fight. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2006, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-judge-denies-mother-custody-because-shes-church-of-the-subgenius-member/347585/34 "2006-07-02T19:14:09Z")
Well, OK, not the best example. 😃 But you know what I mean. ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-judge-denies-mother-custody-because-shes-church-of-the-subgenius-member/347585/35 "2006-07-04T18:26:37Z")
[QUOTE=Guinastasia] Are you sure they’re not just like Dopefests, or whatever? [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=the OP] often wearing skimpy costumes or completely nude, while participating in X-Day and Detroit Devival events. * * * X-Day parody of Mel Gibson’s movie The Passion of the Christ — especially the photo where Jesus [Steve Bevilacqua] is wearing clown makeup and carrying a crucifix with a pool-noodle dollar sign on it while being beaten by a crowd of SubGenii, including a topless woman with a “dildo”. [/QUOTE] Nope. But I aim to find out. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-judge-denies-mother-custody-because-shes-church-of-the-subgenius-member/347585/36 "2006-07-04T18:55:37Z")
Where are these scandalous pictures? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2006, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-judge-denies-mother-custody-because-shes-church-of-the-subgenius-member/347585/37 "2006-07-07T02:34:40Z")
[QUOTE=Rigamarole] Where are these scandalous pictures? [/QUOTE] You can find archived photos of every X-Day gathering linked to the Church’s main [website.](http://www.subgenius.com/) ---
**Author:** ![bookbabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bookbabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bookbabe)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2006, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-judge-denies-mother-custody-because-shes-church-of-the-subgenius-member/347585/38 "2006-07-07T05:05:34Z")
Here is an update – [http://www.modemac.com/cgi-bin/wiki.pl/Reverend\_Magdalen](http://www.modemac.com/cgi-bin/wiki.pl/Reverend_Magdalen) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-judge-denies-mother-custody-because-shes-church-of-the-subgenius-member/347585.md?page=1)