Religion is Focus of Child Custody Case

Religion is at the center of a child custody case in Indiana this month. Craig Scarberry claims that he lost joint custody of his three children when he made the switch from being Christian to agnostic. He states that there is count evidence to prove his point.

Whereas before Scarberry had shared equal custody of his children with his ex-wife, Madison County Superior Court 3 Commissioner George C. Pancol recently issued an order that gives full custody to his ex. Scarberry can now only see his children four hours a week and have custody of them every other weekend.

Right now it seems as though Scarberry's First Amendment right to freedom of religion has been violated. In his ruling, the judge said that when the father considered himself a Christian, the parties were able to communicate relatively effectively."

A similar case in Portland, Oregon found a child being taken into the state's custody when the parents, members of a faith healing church, failed to provide medical care for their child. However, some argue that this is a more appropriate use of the state stepping into a faith-based custody case.

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