Can Atheists Be Parents? New Jearsey Judge Denies Adoption

After six years of childless marriage, John and Cynthia Burke of Newark decided to adopt a baby boy through a state agency. Since the Burkes were young, scandal-free and solvent, they had no trouble with the New Jersey Bureau of Children's Services—until investigators came to the line on the application that asked for the couple's religious affiliation.

John Burke, an atheist, and his wife, a pantheist, had left the line blank. As a result, the bureau denied the Burkes' application.

Source

Inestimable Privilege. In an extraordinary decision, Judge Camarata denied the Burkes' right to the child because of their lack of belief in a Supreme Being. Despite the Burkes' "high moral and ethical standards," he said, the New Jersey state constitution declares that "no person shall be deprived of the inestimable privilege of worshiping Almighty God in a manner agreeable to the dictates of his own conscience." Despite Eleanor Katherine's tender years, he continued, "the child should have the freedom to worship as she sees fit, and not be influenced by prospective parents who do not believe in a Supreme Being."

This is just unbelievable, what biast nonse is this?

The judge states that the child should be raised to be able to worship whome ever he wants, yet he can't make the choice to worship nothing?

How has religion warped the law so much?

What are your thoughts ATS?

~Keeper



[edit on 8/24/2009 by tothetenthpower]

I think you hit it on the nose. If these were Christian parents, does anyone honestly think the child would have a snowball's chance in a dryer to grow up believing in anything other than Christianity? Hell No. In my opinion, the child would have MORE choice in this situation.

I flick my nose in that judges general direction!

reply to post by rogerstigers


It's really amazing that something like that actually happened, in that State of all places.

I mean seriously, when a Judge denies a child a home based on religious affiliation, that's wrong in every sense of the word.

~Keeper

reply to post by tothetenthpower


Aye. Smells like state sanctioned religion to me. I think this passes the legal duck test. If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's a duck.

edit: This article is from 1970. I'm looking for any follow up on it now; hopefully things have improved for all parties.


[edit on 8/24/2009 by eNumbra]

reply to post by eNumbra


I agree, I was talking on the phone with one of my friends who is a minister, and he was really shocked.

He basically said that even if HE was a judge, he could never deny a child a good home based on somebody's religious values, not in this day and age.

Simply sturnning.

~Keeper

That is religion in government and it is prohibited.

Period.

Ridiculous. Although they could have just lied.

"Oh I'm Christian."

It sounds ALMOST believable.

OK, this has me hopping mad! WTF!!! This Judge should be removed from the bench IMMEDIATELY!!! The more of this crap I hear, the more I want to expatriate myself! I remember when I was proud to call myself an American. That day has now come and gone! If there truly is a God, then the apocalypse cannot come too soon! Is it 12/21/12 yet??? Our Founding Fathers are turning like dynamos in their graves!

It was reversed unanimously back in 1970.

source

JUDGES: For reversal -- Chief Justice Weintraub and Justices Jacobs, Francis, Proctor, Hall, Schettino and Mountain. For affirmance -- None. The opinion of the Court was delivered by Proctor, J. Weintraub, C.J. (concurring). Weintraub and Jacobs, JJ., concur in result.

Now I've lost faith in the internet police, all of whom missed the date on this article as it got passed around through a dozen pages of Google search.

[edit on 8/24/2009 by eNumbra]

[edit on 8/24/2009 by eNumbra]

reply to post by eNumbra


LOL, and here I was getting myself all worked up over an ancient news story! Thanks for setting this straight!

Funny to see an article from a resolved case from 70's posted in here. However this brings out a good point: Is the U.S. a christian nation in disguise?

I am positive you can't become president if you claim to not believe in a higher deity, as well as the fact that there are all these religious symbols in the white house and the government.
however my question is this; what if you are an atheist in court and refuse to swear on the bible, but instead decide to swear on your family name?
are there any penalties for that?

Wow... Monday, Dec. 07, 1970

Well, 40 years ago it was a different time.


Nothing really to get worked up about unless trolling for some emotion by eluding that this was sometime recent.

Well there was the case not long ago of the judge telling the parents in a divorce case that the couldn't practice their religion around their children. Religion was wicca, both parents were wiccan.

Ya what a beautiful contradiction.

Here's the kicker though.

A child brought up by athiests would more often than not be allowed to practice whatever religion it wanted to as it grew up. The parent's of course would do their best to teach it the scams modern religions, but I think ultimately they would not disown the child if it wanted to go to church.

This is how it has been through a couple generations in my family. My grandma didn't believe, and thus did not attend church. But my mom and siblings were more than welcome to attend church with the neighbors. Ultimately, my mom and her sister did not ever become followers. My uncle on the other hand became a devout christian, hes now a pastor at a church he owns.

Now if we look at the contrast, how many of you believe that a child brought up in *any* highly religious household, would be allowed to choose or practice a different religion? This could lead to being disowned by their parents, and routinely does.

One of the most devestating problems is when the kids do something against their parents faith. For instance realizing they are gay. If you want to witness this problem watch the show "intervention". Multiple times I have seen people on that show who were gay, and their family disowned them. Thus extreme sorrow and a resulting drug habit that spirals out of control.


So we can see the results of the two situations fairly clearly, and plausibly. I think if there was a study that followed 100 kids adopted to atheist families, and 100 kids adopted to highly religious families. The resulting adults would be practically equal as far as their qualities. If anything, I think the highly religious group would have a higher occurrence of troubled adults.

Huh, I didn't even notice that date on the article.

Funny it's posted in the NY Times as well.

Wonder why they would go out and post old resolved stories?

~Keeper

an article from 1970 just being brought up to now?...wow

reply to post by tothetenthpower


Want to provide a link to the current times with this article in it?

As a christian myself I find this truly disgusting! Just because they dont believe in a supreme being does not mean they would make bad parents! It also makes the rest of christians look stupid.. That judge should be fired

reply to post by Selahobed


Do you not read a thread before posting. There are two of these threads around stating the same thing and both of them have pointed out that this aricle is from 1970.

Hope that unwads your panties.