A man in Chicago is facing 6 months of jail time for getting his daughter baptized.  What??  Well, of course, it is not that simple, but what you must know is this:  The parents of the minor child are currently involved in a divorce, and there is a 30 day Temporary Restraining Order restricting Dad from taking the daughter to church, exposing the child to anything other than the Jewish religion.   There are many issues regarding parenting, however, one main argument is the minor child’s religion – Mother is Jewish, Father is Catholic.  Although Father converted to Judaism prior to getting married, he never stopped practicing Catholicism.

The full transcript of an interview with the Father can be found here.

Yes, this case is in Illinois, and yes, this is an extreme case, but what you must take from this case is the following:

1. Do not take the Judge’s Order’s lightly.  When involved in a divorce, if a Judge enters Orders, these Orders must be followed or else you will be faced with either civil contempt or criminal charges.

2. Religion is as major of a decision as the children’s health.  You cannot make unilateral decisions regarding any of these major issues.  They must be agreed upon and if not agreed upon, you must follow the Judge’s orders.

3. If you decide to raise your children during the marriage as a certain religion, likely the Court will allow the minor child to continue to be exposed to that religion.

The next hearing is March 3rd.  I am interested to see what comes out of this case.