Day: May 22, 2008

Testing the intersection of religious liberty and child protection, the state of Texas removed over 460 children from a Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) in April, 2008.
Today, an appeals court said the state of Texas was in error given that Texas law requires imminent danger as a test for removal. The authorities appealed to the “pervasive belief system” of the cult as one reason to take all children. The court indicated that the beliefs of the cult was insufficient basis for imminent danger.
The memorandum is here…
While I have no sympathy for the doctrines or practices of this group, I do think an appeal to the beliefs of the cult as a prime foundation for removal could set a ambiguous precedent for how child welfare professionals regard religious beliefs. There are less dramatic actions that can be taken and indeed probably should be taken to prevent harm to children.

We have been talking about it just about non-stop here and MSNBC’s Brian Alexander takes a look at the GID-DSM controversy in this piece – “What’s ‘normal’ sex? Shrinks seek definition.”

Of all the things that could be covered, I am surprised that FOXNews picked up on this story.
Here is a situation where the First Amendment Center guidelines would be helpful I think…

Just for fun…I think I have found another band I like. Coldplay meets Collective Soul.

Haunting melodies, crisp vocals and nice layers in the music make this a song I like hearing over and over again. The lyrics reminisce a feeling of being stuck and getting ready to make a change.