Can atheists be parents?

I had other blogging plans this morning when I woke up and I will get to them later this afternoon hopefully. A friend posted a link to the following article on her twitter and I just had to share the whole article. I simply couldn't believe my eyes as I read this.


The following is from TIME Magazine and the link is at the bottom

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. After the couple began court action, however,
the bureau changed its regulations, and the couple was able to adopt a baby boy
from the Children's Aid and Adoption Society in East Orange.

Last year the Burkes presented their adopted son, David, now 3 1/2,
with a baby sister, Eleanor Katherine, now 17 months, whom they acquired from
the same East Orange agency. Since the agency endorsed the adoption, the
required final approval by a judge was expected to be pro forma. Instead,
Superior Court Judge William Camarata raised the religious issue.

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."

The Burkes are now living in Carterville, Ill., near Southern Illinois
University, where John Burke has worked for the past year as a speech
pathologist. Nevertheless, Judge Camarata ordered the parents to send David's
sister back to the New Jersey adoption agency. Two weeks ago, aided by the
American Civil Liberties Union, the Burkes appealed directly to the New Jersey
Supreme Court, which agreed to hear the case. If they fail in their appeal,
Eleanor Katherine may have to leave the only family she has ever known and await
adoption by another couple whose religious convictions satisfy the State of New
Jersey.

Source article - http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,877155,00.html

Now I am not an American and I am not up on there laws perhaps as much as I should be but don't they have a little thing about the seperation of Church and State. Because this clearly crosses that line in a very very serious fashion. It is one thing to screw with the parents and that is bad enough. But to toy and play with the emotions of a small child like Eleanor is just monsterous. I'm was surprised as I read throught he article that the judge didn't try and remove both of the childern. Clearly David would fall under the same law that he is giving as his reason for taking her away.

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So did I mention that the above article is from the year 1970?

Did you feel outraged reading it? I know that I did. I still believed that it could happen today, maybe that's because might just let it happen again if we are not watchful. Old news articles can be a wonderful way to keep in touch with the current reality we live in.

Forty Years

Yesterday was something of a milestone annivarsary and I felt it was important to comment on how we the world has completely and totally dropped the ball. So forty years ago Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins launched into space on Apollo 11 on its historic mission to the Moon. What was to be our first step in to the large solar system, turned out to also be one of our last.

So we spent millions of dollars on getting a man in to orbit, and millions more on getting him to the moon and back. Now we continue to spend billions of dollars on spaceflight that has turned in to a glorified Delivery / Repair van that is the shuttle. Nothing against the brave men and women who travel and work out of the shuttle but lets face we are no where near where we should be.

This day should have been celebrated by colonists on the Moon. Maybe with the dedication of a new pressure dome on the moon, or the first permenant settlement on Mars. There is no way we should have allowed our governments to linger so close to the planet. Imagine a world where the toxic chemicals we produce on a regular basis could be dumped into orbit where it wouldn't do the damage it does to the planet. Also think about all of the differnt inovations that would have come up along the way as we worked to develop the technology to make it to Mars or to live on the moon full time.

As things stand at this point we've made it to the moon, but in the end it wasn't anything more then a multi-million dollar publicity stunt. Sorry Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins but efforts made as much difference to the world as Mikey who would eat anything. It is a sad statement, but a fairly true on I think.

Obama in Canada

So yesterday was the first visit of the new American President to a foreign country. While I do find it a little laughable that we are consider a foreign country. I suppose the term does apply. The meeting apparently was short on policy and anything that would make any real difference judging by news paper reports.

Prime Minister Harper promoted things like Free Trade and other accords already in place with the US. While President Obama confidently down played the "Buy American" portions of the stimulus package that was just recently signed in to law. The two of the did offer up one thing "The Clear Air Dialogue" which effective states that they would talk about the environmental issues we face. Nothing about Harmonizing efforts or even working together just that they would talk.

Now the real winners out of this whole thing were threefold. First and foremost winner of the meeting is Prime Minister Harper. Who despite looking like an old man next to President Obama was able to do an about face on Enviromental issues. He claimed he was awaiting the advent of a new administration in Washington, in hopes of implementing his activist, environmental agenda. This will unlikely get the play it should in the media. Since when does it matter who is in power in the US to Canadian policy? In the end he did a masterful job of coming off looking like the good guy that he isn't.

The next winner is the two stores that Obama stopped in to make a couple of purchases. Oxxo Silk and Gift & Byward Market where apparently he popped in to pick up somethings for his two girls. One of the girls collects keychains and all of whom am sure will enjoy the Maple Cookies. One Shop own was surprised when he pulled a $5 Canadian bill to pay for things. While according to reports the other shop owner just gave him the cookies. Then sold out of nearly everything in her store minutes later after people where allowed back in.

The final winner was the Governor General of Canadian Michaelle Jean. Who like Obama is the first African American person to hold that office. A quick aside - is the term still African American if she is Canadian? The two of them spent some time talking right after his arrival, then visited for an additional 26 minutes later in the day. 6 minutes longer then planned.

Two last points that I feel are important to mention.

I am a huge news junkie and would happily watch CNN all day most days. When it comes to things like American Politics I tend to get even more interested. I followed the 2000 elections with great interest, and the 2008 one with even more interest. The funny part is for the most part I could careless about Canadian politics. Americans at least make the whole process interesting.

The final point goes out anyone and everyong in the Canadian Media. We know President Obama is Black and that he is African American. You no longer need to describe him as "the charismatic black president."

Canadian Politics

For the first time in a very long time Canadian Politics has gotten interesting. Even during our last election only a couple of months ago the topic was dry and boring. Nothing had changed, it was all the same old stuff we had been listening to for months. Now that has changed with this new Coalition.

My problem is that I just can not decide how I feel about it. The biggest two arguements against is that the Torries did get elected as a minority govenment. Which by there reasoning means more people voted for them. The other big beef about it is that they are putting power in to the hands of the Bloc.

To the first arguement here is my rebuttal, they got a minority government meaning that the majority of people who voted voted for the other parties. Which effectively means that the other parties has a coalition got more votes. Granted they didn't run as a coalition government. I would also argue that you can't really consider the last election to be representative of the will of the people. The Voter turn out was less than 60% which to me shows a complete apathy towards what the government was doing. We so need to change the electorial system and make it maniditory to vote. You don't vote you don't get a tax return!

To the second arguement about putting power in to the hands of the Bloc I would just point out that in order to form any type of opposition a part has to work with the Bloc. It is the way our electorial system is set up. There is a massive power base in Quebec and Ontario which is hardly representative of the will of the people. In fact elections are often called and determined well before some areas have even finished voting.

In the end no matter what happens it will be interesting, and hopefully breath some life in to the bloated corpse that is Canadian Politics.