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A judge has stopped two children, whose parents have separated, from attending Jehovah’s Witness meetings or church activities.
After their separation in 2010, the mother became an adherent of the Jehovah Witness faith.
Without the father’s knowledge, she introduced the children, then aged 4 and 6, to the religion.
Justice Brendan Brown said his ruling would “dilute” the two young children’s exposure to their mother’s faith.
He said he recognised the order was “at odds” with the children’s wishes.
The children told Brown that if they were not allowed to worship Jehovah by attending services, they would be “angry” and “sad”.
He said the children had a right to be exposed to each of their parents’ religious beliefs and it would be “impractical” to prevent their involvement in their mother’s faith.
However, he felt that involvement should be curtailed.
The children could engage in Bible study, watch videos and read passages from the Watchtower while they were with their mother in her home, Brown said.
He also ruled the children could attend birthday parties, and Easter and Christmas celebrations — all of which are prohibited in the Jehovah’s Witness faith.
The “real cause for concern” was the intensity of instruction they appeared to have received as a consequence of their level of participation in the faith, the judgment said.
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News category: New Zealand.
