Amish Custody Suit Raises Parental Religious Rights Issue

An unusual fight in the Iowa courts over custody of a 14-moth old girl is the subject of an article in today's Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier. The child was born out of wedlock to an Amish woman. The child's father is a non-Amish businessman. The mother is seeking sole custody so that the child can be raised in the Amish life style. She claims that it would be frightening and confusing for the child to be exposed to both Amish and English cultures. Arguing against the child's father sharing in custody, the mother says, "His church is different --- they sing different songs." The court faces the question of whether the "best interest of the child" calls for limiting the the rights of the father to be involved in his child's religious instruction.