The April Divilbiss Case

Currently, the state of Tennessee can legally remove a child from any household where the the parents are engaged in an "alternative lifestyle."  The state does not need to prove there is any harm to the child, and, indeed, even if the state's examiners find that the family and child are healthy and recommend returning the child to its mother, it makes no difference.
This has already happened.
I first heard about this case in February 1999, and since then I've found myself thinking about it more and more.  Over the months I've become more disgusted and more enraged.  It seems to me that the judge's decision to break apart April's triad violates the basic principle of civil rights--that people have a fundamental right to be who they are.  In any case, this particular instance has served to clarify my own values and feelings on this matter.  Frankly, it has made me proud that I am not a Christian and that I am not married.  I feel harsh saying this, but from my point of view it looks like--at least in this situation--Christian values and marital values are the problem, not the solution.

The April Divilbiss Case

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