Too Religious to Keep Her Daughter?

[Babs]

Inside Edition ^  | 3/5/08 | Inside Edition

11-year-old Libby Mashburn is at the center of a child-custody battle with far-reaching consequences.
Libby's mother says she lost primary custody of her daughter because she was deemed to be too religious.

[A Judge in Alabama ruled that Libby could not be taught the Bible by her Baptist mother.]

Libby tells INSIDE EDITION, "I think children should be able to choose who they want to live with."

Libby's mom Laura Snider is a member of an [large] ultra-conservative Baptist church in Alabama. Libby spends several hours each week attending sermons. On weekends, she goes to Sunday school.[She attends church at the normal times, and for normal lengths. Sunday school, and Sunday AM and PM worship, and Wed. night service.]

The church encourages its parishioners to dress modestly, so Libby's closet is filled with skirts that fall below the knee.

Libby's mom, like other women in the church, doesn't wear makeup or swim in public. When they do swim, they don't wear swimsuits, instead they wear long dresses that Libby shows INSIDE EDITION.

They shun popular culture, so Libby doesn't watch much TV. She's heard of teen idol Hannah Montana but says she has never listened to her music.

[However, as a homeschooled 1st grader, Libby had visited Nepal, and many states in the US. She also tested above 3rd & 4th grade levels in most subjects when she was only 6.She scored on a high school level in vocabulary on the CAT.]

The question is: Should Laura Snider's religious beliefs be a factor in determining custody in a divorce? Libby's mother says the Alabama Supreme Court thinks so. The court awarded 60% custody to Libby's father, William Mashburn.

"We've been punished for our religion," says Brian. "We've been harassed for our religion. You know when you take a child from people because they're too conservative to put her in a situation because that's more "mainstream"...I don't think that's what the law is there to do," he tells INSIDE EDITION.

Across the country, child-custody disputes with religion as the flash point are increasing, and Libby is just the latest kid to get caught in the middle.

source

[MelodyB]

*shakes head* They dont understand us, and that is not punishment for the child.


And who is Hannah Montana?

[kkay]

Inside Edition ^  | 3/5/08 | Inside Edition

11-year-old Libby Mashburn...

[However, as a homeschooled 1st grader...

Doot doo dee dooooo.

But, at any rate, this just proves that America is turning away from it's foundational standards.

[Chseeads]

That's talking in past tense....  When she was a 1st grader she had visited Nepal, etc. etc.

[kkay]

Ahhh yeah, I misread. Thought it said "has visited.."

Yep.

[SippinTea]

  Pay attention Apo Grl, or I'll have to pound you for bashing homeschoolers.

Sad story, Barb.

And just for the record, I have no idea who Hannah Montana is. I've heard the name--that's it. If I've survived this long without knowing who she is, Libby probably can too.

But, at any rate, this just proves that America is turning away from it's foundational standards.

Huh?  They did that a long time ago. And believe it or not, both religion AND homeschooling were stones present in the foundation of America.

Ruby

[Sister_Mom]

I'm wondering how someone gets 60% custody. Does that mean 60% of the time, or 60% authority, or what? 

[kkay]

Pay attention Apo Grl, or I'll have to pound you for bashing homeschoolers.

Pfft. That's not what I meant at all

But, at any rate, this just proves that America is turning away from it's foundational standards.

Huh?  They did that a long time ago. And believe it or not, both religion AND homeschooling were stones present in the foundation of America.

I realize this. Maybe I should have said has turned

[bishopnl]

How could you guys not know Hannah Montana!!!??!!! Sacrilege.



I'm kidding.  Hannah Montana is the TV character/persona of Miley Cyrus, the daughter of famed country western singer Billy Ray Cyrus (he of Achy Breaky Heart fame).  Miley has her own show on the Disney channel, entitled (duh) Hannah Montana, where she potrays a girl named Miley Stewart who leads a double life.  Average high school student by day, and at night she's a pop star named Hannah Montana, and only a few close friends and family know her secret.

Disney has sent Miley on the road the last year or so in a series of concert tours, and she has proved to be, according to Time magazine, one of the hottest acts in the country.  Parents are mortaging their homes to buy tickets to her concerts for their kids, and I've seen tickets on Ebay for up to $3,000.  Someone told me when she was here in St. Louis, her show sold out in less than 10 minutes.  She's also got a couple Cd's, clothing deals, and a 3-D movie of her concert which also made millions.  The movie was supposed to play for one week only, but it was so popular that theaters continued to play it, and I read the other day that it actually forced theater owners to push back the release date for a 3-D movie of the Rolling Stones in concert. 

Sadly, I know most of this b/c I have no life and have seen every single episode of Hannah Montana, despite the fact that I don't have any kids.  In my defense....well, I have no defense.  I'm pathetic.

The show is clean, though, and her music is relatively clean and positive.  Focus on the Family, while acknowledging that it is sugary fluff, also said it was safe and kid-friendly.

[gabbtastic]

wow..... and Hannah Montana is weird she has like split personality disorder or something... do we want our kids to develop that??? this society is confusing they complain kids spend to much time watching tv and playing video games then they take the kids away from the parents for keeping them away from it?? i do however wonder if there wasnt more to the story...

(i do watch the show too tho haha)

[Chseeads]

I did not know that that's who Hannah Montana was.  Huh.

[kkay]

I believe on her CD there are 2 versions..one of Miley and one of Hannah. I argue with my boyfriend all the time that she has a split personality or will eventually develop one if she continues to lead that double life.

The show and everything else about her is clean though, true. She seems to be following in the footsteps of Britney Spears but hopefully she won't.

[gabbtastic]

i'd like to say she wont but im pretty sure she will :-/ and i cant help but feel srry for brittney spears honestly ppl need leave her alone ok shes hit rock bottom leave her alone for a few days! and how can u make a CD with her 2 personalities?? her voice dont change? lol

[Babs]

* Mz. Ethyl is a double personality lol

[World Traveler]

World Traveler doesn't believe in home schooling. Awaits bashing from Sippin Tea.

[Chseeads]

World Traveler just wants to get hit on by a woman....

[World Traveler]

Shhhhh!!! You are giving away my secrets!

[Babs]

i homeshcooled both my sons, we all loved it..........

i posted both those articles because it bothers me that we as americans are loosing so many of our freedoms and choices. we claim to be a land of the free, the constitution promises us that, but current government puts its nose in places it dont belong.

if you dont believe in homeschool that is your choice, but we have that right to choose to do it if we feel its best.

homeschooling was something done for a long time until public schools were created.

it just troubles me that the government is picking and choosing what they feel you can teach your children.

the rate it is going alot of apostolics will loose their children or will be forbid to teach their beliefs to their children.

what happened to freedom of religion? i dont see them going after pagans, wiccans or satanist for teaching their children their beliefs!

[bishopnl]

I don't think Miley Cyrus is in any more danger of developing a split personality than any other actor who plays a character on screen.  She's Hannah Montana only on the show and at events (concerts, etc.).  Hannah Montanah/Miley Stewart is only a persona...she doesn't really have a secret identity or isn't secretly leading a double life, anymore than the guy who dresses up like Mickey Mouse at Disneyland does.

As for whether she'll go the same direction as Britney Spears...time will tell, but I think Miley Cyrus has a few things in her favor.  First, Britney Spears rocketed to fame because of her song "Hit Me One More Time."  Right from the start of her career in music, she dressed in provocative clothing, sang provocative lyrics, and just generally reveled in sexuality.  Miley Cyrus has done none of that.  Her lyrics are clean (and although shallow) they are positive and sensual-free.  She doesn't dress any more immodestly than an average teenager (nothing like Britney's "schoolgirl" get up and her lingerie).  Second, Miley Cyrus is from a family that is well grounded, and has handled the pressures of being a celebrity.  She travels with her mom, who is a positive influence in her life, and focuses a lot on family and friends. 

[Tsalagi]

Abraham Lincoln was homeschooled.

IMO education is what happens after you get out of school anyway.

i homeshcooled both my sons, we all loved it..........

i posted both those articles because it bothers me that we as americans are loosing so many of our freedoms and choices. we claim to be a land of the free, the constitution promises us that, but current government puts its nose in places it dont belong.

if you dont believe in homeschool that is your choice, but we have that right to choose to do it if we feel its best.

homeschooling was something done for a long time until public schools were created.

it just troubles me that the government is picking and choosing what they feel you can teach your children.

the rate it is going alot of apostolics will loose their children or will be forbid to teach their beliefs to their children.

what happened to freedom of religion? i dont see them going after pagans, wiccans or satanist for teaching their children their beliefs!

What about tolerance and diversity?

[kkay]

Bishop-that may be true, but Britney also traveled with her parents. Her father is her manager. She actually started out on the Mickey Mouse Club, so she didn't exactly dress provocatively at the initial beginning of her "career". True, she did get "famous" for the song you mentioned but her roots are basically the same as Cyrus'.

All I'm saying is..you never know. The best families have some of the worst children sometimes.

I hope she doesn't do a 180, but you never know.

[bishopnl]

Bishop-that may be true, but Britney also traveled with her parents. Her father is her manager. She actually started out on the Mickey Mouse Club, so she didn't exactly dress provocatively at the initial beginning of her "career". True, she did get "famous" for the song you mentioned but her roots are basically the same as Cyrus'.

All I'm saying is..you never know. The best families have some of the worst children sometimes.

I hope she doesn't do a 180, but you never know.

That's true.  Britney's dad, though, was just like a building contractor or something like that before Britney got big.  Billy Ray Cyrus has had some fame, and knows a little bit about the pressures and all of that, so he might be able to be more of a guiding influence...plus with the latest knews about Jamie Lynn Spears being pregnant, it just doesn't seem that the Spears family has been to adept at parenting.  Not that every parent who has a couple of kids who mess up is a bad parent...but from my limited perspective, it doesn't seem like the Britney's parents have done too great a job.

I hope that Miley Cyrus stays away from all that.  So far she seems to have done a pretty good job of it, and she said her mom puts pressure on her to emulate people who don't live the tabloid lifestyle, so here's to hoping she continues along that path. 

[kkay]

That's true about Britney's family. Sometimes things like that happen with families in the spotlight.

Hopefully Miley doesn't get into all that. She said her mom took her cell phone away not long ago because she got an attitude with her. Hopefully that's a good sign.

[Sis]

What about tolerance and diversity?

It only applies when you want to do something unreligious. They talk separation of church and state, which is NOT in the Constitution, until someone who is Christian wants to apply it. They talk about tolerance until it's a Christian. This is scary. This is coming from the Bible Belt!

[MelodyB]

I knew the name Hannah Montana, and I have seen a couple of episodes. One with Dolly Parton on it I believe. I just watched it last month at my cousins house. I really didnt know the story line or what it was about, it was on while I was there. I was mostly playing on GP while it was on. LOL The kids like it... *shrug* Now Zack and Cody...THAT I watch. I love that show! And I dont have any excuses either, I will watch that when it is on, kids there or not.