The Court of Appeal of Ontario, Canada, succinctly stated: “It is not for the Court to decide as between the two religions.” To deny custody because of such favoritism is “a heavy penalty [for a parent] to pay for the exercise of a religious belief, neither illegal nor immoral.”d

◼ “To deprive Mrs. Ayers of custody . . . would be tantamount to finding that the life style espoused by non-Jehovah’s Witnesses is preferable to that of Jehovah’s Witnesses; that Jehovah’s Witnesses are not proper parents. Such a suggestion is patently preposterous and would be an intolerable restriction of religious freedom.”​—Ayers v. Ayers, (Provincial Court of British Columbia, Canada, Family Division, April 8, 1986).

[Box on page 9]

Are the Children Deprived?

In Quebec, Canada, a father claimed that his children were deprived and emotionally abused by the beliefs of his ex-wife, who was a Witness. He asked the court to intervene. The children had to testify. Notice the answers of his 16-year-old daughter:

Q.: What kind of life do you have as a Witness?

A.: I consider that I lead the same life that all teenagers do. I am not deprived of anything. I don’t consider myself different from anybody else.

Q.: What do you get out of those meetings at the Kingdom Hall?

A.: First of all, it gives me a goal in life. I know what to base my future on according to my beliefs. Second, I have many friends there, with whom I can associate.

Q.: Do your meetings help you at school?

A.: Yes, because at our meetings we give five-minute talks in front of people. At school when we have oral presentations to give, many of the students are very nervous. But because I already give talks, I have a sort of apprenticeship.

“What is the impact of such a religious practice?” asked the judge in his decision. “The court found positive things rather than the evidence that [the father] wanted to present in his argumentations.” After ruling in favor of the Witness mother, the judge said privately to both lawyers, “I wish I had children like that!”