The Maine Supreme Court is set to weigh in on whether a lower court overstepped its limits when it barred a mother from reading the Bible to her 12-year-old daughter or taking her to church.
Judges heard oral arguments last week in the case of Bickford v Bradeen. According to the Christian Broadcasting Network, the faith-based non-profit Liberty Counsel is representing Emily Bickford, who is challenging a December 2024 custody order that prohibits her daughter from attending Calvary Chapel in Portland, Maine.
According to Liberty Counsel, a baptism is what sparked the legal battle. Bickford and the child’s father, Matthew Bradeen, were never married. Bickford maintained primary custody of the child, Ava, and Bradeen had visitation rights. After attending the church for three years, Ava wanted to be baptised. She shared the news with her father, who was reportedly enraged by the child’s decision.
Bickford’s counsel alleges that the father found a sociology professor, “an expert on cults”, to help convince the judge that Calvary Chapel Church and its “charismatic” pastor had the makings of a cult. The Portland District Court sided with Ava’s father. Now, Bickford and her team are challenging the lower courts.
“The First Amendment does not allow for this blatant and overt hostility towards religious beliefs, and the order cannot stand,” Liberty Counsel said in a statement.
Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver disputed the father’s claims that the church is a cult and criticised the lower court for its decision.
“The breadth of this court order is breathtaking because it even prohibits contact with the Bible, religious literature, or religious philosophy,” he said. “The custody order cannot prohibit Bickford from taking her daughter to church. The implications of this order pose a serious threat to religious freedom.”