April 17, 2008 8:16 AM
Lisa Miller Update - urgent - prayer needed!
Remember Lisa Miller? She needs our prayers. The Virginia Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments this morning in her case - which will undoubtedly have implications nationwide.
Lisa is the former lesbian biological mother of Isabella, whose former partner under Vermont law is seeking custody of a daughter unconnected biologically or through adoption to any mother but Lisa. At issue are dueling state laws: Vermont's, which recognizes gay marriage, and Virginia's which doesn't.
While all of us - including Lisa - have been busy with laundry and grocery shopping and nightly prayers, Lisa's court case has been winding its way through the court system.
Janet Jenkins' aggressive legal pursuit has included demanding complete custody of Isabella - though she hasn't lived with her for over four years - because she claims Lisa's Christianity is dangerous to Isabella. The writs submitted by Janet's side read like early 70's feminist manifestos - hard to believe that this kind of rhetoric has made it into our judicial system.
So far, the Vermont family court judge has been very sympathetic to Janet's arguments.
On Friday, the Virginia Supreme Court will be hearing the case. Read about it here:
Virginia Court to Hear Lesbian Custody Battle by Devon Williams, associate editor 'This is such a critical case because it affects the rest of the nation.'The Virginia Supreme Court will move a step closer on Thursday to deciding whether a lesbian woman will win custody of her ex-partner’s child, a decision that could undermine the state’s marriage amendment.
Janet Jenkins, who has no biological or adoptive ties to Lisa Miller’s 6-year-old daughter, Isabella, is seeking parental rights because she was in a relationship with Miller when the child was born. Miller got pregnant through artificial insemination from an anonymous donor, and the couple eventually ended the relationship.
Though Miller and Jenkins are Virginia residents, the Vermont Supreme Court, which issued the couple’s civil union in 2000, recently granted parental rights to Jenkins. However, the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is in place to protect states like Virginia from being forced to recognize another state’s same-sex union. Further, Virginia has a Marriage Affirmation Act and a constitutional amendment that define marriage as a union between one man and one woman.
Read entire article here.
Background story: Lisa Miller/ Janet Jenkins custody battle - can a child have two mothers?
See also: Virginia Supreme Court to weigh in on lesbian couple's custody battle
[I took the pictures of Lisa and Isabella one year ago when I interviewed Lisa for the World article.]
I apologize for not getting this up sooner for prayer. But justices don't hand down their decisions on the same day they hear arguments, so your prayer still matters.
“Pray as though everything depends on God, then work as though everything depends on you.â€
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Comments
I am praying - read about this the other day on World Net Daily and remembered your previous blogs about Lisa. May God have mercy on this mother and child. May God grant the justices the wisdom of Solomon.
Posted by: Kathy | April 17, 2008 9:49 AM
Barbara, I just learned of this yesterday. How horrendous. I can't believe that a judge would rule in favor of someone who isn't even related to the child! Sickening.
Thanks again for the great workshop at Mount Hermon. Talk to you soon.
Bethany
Posted by: Bethany Britton | April 17, 2008 1:18 PM
A legal precedent in which the Christian faith of a parent is considered harmful to the child! The implications are breathtaking. The selfless err on the side of caution. The gay agenda is far from selfless. Sadly, children are merely instruments to further a goal in many cases. They care not how much they screw up a child's early life furthering an agenda.
Posted by: Joy Mc | April 19, 2008 9:42 AM
Lisa Miller should be in jail for breaking the law and keeping this child from her other legal parent. She made her bed, and now she doesn't want to sleep in it. She wanted to have a child with this other woman and she did. Just because she came to Jesus and now regrets her decision doesn't mean she gets to go back on her word. We all have regrets, we all make mistakes, but she is breaking the law and we put people who do that in jail for good reason. If this woman was an Atheist keeping this child from her opposite sex Christian parent, you'd be on the mountaintops screaming for "justice". The spirit of the law here is clear and she is breaking it. That makes her a criminal not a candidate for Mother of the Year...
[John, I hear what you're saying. And at this point I might be inclined to agree - not that Lisa should be in jail, but that it's time to work out an authentic settlement.
I wish that both sides hadn't become politicized so we might know Janet's true intentions. I know that in Winchester yesterday, where the ACLU was asking for Lisa to go to prison, this was reported:
Unrefuted testimony has shown that for the last five years, Janet has neither attempted to phone nor write Isabella. She has never sent Isabella a card of any kind for any occasion. Janet has refused to attend Isabella's Christmas plays because she does not want to be around a Christian environment. She has also said that it is not in Isabella's best interest to be raised in a Christian home. The Vermont judge is withholding a ruling on Janet's request for custody of Isabella pending the outcome of today's hearing in Virginia.
I know Lisa has tried to talk to Janet personally to get beyond being political footballs for either side - but Janet refuses to talk.
I know if I were Janet, and loved this little girl, for her sake I would have let go long ago.
If Solomon were alive today and suggested cutting the baby in half to route out the true mother, I'm afraid that Janet and the political forces behind her would be inclined to say, "Chop away!" ]
Posted by: John | August 26, 2009 2:12 AM
