I recently met with a group of children whose parents are divorced. One of the things they asked me about was religion. After the divorce, the quarrels got worse. Upon divorce, one of the parents had changed to a different religion and wanted the children to change as well. I explained the rules the court follows about religion in divorce cases.
Religion is one of five major matters that child custody law addresses.
But, when a divorced parent attempts to impose his or her change of faith on the children, trouble erupts. To avoid that trouble, the law in New Mexico, recognizing that religion is a major issue, prohibits one parent changing the children's religion. The law, specifically the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, allows each parent to share his or her religious beliefs and practices with the children, including newly adopted beliefs. The prohibition is limited to making a formal change in religious denomination. Parents are asked not to propagandize for or against a religion different from the one they chose together.