Jail or Church? Bill O'Reilly Discusses Parental Battle Over Religion

Joseph Reyes faces jail time for taking his daughter to church against the will of her Jewish mother.

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(PRNewsChannel) / February 3, 2010 / Chicago, Ill. / The legal wrangling over a three-year-old girl's right to religious freedom caught the attention of Fox News host Bill O'Reilly, who put his own spin on the case Tuesday.

The O'Reilly Factor broke down the case of Joseph Reyes, a father facing criminal charges and jail time for having his daughter baptized and taking her to church despite a judge's December ruling barring him from doing so. The temporary restraining order, filed by Reyes' estranged Jewish wife, bars Reyes from exposing the couple's daughter to any religion other than Judaism.

"This is ridiculous," said Lis Wiehl, a Fox legal analyst on The O'Reilly Factor. "What harm can it do to bring your child to church? Religious freedom should trump the legal documentation if it's not going to harm the child."

Kimberly Guilfoyle, a former prosecutor, countered: "The judge made the right call, because the two parties willingly entered into this custody agreement. I think the parents should expose their daughter to both religions and let her decide."

That's been his intention all along, Joseph Reyes told local media.

"I am taking my daughter to hear the teachings of perhaps the most prominent Jewish Rabbi [Jesus Christ] in the history of this great planet of ours. I can't think of anything more Jewish than that," Reyes explained.

The father adds he was swayed to convert to Judaism when he married Rebecca Shapiro. Her lawyer has filed a Motion for Criminal Contempt, asking that Joseph Reyes face criminal charges for defying the judge's order.

A hearing date is set for February 16 and Reyes has launched a new Web site www.christianfatherdefensefund.com to raise money for his defense.

The O'Reilly Factor focused on the case after being contacted by the PR firm, The Publicity Agency, which represents Reyes' attorney Joel Brodsky.

To download the Petition for Criminal Contempt: https://prnewschannel.com/pdf/Petition_For_Criminal_Contempt.pdf
To download the Order Setting Arraignment: https://prnewschannel.com/pdf/Order_setting_arraignment.pdf

Add'l Circuit Court of Illinois Supporting Documents:
Appellate Petition: https://prnewschannel.com/pdf/Appellate_Petition.pdf
Response Brief: https://prnewschannel.com/pdf/Response_Brief.pdf
Supporting Record: https://prnewschannel.com/pdf/Supporting_Record.pdf

Joseph Reyes and Joel Brodsky are available for interviews.

Media Contacts:
Glenn Selig
PR Firm: The Publicity Agency
Phone: (813) 708-1220 x7777 or cell: (813) 300-5454
Email:
Web site: www.thepublicityagency.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/publicityagency
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tampa-FL/The-Publicity-Agency/155443751151

Justin Herndon
PR Firm: The Publicity Agency
Phone: (813) 708-1220 x7778 or cell: (813) 528-6815
Email:
Web site: www.thepublicityagency.com

Source: thepublicityagency.com

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