Court rules against dad in faith case
BY CHARLIE FRAGO
Arkansas Democrat Gazette
Posted on Thursday, October 9, 2008

A Benton County father found in contempt for violating a custody
agreement that barred him from promoting Mormonism to his two sons
lost his appeal at the Arkansas Court of Appeals on Wednesday.

Joel Mark Rownak and Lisa Monette Rownak agreed in their 2005 divorce
to raise their children “in the Protestant faith.” The decree bars
them from promoting another religion without the other’s consent.

In May 2007, Benton County Circuit Judge John R. Scott found Joel
Rownak in contempt of that decree based on evidence that Rownak had
“candidly acknowledged” promoting the Mormon faith to his sons.

Rownak led his sons in Scripture reading and daily prayer, involved
one son in Boy Scouts at a local Mormon church and had one son
baptized at the church, according to an opinion written by Judge Sam
Bird and agreed to by Judges John Robbins and Robert J. Gladwin.

Rownak argued the contempt finding violated his First Amendment
rights, particularly the establishment clause that prohibits the state
from discriminating against religion.

Bird wrote that the decree was a valid contract between parties and
didn’t violate Rownak’s constitutional rights. He noted that Joel
Rownak had requested the language to be included in the decree.

Joel Rownak testified that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints wasn’t a Protestant faith, and the court also considered
evidence to that effect from the church’s Web site.
Lisa Rownak had objected to her ex-husband’s promoting Mormonism to
their children.
In light of this evidence, Scott was correct in finding Joel Rownak in
contempt of the divorce decree, Bird wrote.

At the appeals court, the case is CA 08-193, Joel Mark Rownak v. Lisa
Monette Rownak.

http://www.truthandgrace.com/Mormon.htm