AN ATHEIST MOM IN ALBUQUERQUE CLAIMS THAT SHE WAS FORCED
TO GO TO CHRISTIAN COUNSELING IN ORDER TO NOT
LOSE CUSTODY OF HER TWO 11-YEAR-OLD BOYS.
THIS IS HOLLY SALZMAN, AND SHE CLAIMS THAT AFTER DIVORCING
HER HUSBAND SHE WANTED TO GO TO A JUDGE AND FIGURE OUT WHAT
KIND OF COUNSELING SHE CAN GO TO SO THEY CAN LEARN HOW TO BE
GOOD COPARENTS.
ACCORDING TO HER SHE SAYS, "SHE HAD SOUGHT HELP FROM THE
COURTS IN COPARENTING.
THE RESULT WAS A COURT ORDER THAT SENT HER TO A
COUNSELOR NAMED MARY PEPPER."
THE FIRST THING THAT THE COUNSELOR TELLS HER IS THAT
THEY ARE GOING TO OPEN IT UP WITH A PRAYER.
SALZMAN SAID I AM NOT RELIGIOUS.
THE COUNSELOR SAYS THAT THIS IS WHAT I DO, SO YOU WILL HAVE
TO DEAL WITH IT.
SHE CONTACTS THE COURT AND LETS THE COURT KNOW THAT THIS IS
A RELIGIOUS SITUATION, IT IS ILLEGAL AND SHE IS NOT
RELIGIOUS.
THEY DID NOT GET BACK TO HER.
THEY DECIDED THAT SHE'S NO LONGER GOING TO GO TO THE
COUNSELOR.
AS SOON AS SHE DID THAT, THE COURT TOOK CUSTODY OF HER
TWO 11-YEAR-OLD BOYS.
AT THAT POINT SHE DECIDES SHE IS GOING TO GO BACK AND JUST
DO WHAT THEY NEED HER TO DO.
SHE CONTINUES DOING THE COUNSELING, AND DURING THE
LAST FEW SESSIONS SHE ACTUALLY SECRETLY FILMED WHAT WAS
GOING ON.
UNFORTUNATELY WE CAN'T SHOW YOU THE FILM BECAUSE OF COPYRIGHT.
IT WAS COMPLETELY RELIGIOUS.
JUST SOME EXAMPLES, "WHEN SHE GOT THERE SALZMAN REALIZED
SOMETHING WAS DEFINITELY UP WHEN PEPPER TRIED TO OPEN THE
SESSION WITH PRAYER.
SHE DID STAY THE COURSE, BUT NOT BEFORE HAVING TO FILL OUT
QUESTIONNAIRES TITLED 'WHAT IS GOD TO ME?'
AND HAVING THE COUNSELOR INSIST THAT DESPITE THE FACT THAT
HOLLY DIDN'T BELIEVE IN GOD, SHE ACTUALLY DID AND WAS JUST
CONFUSED."
>>THIS SOUNDS LIKE SHARIA LAW.
>>THIS IS CRAZY.
THIS IS NOT LEGAL.
UNDER OUR CURRENT CONSTITUTION, THE STATE IS NOT SUPPOSED
TO ENDORSE ANY SPECIFIC TYPE OF RELIGION.
THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED HERE.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE, SHE SAID IF YOU WANT TO EXPLORE JUST KIND
OF IN THE PAST WITH HOW GOD WAS IN YOUR LIFE, AND ALSO I
KNOW YOU DON'T BELIEVE IN GOD WHICH IS FINE, BUT I KNOW
AT A CERTAIN POINT HE WAS IN YOUR LIFE IN SOME WAY.
>>YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ME, OKAY?
GOD IS NOT IN MY LIFE, AND I'M NOT INTERESTED IN HAVING
HIM IN MY LIFE.
THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH MY KIDS.
I WOULD'VE BEEN 1000 TIMES MORE ANTAGONISTIC THAN SHE WAS.
THE WOMAN SAYS TO HER YOU JUST NEED TO COME
TO JESUS.
>> THE SICK PART OF THIS IS I WOULD'VE BEEN IN A LOT OF
TROUBLE.
THEY ALREADY TOOK HER KIDS AWAY.
IMAGINE WHAT THEY WOULD'VE DONE WITH ME AND MY KIDS.
FOR WHATEVER REASON SHE WRITES NOT SUITED FOR PARENTING,
AND YOU ARE DONE.
IN ESSENCE IT IS KIDNAPPING YOUR KIDS.
IT'S TAKING THEM HOSTAGE UNTIL YOU COME TO JESUS.
MIGHTY CHRISTIAN OF YOU.
IT IS GROTESQUE.
THIS ISN'T AMERICA, MAN.
NO WAY.
SHE SHOULD SUE THEM FOR $1 BILLION.
BLOW THEM OUT OF THE WATER.