Q: My child’s father has recently converted to Christianity and has been in and out of our child’s life for six years and swears he’s on a journey to discover God and do God’s work. I am Muslim and respect all faiths, but he insists that leaving his child to go party in Sydney and take care of another women’s child is “God’s work.” I wanted to get your advice on the whole situation because he keeps saying religion first before everything. I can respect a religious man but, correct me if I’m wrong, where in the Bible does it say to abandon your child and leave him with lifelong issues, to take care of a random woman’s child? He is also hanging around a lot of bad people who engage in drug use and criminal activity. He’s not trying to help them at all but assist them. He keeps insisting that I read the Bible and educate myself, but I’d like to hear it from you, Father. God bless you. — Ava

Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC:

I am sorry to hear about the situation.

Being a Christian means believing in Jesus and trying to live in accord with his teachings and commandments.

It’s not very Christian to father a child and basically abandon it — and to claim that it’s “God’s will.”

Nor is it Christian to spend one’s time partying and helping people to use drugs and perpetrate crimes.

It sounds as though your man has a very distorted view of what it means to be Christian. He certainly isn’t modeling Christian behavior for you.

That said, I would encourage you to learn more about Christianity.

You could start by reading the Gospels. And for an overview of the Catholic faith, you might consider getting a copy of the Youth Catechism.

Count on my prayers.