NASHVILLE (CN) - A divorced father must pay back child support, despite his assertion that the Tennessee Department of Human Services is a "Satanic entity," the Tennessee Court of Appeals ruled.
Michael Wallace Sherrod said his beliefs as a born-again Christian prevent him from sending payments to a child-support system that stems from a federal statute containing the number 666.
The Bible associates that number with the "Mark of the Beast" and the end of days.
Judge Cottrell determined that Sherrod's convictions were sincere, but still affirmed the trial court's decision that Sherrod must pay child support.
"Claims based on religious convictions or rights of conscience do not automatically entitle persons to establish unilaterally the terms and conditions of their relations with the government," Cottrell wrote.
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