Kentucky Students Forecefully Baptized

[LoneMateria]

I should have articulated better. By reprimanding the coach severely it would have helped in covering their ass instead of offering a weak "Well, he is 16". In the eyes of the law the boy is still a under his parents guardianship. Until he hits 18 if they want him to be a catholic/jew/muslim/hindu/atheist/scilog he officially is one until he hits the magical 18.

I agree it's not as cut and dry. I know people who are 24 and still live with their parents and barely pass their classes at a community college. I know kids who are 15 and fully capable of making grown up decisions that the former example would whine about.

I don't disagree with your assertion about the transitional age, however the law doesn't really see it that way. He's still not legally capable of making major life decisions like marriage, alcohol use, voting, etc. Why should this baptism be any different? Religious choices are serious matters, not something taken lightly.

Reprimanding the coach would be a statement saying we know what he did was wrong were sorry we let it happen.  Which i'm sure makes the lawsuit easier on the parents.  I can see why they used that excuse.  That law saying the kid is under you until you are 18 is often times relaxed when the kid is approaching 18.  That law makes a parent responsible for the kids actions until he is 18.  If the kid starts a fire its the parents who take responsibility financially and sometimes legally (like with the wildfires in Cali a few years ago).  Thats not always the case if a 16 year old starts a fire he is usually tried as an adult.

Like I said earlier baptism is no different then smoking, drinking, driving, enlisting in the military, getting married, getting a job, going to college and so on.  If the kid is mature enough his decisions and his actions are his own.  I'd bet the lawyers are trying to get him recognized as an adult.  When crimes happen i've seen 10 year olds get tried as adults (well only a few murders).  I don't think it would be hard to convince a judge that this 16 year old is capable of making decisions for himself.

[Big Mac]

Reprimanding the coach would be a statement saying we know what he did was wrong were sorry we let it happen.  Which i'm sure makes the lawsuit easier on the parents.  I can see why they used that excuse.  That law saying the kid is under you until you are 18 is often times relaxed when the kid is approaching 18.  That law makes a parent responsible for the kids actions until he is 18.  If the kid starts a fire its the parents who take responsibility financially and sometimes legally (like with the wildfires in Cali a few years ago).  Thats not always the case if a 16 year old starts a fire he is usually tried as an adult.

Like I said earlier baptism is no different then smoking, drinking, driving, enlisting in the military, getting married, getting a job, going to college and so on.  If the kid is mature enough his decisions and his actions are his own.  I'd bet the lawyers are trying to get him recognized as an adult.  When crimes happen i've seen 10 year olds get tried as adults (well only a few murders).  I don't think it would be hard to convince a judge that this 16 year old is capable of making decisions for himself.

Granted but I'm playing more of an extreme devil's advocate here. Really it breaks down to how well the lawyers for both parties perform. A weak lawyer for either one can easily make them lose even if they are in the right.

[LoneMateria]

Very true it all boils down to how well the lawyers can twist the facts in their favor.

[Big Mac]

Very true it all boils down to how well the lawyers can twist the facts in their favor.

Isn't the legal system fun, kids? And we haven't even gotten into the fact it's in Kentucky, a state known for its religious vigor! Just wait until the local fundies get involved. FUN FUN FUN FUn FUN!!!!

I can see it now, "Atheist kid saved from hell by heroic godly coach!" or "Atheists mad that souls were saved by coach." or some other whining piece about being persecuted in a country founded on nutjobs like them who tortured and enslaved people for being different. Oh, how I loathe these idiots...