16 yr old rights regarding freedom of religion

[occhiblubei]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? South Carolina

My best friend's son is 16yrs old and his father is forcing him to attend church (his religious views differ from his father) They have joint custody but my best friend has physical custody. He visits his father every other weekend. Does he have any rights under the law for freedom of religion?

 

[Antigone*]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? South Carolina

My best friend's son is 16yrs old and his father is forcing him to attend church (his religious views differ from his father) They have joint custody but my best friend has physical custody. He visits his father every other weekend. Does he have any rights under the law for freedom of religion?

He has to go where his parents tell him he has to go until he is 18. He doesn't have to worship but if his father is requiring his presence during his parenting time, then he has no choice.

 

[occhiblubei]

That's pretty much what I told her, that he is a minor and really has no choice. Does he have any rights? He is very set in his ways (typical 16 yr old) and says he will take off before he goes..which will cause a whole new set of problems..

 

[Just Blue]

That's pretty much what I told her, that he is a minor and really has no choice. Does he have any rights? He is very set in his ways (typical 16 yr old) and says he will take off before he goes..which will cause a whole new set of problems..

He has the "right" to be fed, clothed, housed and provided education, medical and dental. He has the "right" to not be beaten.

His PARENTS have the RIGHTS to determine where, when and how sonny behaves and shows up.

If the child is SOOOOO defiant that he will threaten to runaway his PARENTS need to address this issue.

 

[>Charlotte<]

Does he have any rights?

You're kinda asking the wrong question. He has rights, but he does not have the right to defy his father if his father requires him to be in church.

 

[occhiblubei]

Oh I'm right there with ya. LOL My best friend and I have differing views on this situation. But it is her child and not mine. I just wanted to see if there were any laws regarding this. He is a really great kid.

 

[>Charlotte<]

Then probably the best advice you can give your friend is that instead of making a Constitutional issue out of it, she should recognize that it's probably more about the kid wanting to do something else on Sunday mornings and not a protest based on principal. Nobody's making him agree with the preacher, they're just making him sit there. He is still perfectly free to believe what he chooses to believe.

 

[Just Blue]

Oh I'm right there with ya. LOL My best friend and I have differing views on this situation. But it is her child and not mine. I just wanted to see if there were any laws regarding this. He is a really great kid.

Not if he is threatening to "take off" if he doesn't get his way. That isn't something a "great" kid would do.

 

[Andy0192]

Nobody's making him agree with the preacher, they're just making him sit there. He is still perfectly free to believe what he chooses to believe.

QFT - in fact, if he is so in touch with his differing point of view, he should think of it as an opportunity to gain insider knowledge about all the things wrong with the Church he's being forced to attend.

 

[cbg]

Yeah, he has rights. One of those rights is the right to plant his butt where his parents say to plant it, when they say to plant it. And if they say to plant it in the pew in the church on Sunday mornings, then that's where he plants it.

His mind is his own. He can let it wander where it will. But his butt belongs to Dad, and it goes where Dad says to go.