jims:
Anyone reading this thread can determine who is ignoring the pivotal issues here.
The pivotal issue is abrogating parental authority with a minor.
A parent may determine that a job, church or school group is not in line with their thinking of what is best for their child and forbid it. The employer, school club or church would then be obligated legally to cease interacting with the minor involved. The parent(s) could easily obtain a restraining order if they wished to enforce this.
I have received many complaints about churches and/or religious groups working with minor children without parental notification and consent. And in some situations eve after parents specifically objected and demanded that the interaction stop. These complaints have included Young Life.
See [
www.culteducation.com]
This link is to a news report from Alaska about a mother who objected to her adolescent son's involvement in a fundamentalist Christian church called the "Potter's House." Ultimately she worked through the police to stop the church from meeting with and influencing her son. And she later filed a lawsuit, which was settled out of court before trial. She received a substantial financial payment for pain and suffering.
Young Life is wrong to work with any minor children without first giving the parent(s) written notice and then obtaining a signed consent form. This is a simple process and can easily be done. If Young Life obtains written permission for a sleepover activity they can go through the same process for initial notification and permission to meet with a minor at all other activities.
Targeting minors for proselytizing without such notice and subsequent permission is unethical.
We are not talking about a "school group" or regular "job", but rather an organization that has a religious agenda.
Most parents don't specifically share the religious beliefs preached by Young Life, unless of course they are also "born-again" evangelical Christians.
Parents deserve the respect and consideration of being properly informed when Young Life attempts to influence the religious choices of their children. And parents legally have the right to object and if they wish stop their minor child's involvement with Young Life.
I suspect the reason Young Life doesn't have a formal notification and consent requirement in place is because the organization probably thinks that most parents would refuse after finding out, and quite likely tell their children to stay away from Young Life.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/28/2011 06:41AM by rrmoderator.