Scientology finally did it.

[Maxwell]

I have two veryg good friends named Daniel and kevin Holzinger, their parents are adamant scientologists, one day danny dissapears, kevin tells me their father sent him to work for the scientology church in LA, now daniel is sixteen, he was taken out of school and is now working 12 hours a day 7 days a week 4 weeks a month doing physical labour such as construction, or on "Break days" things like filing for the church, he is not being paid, and he is receving no education, then three months later, with no warning kevin dissapeared, according to his father, the same thing happened to him, I checked with the schools and they said because it is for "Religious purposes" they aren't allowed to do anything.
so in order to keep them memory alive i have compiled a two minute memorial video, please watch it and join in supporting A-Sexual danny(Daniel) and his little bro Fishboy(Kevin)
http://fast.filespace.org/FuzzyOne/socioscientology.mov

[EUOL]

Wow.

Just...wow.  I'm guessing you don't have email addresses for these guys, TFO?  

I like to give all religions the benefit of the doubt--after all, I myself belong to a religion that has often been maligned and misunderstood.  However, scientology just creeps me out.  

[Peter Ahlstrom]

Uhh... I am pretty sure that there are laws in this country that you have to have some sort of education until you are age 18, whether it be through public schools, career centers, or homeschooling. The government makes you prove that the education is being provided by making the kids take tests every year. So...this is really really weird-sounding to me.

Besides the fact that Scientology is evil and pernicious, this is very odd.

Has anyone else heard of similar  things happening? Mormons go off for 2 years and work for the church without getting paid, but this happens at age 19 or later and is completely voluntary...is there some kind of misunderstanding here?

[fuzzyoctopus]

Besides the fact that Scientology is evil and pernicious, this is very odd.

I'm sure not disagreeing....

I think they just have to prove the kids are being homeschooled somewhere don't they?  And they probably can fake that kind of thing to some extent, at least until the kid is 18.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

nooo... I'm pretty sure you're allowed to drop out of High School at a certain age, with parental/guardian consent.

[stacer]

Sixteen, to be exact. At least in Illinois.