Government Schools: Ever heard of Everson?

Like it or not, all education is by its very nature "religious." By religious, I mean it teaches a specific worldview. It could teach this worldview explicitly, or implicitly, but it teaches it nonetheless. As Bruce Shortt writes:

"There is no such thing as metaphysical neutrality. If a society or an institution rejects the Bible's teaching about the nature of God, man and the universe, then it necessarily accepts, implicitly or explicitly, some other worldview, whether it be materialist metaphysics of secular humanism, the cosmic humanism of the New Age religions, or something else. Government schools are no exception."

Perhaps you disagree, or think: "Well, there are some subjects that can be taught religiously neutral, like Math, or Geology..." Even if I would grant that (and I don't) that leaves all the other subjects being taught as not religiously neutral. Or perhaps you are of the mind that all courses can be taught in a religiously neutral way, kind of like spraying anti-bacterial religious spray on a course so all dangerous "religion" is disinfected prior to teaching. Let's look at some others and their position on this topic.

First, this principle was communicated by Jesus Christ in Luke:

"A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher." - Luke 6:40

Seems pretty straightforward; Christ understood that those that were taught, ended up being like their teachers. (Putting this in context, Christ has just asked the people: "Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch?" To which we could respond about our government schools: yes, both teachers and students have fallen into the ditch)

Second, this principle was also understood by Marxist and social-engineer extraordinaire, Adolf Hitler:

“When an opponent declares, "I will not come over to your side," I calmly say, "Your child belongs to us already... What are you? You will pass on. Your descendants, however, now stand in the new camp. In a short time they will know nothing else but this new community."” - Adolf Hitler [quote]
"Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it." - Adolf Hitler [quote]

Third, this principle was and is understood by prominent secular humanists:

"[T]he battle for humankind's future must be waged and won in the public school classrooms by teachers who correctly perceive their role as proselytizers of a new faith: a religion of humanity...These teachers must embody the same selfless dedication as the most rabid fundamentalist preachers. The classroom must and will become an arena of conflict between the old and new--the rotting corpse of Christianity, together with all its adjacent evils and misery, and the new faith..." - John Dunphy, The Humanist magazine. Jan/Feb 1983, p 26

"[E]ducation is thus a most powerful ally of humanism, and every public school is a school of humanism. What can the theistic Sunday school, meeting for an hour once a week, and teaching only a fraction of the children, do to stem the tide of a five-day program of humanistic teaching?" - Charles F. Potter, signer of the first Humanist Manifesto, Humanism: A New Religion, 1930, p128

"Our schools may not teach Johnny to read properly, but the fact that Johnny is in school until he is 16 tends to lean toward the elimination of religious superstition" - Paul Blanchard, humanist author, as quoted by Blair Adams and Joel Stein, Who owns the Children?, 1984

"[P]ublic education is the parochial education for scientific humanism" - Joe R. Burnett, editor of The Humanist, 1961

From those quotes can anyone really honestly hold the absurd position that "education is religiously neutral?" As my friends from the country would say: "That dog just don't hunt!"

The part that complicates most people is the use of the word "religion." Over the years, that word has been re-defined to mean: belief in God, or gods. Because of that narrow definition, it is possible for a person who "doesn't believe in God or gods" to state truthfully: "I'm not very religious." However, originally the word "religion" did not have that narrow of a meaning; originally the word meant: "to go over again" or "to consider carefully" or "to reconnect" or "a system of faith and worship." Given that broad a definition, when you see the word "religion" you should replace it in your mind with the word "worldview." This replacement in your mind is critical, because as I stated earlier, in our culture today it is acceptable for a person to claim to "not be religious" but it would intellectually dishonest for a person to claim "I don't have a worldview."

So if you are sending your children to a government school, the question you should be asking yourself is: What worldview (or religion) are they teaching?

Enter Everson v. Board of Education, 1947.
As background, recognize that the First Amendment to the Constitution prohibits, among other things, both "the establishment of religion" and interference with "the free exercises" of religion by the federal government. As a negative document, the Constititution does not grant powers to the Congress or federal courts to interject themselves into state actions affecting religion.
This meant that states could do what they wanted regarding religion and remain unaffected by the federal government; this was as intended.
Everson was a simple case. A New Jersey school board resolution was passed that stated that all parents whose children must ride public buses to school (not school buses), had to be reimbursed for the amount of the fares. The problem was that some parents were sending their children to Catholic parochial schools. The plaintiff, Arch Everson, claimed that this was a violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment (we will ignore the fact that Arch Everson was a member of the Junior Order of United American Mechanics, an organization closely tied to the Klan).
In Everson, the Supreme Court ruled that while the Establishment Clause had not been violated, it found that the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment applied to the states as a result of the adoption of the 14th Amendment. It was in this landmark case that Justice Hugo Black laid down the well known doctrine that the purpose of the Establishment Clause was to erect "a wall of separation between church and state." (I suppose we can also ignore that Justice Black had been a member of the Klan prior to his appointment to the Supreme Court).
Attorney Bruce Shortt explains the impact of this ruling this way:

"As a practical matter, Everson made the federal courts the arbiter of what the states could and could not do in the area of religion. Never mind that for the roughly eighty years following the adoption of the 14th Amendment no federal court had claimed or noticed that it had this power. Never mind...that the Congress rejected a proposed Constitutional amendment known as the Blain Amendment, which had as its express purpose the application of the religion clauses to the states.
Whatever reasons given by the Supreme Court for its actions in Everson, the truth of the matter is that the Court simple decided that it was time for the federal courts to force the transformation of American culture and its institutions -- including the government schools....A transformation in which Justice Black's 'wall of separation' language was to be intepreted eventually as requiring the elimination of all traces of a Christian worldview from government schools and, more generally, the public policies of the federal government and the states. In effect, Everson made the thorough secularization of government schools a mission of the federal courts."

Next time a person proposes that we need to "reform the public school system" remind them that it is currently the mandated mission of the federal court system to vehemently resist and thwart any such "reform" that would bring back "Christianity" into the public school system.

Curious as to how that "mission" has manifested itself in the policies of the government school system? Following are the guidelines as outlined by a report produced by the American United Research Foundation entitled: "Religion in the Public School Curriculum: Questions and Answers."

• The school's approach to religion is academic, not devotional.
• The school strives for student awareness of religions, but does not press for student acceptance of any religion.
• The school sponsors study about religion, not the practice of religion.
• The school may expose students to a diversity of religious views, but may not impose any particular view.
• The school educates about all religions, it does not promote or denigrate any religion.
• The school informs the student about various beliefs, but it does not seek to conform students to any particular belief.

What the above represents is what should be expected from the Establishment Clause: religious indifference.
But is it? As any teacher or student could attest, overt hostility toward Christianity is common in todays government schools. Currently, Department of Education attorney, Brian Jones, is trying to "bring some clarity to the perceived fuzziness in the law" which is legal-speak for: "do our best to halt some of the egregious hostility toward Christianity in government schools across the country." As expected, liberal groups like Americans United for Separation of Church and State are opposed to such "reforms."
So to recap, the current federally mandated "mission" is to achieve "religious indifference," what we have is "overt hostility to Christianity" and our current attempts to return to "religious indifference" are now being viewed as controversial by liberals. It is to this place that 85% of Christian parents send their children?

So what is the "worldview" being taught? We know it isn't Christian, but what is it?
The two most common are: secular humanism and New Age.
As you look at the two descriptions below, see if you recognize any of their "beliefs" in what you know is being taught at your child's government school.

Secular Humanism
The worldview of secular humanism is fairly easy to define because they defined it for us. The following are some of the key points of this worldview as outlined in the Humanist Manifesto (now in it's third revision).

• Regarded the universe as self-existing and not created
• Believed that man is a part of nature and that he emerged as a part of a continuous evolutionary process.
• Held an organic view of life and rejected mind/body dualism
• Rejected as scientifically unacceptable any purported supernatural or cosmic guarantee of human values
• Were convinced that the time had passed for religious views such as theism and deism.
• Considered the complete realization of human personality to be the purpose of man's life.
• Advocated establishment of a "socialized and cooperative economic order."
• Asserted that the purpose and program of humanism is the intelligent evaluation, transformation, control, and direction of all associations and institutions for the fulfillment of human life.

Currently, it is not considered a violation of the Establishment Clause to teach any of the above components of the Humanist worldview in the government school system, in fact, Darwin's theory of evolution even enjoys legal protection against competition thanks to a 1987 Supreme Court decision.


New Age
New Age is largely a worldview that stems from the work of such psychologists as Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers. Their views of "transpersonal psychology" mixed with eastern mysticism and the occult created the worldview that we commonly call: New Age. Wikipedia describes New Age this way:

The New Age (also known as the New Age Movement, New Age spirituality, and Cosmic Humanism) is a decentralized Western social and spiritual movement that seeks "Universal Truth" and the attainment of the highest individual human potential. It combines aspects of cosmology, astrology, esotericism, alternative medicine, music, collectivism, sustainability, and nature. New Age spirituality is characterized by an individual approach to spiritual practices and philosophies, while rejecting religious doctrine and dogma.

There is a general and abstract idea of God, which can be understood in many ways; seen as a superseding of the need to anthropomorphize deity. Not to be confused with pantheism.

Gods, angels, Ascended Masters, elementals, ghosts, faeries, Spirit guides and extraterrestrials can spiritually guide a person, if they open themselves to their guidance.^[24]

As you can see, the New Age worldview denies the existence of our transcendent God. In the New Age worldview, "all is god" or "all is becoming god." The New Age worldview will not lead your children toward the truth, it will lead them away from it by confusion and obfuscation.

The current basic practice of New Age is to deceive parents into accepting their theories by merely changing the terminology. As Dick Sutphen, a prominent New Ager, has written:

"One of the biggest advantages we have as New Agers is, once the occult, the metaphysical and New Age terminology is removed, we have concepts and techniques that are very acceptable to the general public. So we can change the names and demonstrate the power. In doing so, we open the New Age door to millions who would not be receptive."

A blatant example of the introduction of "New Age" thought into the public school systems is the adoption of the Waldorf curriculum, a curriculum based upon the New Age doctrines of Rudolph Steiner. The Waldorf curriculum has its roots in "Anthrosoposphy." In Anthrosopophy, Lucifer is regarded as the "god of light," his nemisis is Ahriman, the "god of darkness." According to Steiner, Christ came to earth as a sun god to balance the forces of light and darkness. The following is a snippet from The Waldorf Teacher's Survival Guide:

"Most of that which contributes to our work as teachers, preparation work, artistic work, even meditative work, is under the guardianship of Lucifer. We can become great teachers under his supervision, for he is responsible for much that has blossomed in the unfolding of the civilization and culture in the past."

A reporter researching the "Waldorf School Curriculum" sat in a government school in California and observed some of the more chilling components of the Waldorf liturgy. Before meals, children recite the following: "Earth, who gives to us this food, sun who makes it ripe and good. Dear sun, dear earth, by you we live, our living thanks to you we give."
Does this sound like teaching "religion" to you? It does to me, and yet the Waldorf program is considered by most school boards to be "non-religious" and has been spreading in government schools primarily through the charter school movement. WaldforfAnswers.org contains a list of the more than 35 Public Waldorf schools in America (3 are in Oregon).

And if it's not "Waldorf" it might be "Earthkeepers" quoted by one mother as being "more like a three-day introduction to Wicca and Deep Ecology than a program about environmental science."

Again, Bruce Shortt provides insight:

"Are you still convinced that sending your children to government schools is harmless? Is it plausible to think that given Wiccans, secular humanists, Gaia worshipers, and sundry purveyors of Easter religions or Islam the opportunity to proselytize your children through classroom instruction, textbooks, assemblies, field-trips, peer-pressure, extracurricular activities, and adult example for at least 35 hours a week makes no difference to their faith?
Evidence that Christians have failed to transmit their faith and values to their children is everywhere. Within two years of graduation from high school, between 70% and 88% of teenagers from evangelical families stop attending church."

Consider a study by the Nehemiah Institute that found a significant difference between those children attending government schools and those attending private Christian schools. For example, only 35.3% of the Christian children in government schools strongly agreed that "the foundation of all government is self-government under God," while 67.4% of the children attending private Christian schools strongly agreed.
The following contrast was even more disturbing: "Because human nature is constantly changing, values and ethics will also change. Therefore, each generation should be free to adopt moral standards appropriate to their preferences." 74.3% of Christian children attending private Christian schools strongly disagreed, which is still sad. But only a shockingly low 14.7% of Christian children attending government schools strongly disagreed with that statement!

If you still think there is nothing wrong with sending a child to be educated for 28,000 seat-hours by godless secular humanists you are either not paying attention, or are not being intellectually honest with yourself.
Ask yourself this simple question: Who benefits more by you sending your children to a government school: you or them? (if it helps, create two columns and chart the benefits for each).

When Paul wrote his second letter to Timothy, he wrote:

"No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier." - 2 Tim 2:4

We are in a battle, and the stakes are high. Isn't it time the church took a stand on the issue of childhood education and began instructing its members on the dangers inherent in "entangling ourselves with the affairs of this life?" Or will the church continue to be silent, and allow another generation to fall. In that same letter that Paul wrote to Timothy, he also wrote the following:

"And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, ^25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, ^26 and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will." - 2 Tim 2:24-26

As servants of the Lord, we "must not quarrel" with our brothers and sisters in Christ who blindly send their children to government schools being unaware of the dangers, but we instead "must be gentle to all" and "correct those in opposition" alerting them to the dangers, educating them to the truth, that all education by its very nature teaches a "worldview", so that "they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will." Only by doing so will be obedient to the commands of the Lord.

Government Schools: What does the Bible say?

"Public School vs. Home School"
Bring that topic up in your Sunday School class and watch the sparks fly. As a society, we know how important our children are; they are our future. As Christians we also know how important they are: they aren't ours, they are on "loan" to us by God, and He has given us some specific instructions for them.

That is the reason for the "sparks." No matter whether you are a firm believer that "home schooling" is the only way to go, or that your "children must be 'salt and light' in the public school" the topic is close to your emotions. Like a mother bear over her cubs, if someone tries to get between you and your children, your hackles go up.

But we can't just ignore the topic because it is difficult; that would be like the early church not tackling "meat sacrificed to idols" or "circumcision of Gentiles". We just have to be careful when we address it, and ensure that we are open to the leading of the Holy Spirit when we are confronted with a fact contrary to our own beliefs. [See my article on Worldviews for more details on why this is so important]

Before we dive into this topic, we should look at what the Scripture says about our children, and their education.

Contrary to what many people (Christians) may tell you, the Bible is not silent when it comes to the education of our children. In fact, it is quote loud and vocal about it. Consider the following:

In Deuteronomy 6:1-9, Moses stated:

“Now this is the commandment, and these are the statutes and judgments which the Lord your God has commanded to teach you, that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing over to possess, ^2 that you may fear the Lord your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. ^3 Therefore hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe it, that it may be well with you, and that you may multiply greatly as the Lord God of your fathers has promised you— ‘a land flowing with milk and honey.’

^4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! ^5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

^6 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. ^7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. ^8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. ^9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Psalm 78:5-8 outlines a perfect example of what happens when we reject God, His teaching, and His ways. When we reject God, we "forget the works of God" and become "stubborn and rebellious":

5) For He established a testimony in Jacob,
And appointed a law in Israel,
Which He commanded our fathers,
That they should make them known to their children;
6) That the generation to come might know them,
The children who would be born,
That they may arise and declare them to their children,
7) That they may set their hope in God,
And not forget the works of God,
But keep His commandments;
8) And may not be like their fathers,
A stubborn and rebellions generation,
A generation that did not set its heart aright,
And whose spirit was not faithful to God. - Psalm 78:5-8

After Moses completes the re-telling of the Law to the nation of Israel, he gives them this final command and admonition in Deut 32:46-47:

"46)Set your hearts on all the words which I testify among you today, which you shall command your children to be careful to observe -- all the words of this law. 47) For it is not a futile thing for you, because it is your life." - Deut 32:46-47

Joel 1:2-3 provides the perspective of the importance of being "multi-generational" in our communication of God's Truth to our children and grand-children:

2) Hear this, you elders,
And give ear, all you inhabitants of the land!
Has anything like this happened in your days,
Or even in the days of your fathers?
3) Tell your children about it,
Let your children tell their children,
And their children another generation.

And we are all familiar with this passage from Paul to the Ephesians, found in Ephesians 6:4:

"And you fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord." - Eph 6:4

In addition, Jesus Christ provides perfect insight when He explains in Luke 6:40:

"A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher"

There can be no doubt: The Bible doesn't just "request" or "suggest" that we train and teach our children in the ways of the Lord, it commands it. And even if you have a hard time seeing or wanting to "believe" that it is really that clear, you can't deny that to a Christian, providing their children a decidedly "Christian" education would be a "good" thing to do, and according to James 4:17: "to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin."

The question for Christians today should not be: "Is Home Schooling or private Christian schooling the only way to provide a 'Christian education'?" but instead should be, "Will I honestly be able to state to my Lord and Savior when I stand before Him that I believed my children received a 'Christian education' in a government school where teaching 'Christ' wasn't just forbidden, but was mocked?".
That is the question we must all ask ourselves.

If we can't answer that with an affirmative and confident "Yes!" then what are we thinking gambling with our children's lives?

The psalmist provides exceptional insight into this in Psalms 1:

1 Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
3 He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.
4 The ungodly are not so,
But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Putting our children in government schools is causing them to "walk in the counsel of the ungodly," to "stand in the path of sinners", to "sit in the seat of the scornful."

There is no excuse. The Scriptures are clear. We are commanded to provide our children with a Christian education. Not doing so puts our children at risk, and invites God's judgment upon our own lives.

While the church sleeps...

I attach an article that should be the focal point of discussion in churches all across America, and yet I doubt even 1/10 of 1% of pastors will even be aware of it, and of those aware of it, less will talk about it, and of those that talk about it, less will *do* anything about it.

Pastor’s in America have ignored Peter’s warning; they are not sober [in the Greek, this literally means “to save your mind”; from the root words: “sozo” and “phren”], they are not vigilant, and while the church sleeps, “our adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” [1 Pet 5:8] And many has he already devoured.

Sometimes people wonder why I am so passionate and vehement about my convictions. I wish I could honestly say it is only because I am a “strict adherent to God’s Word.” While that is a major factor, many times it is just out of plain abject fear; that what is being perpetrated against Christians in other countries will come here. Not because I would be afraid of the persecution personally, but because my children are innocent (and No, I’m not converting to Pelagianism, I realize they were born sinners. I am using the word “innocent” in the finite sense known to man) and yet that innocence could be taken from them not because of my direct actions, but because of the actions (and inactions) of those around me who as Paul says, have had “their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart.” [Eph 4:18]

This is not an issue of “faith;” I am well aware that God can do what He wants, when He wants, however He wants, with my help, without my help, in spite of my help. “Faith” that God can act is not enough. This is a matter of personal holiness. In 2 Peter 1:5-7, Peter instructs us: “giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.”

It is my prayer and my devotion that those in the church that are “blind” will have their eyes opened, that those that sit among us and claim “Christ as Lord” will have their “darkened understanding” bathed in the Light of God’s Word, that they will recognize that being a friend of the world is to be an enemy of God.

We live in a pivotal time, where “…some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron.” [1 Tim 4:1-2] We all must make a choice: God or Man. That choice will pit us against the world, and as the world creeps into our church, it will pit us against those we share a pew with. “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” [Joshua 24:15]

German Court Keeps Five Kids Because Parents are Homeschoolers

August 1, 2008

http://www.hslda.org/hs/international/Germany/200808010.asp

A homeschooling family in Southern Germany spent six hours in a grueling German Family Court session this week with the hopes of regaining custody of their six homeschooled children, who have been held in state custody since January. After the long and confusing session, the Gorbers regained custody of their 3-year-old son. The judge, meanwhile, retained custody of five other Gorber children now being kept in foster care and youth homes pending a court-ordered psychological evaluation of the parents. The court did allow increased visitation for some of the children up from one hour every two weeks that had been permitted since the children were seized in a surprise raid by the youth welfare office (“Jugendamt”) and police.

In January of 2008, Jugendamt and police officials surrounded the German home of the family while Mr. Gorber visited his wife at a local hospital where she had been admitted due to complications from her pregnancy with her ninth child. The oldest son, age 21, and a daughter, age 20, were not taken by the authorities, but all the other children were removed despite their repeated protests.

The siblings reported that the 7-year-old was gripped around the waist by a youth home music teacher, dragged kicking and screaming across the courtyard and thrown into a van. The terrified 3-year-old clung to his 20-year-old sister so tightly that even the police and Jugendamt could not separate them. Both had to be taken to the youth home, where at last the little fellow’s strength gave out and he could be taken into custody.

The children then received psychological exams which all reported that they were normal and well-functioning. Although these evaluations attested to appropriate parenting, the judge indicated that he was unwilling to allow the other children, all of school age, to return home because he did not believe the father’s assurances that he would enroll the children in school.

Someone who attended the six-hour hearing described the scene as “bedlam in the courtroom, without any attempt by the judge to impose discipline. The parties kept interrupting each other and everyone spoke at once.” Some of the children have reported that their court-appointed attorneys said they will fight to keep them in foster care despite the children’s firmly stated desire to return home to their parents.

Many in Europe are critical of Germany’s Jugendamt. Germany has Europe’s highest incidence of removing children from their homes. A recent article in Germany's Zeitung newspaper showed figures indicating that the removal of children from their homes was up 12.5% this year in Germany while the number of abused children remained the same.

Opponents have accused the child welfare system in Germany of corruption driven by exorbitant payments by the government to children’s homes and foster care providers. This “youth welfare industry” is financed by a 21 billion euro budget. The local operating youth welfare committees include privately owned and for-profit children’s care institutions who participate with legal sanction on the committees with two-fifths of the total vote. No other child welfare system in the world is known to allow this type of intermingling between government and commercial enterprises. Such an intermingling would appear to create a serious conflict of interest.

This is of particular concern to homeschooling families in Germany in light of court decisions and a recent change to the federal youth welfare law that was signed by German President Roland Koch on July 5 of this year. The law, BGB 1666, establishes the standard by which family courts are to determine whether custody of parents can be taken away. The law was changed to make it easier for children to be removed by the Jugendamt when the children are “endangered.” But endangerment is not defined in the law. The highest German courts have ruled that homeschooling is not tolerated because it creates “parallel societies” and is an abuse of parent’s rights. Administrative agencies and courts have stated that the failure to send children to school is by definition “endangerment.”

Until last year, homeschooling families had mostly been harassed with exorbitant fines. This year however, Rosemarie and Juergen Dudek of Archfeldt, Germany were sentenced to three months each in prison for homeschooling. In a previous family court case involving the Dudeks, the judge declined to take away the parental rights of the parents. It was thought that the Dudeks cared for and educated their children too well to justify penal removal of the children under the legal clause “misuse of parental authority.” During the Dudek’s criminal trial the judge ordered a 900 euro fine against the family for not sending their children to school. Not satisfied with this “lenient” sentence, local State Prosecutor Herwig Mueller told Mr. Dudek “you won’t have to worry about paying the fine, because I’m going to send you to jail.” His appeal of the fine resulted in the latest prison sentence for Mr. And Mrs. Dudek.

More homeschooling families have fled Germany as a result of this persecution, as it now appears that family court judges and the Jugendamt are ready and willing to take children away from their parents simply because they are being homeschooled. Nevertheless, “We are greatly encouraged by the thoughts and prayers of American homeschoolers,” said Mr. Dudek in a recent phone conversation with HSLDA Staff Attorney Michael Donnelly. “It gives us hope to know that there are people who have the freedom to educate their own children at home. We so appreciate the letters and notes of encouragement. These letters help us maintain our focus and in seeking God’s will for our family.”

These cases are drawing attention within Germany and across Europe.

Kathy Sinnott, a European parliament member from Ireland, criticized Germany’s treatment of homeschooling and the way the Jugendamt treat non-German families residing in Germany. In a recent press release, Sinnot said “…Germany’s approach to home schooling compromises this [European law on mobility] and forces families to choose between a job and the best interests of the children. The need for family-friendly employment policies must be recognized throughout the EU. We need to have flexibility in the education of children temporarily resident because of work. There is also an issue around the attitude to non-German families in the German children’s courts. I hope the dialogue between the Commission and the German State will resolve this discriminatory situation.”

A member of the SPD party in Bavaria, Germany also stated in a recent radio interview that that “Imprisonment or fines in this matter are absolutely excessive in my opinion, because homeschooling can provide very high-quality outcomes. This topic is definitely one which we must work through politically. There can be no black-white declarations, but we must discuss this without ideological blinders on.” Although encouraging, it will take more than one or two members of state legislatures to effect the needed change.

Donnelly, during a recent trip to Germany to encourage homeschoolers and to work for change, met with the Gorber family as well as with policy and lawmakers at the European Union and in the German State of Baden Wurttemberg.

“This poor, simple family is being crushed by unbearable pressure from the German state’s police power, primarily because they are homeschoolers,” Donnelly said. “This father of nine, a woodworker, told me how difficult this is and the incredible strain it’s placing on his children, his wife and himself. As longtime homeschoolers, they have irritated the local youth authorities who needed only the pretext of the hospitalization of the mother and other exaggerated claims to seize the children.” Donnelly noted that “while there are some policy makers in some of the states who are willing to take on this important issue of human rights, most couldn’t be bothered. It is going to take increased public awareness and international pressure to confront German Society with this outrageous behavior. Unfortunately it looks like more parents will have to go to jail and more children taken into state custody before German public policy makers wake up and do something. It’s very disturbing that Germany can get away with this kind of behavior with such little public comment by other Western governments.”

HSLDA is committed to working with national and international ministries and associations to support German homeschoolers in their fight to be free from persecution. The right of parents to direct the upbringing and education of their children is a fundamental human right, and HSLDA is grateful for the support of its members to defend this freedom here in the United States and abroad.

If you would like to send a note of encouragement to the Gorber Family write to them at:

Family Gorber
Max-Mutscheller-Str.2
88662 Überlingen
Germany

My son's first camp experience...

My son, Caleb, returned from camp this week on Thursday. It was his first time at an over-night camp.

Upon arrival by my wife to pick him up, the first words out of his mouth were: "I hated it. I never want to go back."

Suffice it to say, my wife was a bit shocked, you see, she used to work at this camp, in fact, she worked at this camp for three (3) years when she was in her late teens/early twenty's. Even more, it was at this exact camp where she made the most important decision in her life: to accept Jesus Christ as her personal Savior.

I could tell you what he told us, but it would probably be better to just allow him, you see while he was there, he kept a journal of what took place (we taught him journaling a number of years ago). [Names have been obfuscated to protect their identity]

July 15, 2008:
"I found out 2 nights ago that every person in my cabin cusses except M---, and I think C---. Even A--- cusses. So far I am having a hard time here...I am the only one in my cabin who doesn't talk about how long it takes them to poop, how big their poop is and junk like that. It makes it hard to make friends when they act so immature..."
"A--- also punches me for no reason....I just bought candy. A---is being really annoying, he pushes me around for no reason. Yesterday he out of the clear blue started hitting me with the broom really hard..."
"Tonight at worship A--- sat downt he whole time and did not sing, he just chewed gum and D---fell asleep. A--- called me an idiot and gay 2 nights ago. Then he cussed at me. I have a hard time fitting in, I am the salt and light and it is hard when you are surrounded by darkness...."
"I just found out almost everyone in my cabin has/had a girlfriend (my cabin is 10-13) and they have girlfriends!"

July 16, 2008
"I really want to sleep in my own bed. Almost every person in our cabin is saying: 'Wouldn't it be awesome if we could bring our girlfriends and have sex with them..."
"Now everybody in my cabin hates me cause I fell and hurt my knee...All the people in my cabin think I look dumb cause I pull my socks up and tuck my shirt in..."
"This is so far one of the worst times of my life. A--- hated me from the first day. I wish I could go home. I never want to go to camp again."
"K--- also went on my bed with dirty shoes. Now he is teasing me about what I am writing in my Journal. Then he sat on my suitcase. He is being very annoying. He keeps looking at my Journal, then finally our counselor told him to go to bed. My suitcase is breaking because people (K---) sit on it!"
"Earlier K--- started pulling my socks down and all of them started yelling things like 'You'll never get a girl looking like that!' I said: 'I don't want a girl'
"My dad was so right. I can see why 95% of public school kids from churches will leave their faith by the time they are 18. I mean, A--- calls himself a Christian and he cusses. Everybody in my cabin does, except M---, Z--- our counselor and I."
"I want to go back to my Christian family. I think I know why public school kids don't miss their parents cause they are gone 8 hours a day for like 6 months. Homeschoolers are with their parents 24/7."
"Earlier today D--- said: 'I am not a virgin'"

That is just the items in his Journal; what he told us in person was more detailed.

And this was a "Christian" camp. All of these children were from "Christian" homes. Many of these children came with their church youth group. All of these children attend government schools (also called "public schools")

When I have conversations with parents about why we have chosen to homeschool our children, almost all of them say: "We send our children to public school so they can be 'salt and light' and influence the other children there."
Based upon my experience with their children, and the experience of my son, and the volumes of statistical data, I think there is definitely some "influencing" going on in the public school. The problem is that the influence is not the kind they want: Their "salt and light" children are being converted to secular humanism right under their noses.

"[P]ublic education is the parochial education for scientific humanism."
- Joe R. Burnett, the Humanist Magazine, 1961 [Exodus Mandate]

"[E]ducation is thus a most powerful ally of humanism, and every public school is a school of humanism. What can teh theistic Sunday School, meeting for an hour once a week, and teaching only a fraction of the children, do to stem the tide of a five-day program of humanistic teachings?"
- Charles F. Potter, Humanism: a New Religion, 1930, signer of the Humanist Manifesto

"Our schools may not teach Johnny to read properly, but the fact that Johnny is in school until he is 16 tends to lean toward the elimination of religious superstition"
- Paul Blanchard, as quoted by Blair Adams and Joel Stein, Who owns the Children, 1984

"I am convinced that the battle for humankind's future must be waged and won in the public school classroom by teachers that correctly perceive their role as proselytizers of a new faith: a religion of humanity that recognizes and respects the spark of what theologians call divinity in every human being...
The classroom must and will become an arena of conflict between the old and new -- the rotting corpse of Christianity, together with all its adjacent evils and misery, and the new faith of humanism, resplendent with the promise of a world in which
the never-realized Christian ideal of 'love thy neighbor' will finally be achieved."
[Emphasis added.]-- John J Dunphy,"A Religion for a New Age", The Humanist, 1983

You're a Christian; you love your children; you know that the Bible instructs you to raise them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Yet, you send them for their education to an institution from which all vestiges of Christianity were driven out long ago. An institution that is also steeped in secular humanist and neo-pagan theologies.
That institution, of course, is a government school.

Do you really believe that sending them for 15,000 hours of "teaching" during their most fragile and impressionable years to an institution dominated by secular humanism and New Age paganism will not have an impact on them spiritually? Do you believe that we are not commanded to give our children an explicitly Christian education?

Consider the following scenario:

Imagine there is a disease that infects all humans. It is a very painful disease, totally debilitating and life destroying. In the end, the disease is fatal. You know the disease exists, you learned about it from your parents. You also know that there are treatments that can be used to prevent it from destroying your own children.

One of those treatments is quite simple, it is administered by the village leaders. It doesn't require much work on your part, in fact, during the time of administration, your children aren't even around, they are even fed by the village leaders. But there is a downside: it only has about a 8-12% chance of success.

There is another treatment, however but it is much more complicated and involved. It requires daily dosage monitoring and a substantial amount of time investment with each child. You know that those parents who have chosen this treatment usually have less "riches" because of the extra time that it requires of them, but then again, it has a success rate of around 94%, they consider it a small sacrifice for saving the lives of their children.

The decision is before you: which option will you choose?

You know that Sally's children went through the village leader's treatment, and they seem just fine; none of her children have started to show any symptoms of the disease. You also know of Hank's children, his children are grown and have children of their own, and they also went though the village leader's treatment and have only a few symptoms, so it can't be all that bad.
The other treatment requires so much work and involvement and sacrifice, and besides, the village leader's treatment takes 10-12 years before we know if it is successful, it could be that by the time your children get through their treatment program, their success rate will be higher.
["Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man...And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting..." - Rom 1:22-23a, 28]

Who among us would even consider choosing the "village leader's treatment" with it's 8-12% success rate? Among Christian's in America: it is 85%.
85% of Christian parents in America send their children to be "treated" by the "village leaders" in their government schools, and 88-92% of those children leave their "faith" in Christ behind by their 19th year. [www.sepschool.org]

"Listen to the word of the Lord, O sons of Israel,

for the LORD has a case against the inhabitants of the land.

Because there is no faithfulness or kindness

Or knowledge of God in the land.

There is swearing, deception, murder, stealing, and adultery,

They employ violence, so that bloodshed follows bloodshed.

Therefore the land mourns. . .

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

Because you have rejected knowledge,

I also will reject you from being my priest.

Since you have forgotten the law of your God,

I also will forget your children.

The more they multiplied, the more they sinned against me;

I will change their glory into shame.

They feed on the sin of My people,

and direct their desires toward their iniquity.

And it will be, like people, like priest;

So I will punish them for their ways, and repay them for their deeds.

And they will eat, but not have enough;

They will play the harlot, but not increase,

Because they have stopped giving heed

to the LORD."

Hosea Chapter 4:1-10

Christian Church in America.

wake up

Wake up

Wake Up

WAKE UP!