A week ago, the German police raided a home in Southeast Germany with a SWAT-like team and stole away the family’s four children. The parents' crime was believing the Bible. Deuteronomy 6 instructs each of us that we should teach our children when they sit in our house, when they walk by the way, when they lie down, and when they rise up. We call this "homeschooling" or "home-based education". It is God’s biblical design for education, and after being rediscovered, it has been a remarkable success here in the United States.
But why should Americans care about what is going on in Germany? After all, it is a different culture. Aren't they just trying to control the Muslims with mandatory schooling? Homeschooling is legal in all 50 states, though in some states, like Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, the laws are less than ideal. But isn't America the land of the free and Germany the land that long ago traded liberties for socialized healthcare and 30 days of mandatory vacation?
- Obviously, we should care because it is simply inhumane to have police break into a family’s house and take well-cared for children away from their parents. Germany is a major economic power and world leader that should, frankly, know and be better then this. Their own history should make them abhor this type of action.
- The second reason is the Romeike family. The Romeikes arrived in the United States from Germany, fearing that this exact same thing would happen to them. In 2010, an immigration judge granted them political asylum. However, Eric Holder and the Obama administration specifically took up the cause against the Romeike family by appealing the judge's decision. They convinced the courts that coming to America to escape persecution and to follow Deuteronomy 6 in educating children was not worthy of refuge. The justice department apparently must have been educated in the public school system; a system which missed a major part about the founding of modern America. I refer to the historical event in which some people called "Pilgrims" landed from England to escape religious persecution in 1620.
Not worried? Hasn't homeschooling gotten to be too big of a force to stop in the United States? In one fell swoop that may be true, but who would thought that the U.S. government would force large companies in America to give birth control pills to their employees? Every parent needs to be vigilant. There are many in America who no longer believe that America is about liberty, but is instead about mob rule. This is a philosophy which states that "as long as we can get the majority opinion, we can do whatever we want", including controlling your children. Why else would the justice department have made such a great effort in the Romeike case to deny that controlling the education of your own children is a human right that all should enjoy?
What can we do about this?
1) We need to pray. We will not be able to win this battle on our own cunning, strength, and ability.
2) Support HSLDA as they fight for the Romeikes and the Wunderlichs.
3) Support parental rights wherever you can, including supporting the parental rights amendment.
4) Don’t participate in government school programs which pose as homeschooling programs here in the US. These programs will be the easiest avenue for those opposed to homeschooling to get control of homeschooled children and put an end to parental control of education. We know the money is very nice, but don’t sell out hard-fought rights for a laptop.
5) Support politicians who believe in individual rights, justice, and freedom more then short term economic development, special interests, and “crony” capitalism.
6) Become a member of a Bible-believing church that supports parental discipleship, training of children, and persecuted Christians around the world.
