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Christian families fined $7,500 for homeschooling.

Discussion in 'Travel Forum' started by Ingo Breuer, May 20, 2006.

  1. Ingo Breuer

    Ingo Breuer Member

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    What would you do if the government fines you $7,500 for homeschooling your children according to your beliefs?

    That is a reality, unfortunately, in Germany, where mandatory school attendance means you have to attend a public opr government licensed private school or you are basically a truant. So Germany, unlike most werstern European countries, does not tolerate homeschooling and severelz punishes those who for conscience and for their faith's sake homeschool their children nevertheless (Acts 5:29).

    Beside several cases of government harassment from the last 2 years, there are new cases even now. The government changed its strategy and tries to compel homeschoolers to send their kids back to public schools by fining them with extremely high fines that threaten the financial existence of those families. In particular there are two cases. One in Lüdenscheid and one in Bautzen near Dresden in East Germany. The Krautter family has received a notice this month to pay a fine of an equivalent amount of $7,500 (€ 6,000). I read a copy of the notice thez received from the school authorities and it reads like an attempt to intimidate them. Some of the supporters of homeschooling have gotten together and tried to send tiny little cent amount to pay toward the fine. Receiving dozens if not hundreds of small cent amounts makes it hard for the state bookkeepers to keep track of what's already been paid toward the fine. By increasing their workload we try to discourage them from sending out these enormously high fines against homeschooling families. The school authorites in east Germany have used the media to threaten further measures if the kids are not back in a government school. That would be a removal of custody for the children and a lawsuit against the parents for "neglecting their duty of care and upbringing of the the children." What bitter irony! The parents' intention for homeschooling is the fact that they do care and want to bring up those children right for the Lord. According to the modern German worldview children are to be raised as future human resouce for the economy. That's all they think about. They don't have the perspective anymore for raising up children for the Lord like Hannah did in 1. Samuel, for example. The Germans don't know about Psalm 127 & 128 or Ephesians 6:4.

    Let us help create an outcry of outrage about this. If you can read German, you can go to my website at http://www.christenkurier.de to read up on the situation. I might get an interview with one of the homeschooling parents who actually speak English, too. I'll publish it here. So we can listen to their testimony of the government-mandated suppression of homeschooling in Germany. Thank you in advance for any help.
     
  2. gb93433

    gb93433 Active Member
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    You can view it as an opportunity or a condemnation.

    Some of the strongest Christian people I have met were from the USSR and grew up under communism. Some of the weakest I have met have grown up under affluence and ease.

    I am a Christian who teaches in a public university and see Christian students living for Christ all the time. They know the difference. They pray for other students and their professors. The fact is that the church is growing the most where the opposition is the strongest.

    I believe the enemy is great when one cannot tell the difference between the Christian and the non-Christian.

    I do not like it that the US buys gas from Muslim countries and aids abortionists. I do not like it where a lot of my tax money goes. But I live here temporarily until heaven meets me. Until that time I am to honor God in everything I do. The most important thing is that I live for Christ and help others to live for Him.

    Two years ago I took a trip with some students I did not know very well. In that van were some students sharing their faith with the rest of the students who were not Christians.

    My daughter is in the local high school. She shares her faith in writing, with other students and in the classroom in assignments she is given. At times she is challenged and shares with my wife and I what happened. It gives us great opportunity to teach her about what the Bible says. It also allows us to teach her how to approach others and handle opposition in a respectful way. Most of the time she asks tougher questions of us than most adults. She prays for people and stands up for her faith.

    [ May 22, 2006, 12:54 AM: Message edited by: gb93433 ]
     
  3. Gestalt

    Gestalt New Member

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    Persecution must come, Jesus tells us, but woe to the persecutors. What must the children in Germany become as adults if all they know is what the state tells them?

    I attended public schools in the U.S. my first two years, then private, Christian schools for 7 years, then public schools for the next 4 years. I am glad that I received a solid background in the Christian schools, but I learned in the private schools that answers that satisfied me were easily dismissed by most of them. So, I had to learn better ways to argue.
     
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