Americans Warned: Home-Schoolers Stripped of Rights

Dale Hurd/CBN News

Recently, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has said that homeschooling is not a parent's right. It is a statement some are saying should frighten American parents.

Uwe and Hannelore Romeike (right) began home schooling in Germany because they didn't want their children exposed to things like witchcraft and graphic sex education, which are taught in German schools. (CBN News)

Nations like Germany and Sweden show that when governments take away homeschooling rights, it's a slippery slope to no parental rights.

America the Refuge or Not

The Romeike family came to the United States from Germany five years ago hoping to find refuge. They wanted to homeschool their children in freedom and a federal judge granted them asylum.

But now the Obama administration has been trying to deport them, arguing that homeschooling is not a right. The case is currently before a federal appeals court.

Uwe and Hannelore Romeike began homeschooling in Germany because they didn't want their children exposed to things like witchcraft and graphic sex education that are taught in German schools. 

"There were stories where [school children] were encouraged to ask the devil for help instead of God and actually the devil would help (in the story)," Uwe said.

"When we found out what's in the textbooks, it's exactly the opposite from what the Bible tells us and teaches us, and we wanted to protect [our children]," his wife, Hannelore, added.

But homeschooling is illegal in Germany, except in rare cases. And many homeschooling parents are persecuted with fines, jail or the loss of their children.

Homeschoolers Going Into Exile?

Most homeschoolers in America are left alone. But what if state politicians and the federal government started to move against it?

Two of the worst nations for homeschoolers are Germany and Sweden. If you want to see what things might be like if homeschooling was banned in America, travel to Sweden, where the government controls education and the homeschooling movement has been crushed.

In fact, the head of the Swedish Homeschooling Association, Jonas Himmelstrand, had to take his family into exile. They fled to Finland.

"We're in exile. We were forced out of our country and that makes a stronger impact than I can imagine," he told CBN News. "This was our country. This was where we had our friends and business relationships and a whole lot of things and now we're pushed away from it."

Attorney Michael Donnelly, of the Homeschool Legal Defense Association, called the situation "incredible for a nation like Sweden that calls itself a free nation, a democracy, so to speak."

Ruby Harrold-Claesson, president of the Nordic Committee for Human Rights, went even further, branding Sweden a dictatorship where social workers tell parents what to do.

"Sweden claims to be a democracy but it's far from it. It's a dictatorship," he said. "You have the social workers dictating how people are to live. You're not supposed to be different. You're not supposed to be different from anyone else in Sweden. Everyone is supposed to be uniform. They want to have these cookie cutter children."

Claesson is also the lawyer representing Christer and Annie Johansson, who have lost custody of their son Domenic, because of homeschooling. After Domenic was abducted by Swedish officials, Annie's health began to fail.

Christer said the stress of the ordeal is killing his wife.

"If we cannot solve this issue soon, Domenic won't have a mother anymore," he said.

Russia, A Homeschooling Haven

Nations like Germany and Sweden could learn a thing or two about parent's rights from, of all places, Russia, which is one of the freest nations in which to homeschool.

"We have complete freedom of home education in Russia, in terms of legality," Pavel Parfentiev, a family rights advocate in Russia, said.

"The Russian Federation is sort of a champion of human rights in this particular area, so of course I think it is a good example for both Germany and Sweden where home educators are persecuted," he said.

Among the persecuted, German homeschooler Juergen Dudek has been taken to court every year for the past 10 years by the German Jugendamt, or Youth Office.

"The Youth Office, I used to call it the 'Gestapo for the Young.' As soon as they step in, as soon as they get hold of you, you've really got problems," Dudek said.

German homeschooler Dirk Wunderlich and his wife have lost custody of their children, although they are still allowed to live with them. He also told CBN News he expects to be sent to jail, but said he will never stop homeschooling.

"But I'm not afraid of this. I'm only sad for my family. I will go (to jail) laughing. You can do what you want but my children will not go to school," he said.

America Safe for Homeschoolers?

In America, a red flag went up earlier this year when the Justice Department argued in the Romeike case that homeschooling is not a fundamental human right.

A source close to the case said the White House cares more about relations with Germany than about a family seeking political asylum.

Asylum for the Romeikes might open a floodgate of refugees from Germany, further embarrassing the German government.

Uwe Roemike, who makes his living as a piano teacher, knows what to expect if they're deported.

"First they would fine us with increasingly higher fines and they would threaten to take away custody," he explained.

"There might be jail time, too, but the main threat is the aspect of custody because then, of course, the children are taken away from you completely and that's what no family wants," he said.

Uwe said the fact the White House would be willing to deny homeschooling freedom to his family, should make all American homeschoolers concerned.

Source: Charisma News, via Julio Severo in English: www.lastdayswatchman.blogspot.com

Recommended Reading:

Homeschooling Family Face Deportation by the US Government

Brazilian Evangelical Caucus Condemns Venezuelan Dictator for “Homophobia”

By Julio Severo

Rep. João Campos (PSDB-GO), who heads the Evangelical Parliamentary Caucus in the Brazilian Congress, introduced a proposition against Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro.

Nicolás Maduro

The proposition, which condemns the dictator for “homophobia,” was passed unanimously March 4 in the Human Rights Committee (HRC) of the Brazilian House of Representatives, where Pentecostal minister Marco Feliciano is the president.

As reported by GospelPrime, Campos’ proposition came in answer to the recent demonstrations against the permanence of Feliciano in the HRC presidency. The demonstrations have been provoked by the ruling Workers’ Party and other socialist parties that are favorable to the Maduro dictatorship.

“I think that this committee has the duty of manifesting its view by rejecting this prejudiced and bigoted behavior,” João Campos said.

The proposition condemns declarations by Maduro which, if made by Feliciano or Pentecostal televangelist Silas Malafaia, would have been unceremoniously condemned by the Workers’ Party and by the mainstream liberal media as blatantly “homophobic.”

Opportunistic Communist “Homophobia”

In a speech against candidate Henrique Capriles, the dictator hinted that his political opponent in the elections for the Venezuelan presidency was a homosexual. Last March 12, Maduro said in Caracas: “Yes, I do have a woman, did you listen? I like women.” Next, Maduro kissed his wife. The intention was clearly to indispose the opponent with the more conservative feelings of the voters.

Capriles, 40, is single. At that time, he responded, “I want to send a message rejecting the homophobic declarations of Maduro. It is not the first time. I believe in a society without exclusion, in which nobody is excluded by his views, his beliefs, his sexual orientation.”

The Workers’ Party and its allies did nothing to condemn the “homophobia” of Maduro. The Dilma Rousseff administration didn’t send any protest memo to the Venezuelan government.

The situation of Capriles is very similar to what Gilberto Kassab suffered in the mayorship election of São Paulo in 2008. His political opponent was Marta Suplicy, a Workers’ Party member, whose electoral TV show asked: “Is Kassab married? Does he have children?” The man responsible for the question—aimed at neutralizing the chances of candidate Kassab—was Workers’ Party political advisor João Santana.

According to Reinaldo Azevedo (columnist of Veja, the Brazilian counterpart of Time magazine), Santana is now an advisor for Maduro in Venezuela.

Woe to Marco Feliciano, Silas Malafaia or Yours Truly if any of us say that a candidate is disqualified on the basis of sodomy.

But Nicolás Maduro and Marta Suplicy, with Santana’s assistance, get away with attacking their political opponents with insinuations of homosexuality. Of course, they wouldn't think of confronting gay activists’ demonstrations disturbing their meetings and accusing them of “homophobic,” “fundamentalist,” “bigoted,” etc.

The Workers’ Party friends have carte blanche to trample homosexuals who get in their way. But if a Christian opens his mouth to say that in the Bible God condemns homosexuality, they crush him.

The gay movement, behaving like a group of dim witted sheep, only bleats angrily at the victims pointed out by the Workers’ Party. No bleating at the Venezuelan dictator. No bleating at Suplicy.

The only public figure in Brazil denounced Suplicy for her inconsistences and opportunism was the late Clodovil Hernandes, the most visible homosexual in the country. But he was hated by the Workers’ Party and by the dim witted sheep, because he openly opposed hate crimes bills and gay “marriage.”

Good Intentions of the Evangelical Caucus Backfire

The intention behind the proposition of the Evangelical Caucus is to instigate the Brazilian Congress to counter the inconsistency of the Workers’ Party and other socialists, who condemn Pentecostal ministers like Feliciano for any view opposing to homosexuality, but they turn a blind eye to socialists’ attitudes that sully sacred homosexuality.

The intention is good and merits congratulations. But the implementation of it may backfire, because if Maduro can be condemned for “homophobia” for expressing rejection (or for outwitting) of the political opponent’s homosexuality, who can protect the Evangelical Caucus from propositions that likewise condemn what the Workers’ Party and other socialists see as “homophobia” in Marco Feliciano, Silas Malafaia and Julio Severo?

The Evangelical Parliamentary Caucus (EPC) proposition against Maduro can legitimate similar propositions against everyone in the front lines of the fight against gay agenda tyranny.

The ideal field for the EPC to show this Workers’ Party inconsistency—condemnation of Feliciano, but cover for dictator Maduro, is a denunciation from the floor of the Congress.

Showing solidarity to the communist tyranny or its victims?

Does Maduro deserve a negative proposition coming from the Brazilian Congress? Of course he does! A proposition condemning the Venezuelan dictator for his connections with the murderous communist government in Cuba and his tyrannical control over Venezuela would be most welcome.

Years ago, Brazilian Protestant leader Ariovaldo Ramos traveled in an entourage of allies of the socialist Brazilian president Lula to show solidarity to dictator Hugo Chávez. After the death of Chávez, Ramos thanked God “for the privilege of having lived together with this personality of my generation.”

Ramos, a former World Vision president in Brazil, also said: “The best thing one can say of a man is that, because he passed through here, the world is a better place! One can say this of Hugo Chávez!”

That is the same Ramos who represents the Brazilian evangelical left very well and who signed a public manifesto against Feliciano. With Gilberto Carvalho, a Workers’ Party strong man, he also recently formed a partnership with the Workers’ Party government on behalf of the evangelical population.

In Ramos, the people of Venezuela saw an evangelical leader who represented Brazilian evangelicals in the support of the communist tyranny that took hold in Venezuela.

Up to now the Venezuelan people have seen no sign from Brazil that Brazilian evangelical leaders disagree with Ramos and his deplorable support of the Venezuelan tyranny. No Brazilian evangelical representative traveled to the oppressed Venezuelan nation to show solidarity to the victims of communism.

I look forward for the Evangelical Parliamentary Caucus, represented by its president Rep. João Campos, to launch a much needed, long-awaited campaign against this tyranny.

And I look forward for the Human Rights Committee under the presidency of Feliciano to do what it has never done when it was under the control of the Workers’ Party and accomplices: to condemn the systematic violations of human rights of Christians in Cuba, Iran and other nations ruled by tyrants friends of the Workers’ Party.

With information of Reinaldo Azevedo, UOL Notícias and GospelPrime.

Portuguese version of this article: Bancada evangélica condena ditador da Venezuela por “homofobia”

Source: www.lastdayswatchman.blogspot.com

Recommended Reading:

Article by Julio Severo published in the first issue of the official magazine of the Evangelical Parliamentary Caucus

“What does ANAJURE exist for?” The Marco Feliciano case

Homeschooling Family Face Deportation by the US Government

By Julio Severo

The US government is contesting a court decision that had granted asylum to a homeschooling family from Germany. US officials argue that the German Christian family, who were suffering religious persecution from German officials, should be deported back to Germany.

The Romeikes

Uwe and Hannelore Romeike fled Germany in 2008 after authorities fined them thousands in euros and forcibly took their children because they homeschool. In 2010, a U.S. immigration judge granted the Romeikes political asylum — the first time this status was granted based on compulsory schooling laws. The judge found the family had legitimate fear of persecution in Germany, where a small group of Christian homeschooling families have already been jailed, fined, and stripped of their children. 

But the Department of Homeland Security immediately disputed the judge’s decision. Attorney General Eric Holder has also entered the dispute, arguing Germany’s ban on homeschooling fails to violate the family’s fundamental rights. 

Is religious freedom no longer important for America? Apparently not, especially if the victim is a follower of Jesus Christ.

Weeks ago Secretary of State John Kerry was barely off the plane in Germany before he embarrassed the Pilgrims and American founders with what is perhaps the worst statement on religious freedom ever offered. Kerry said the United States protects religious freedom because “In America, you have a right to be stupid.”

This is a very interesting statement coming from the US government. The US State Department has not only made homosexual rights its top priority, but it has also been advocating them around the world. And if Third World nations do not accept them, US aid is denied. America is determined to impose her homosexual imperialism on the world because she sees sexual perversion as more important than persecution of Christians. And if you do not see such interests as top priority, the US cultural warfare machine will label you “stupid.”

The problem is that the Romeikes did not flee Germany because of such interests. They fled because the German government is insistent on its defense of an old Third Reich law banning homeschooling. The Nazi law is being used now to persecute Christian families who homeschool their children.

If forced to return to their native Germany, the Christian family faces huge fines and criminal penalties, and could lose custody of their five school-age children.

Michael Farris, founding chairman of the Home School Legal Defense Association, is suing the US Department of Justice on behalf of the Romeikes. He said, “I really wonder what would’ve happened to the Pilgrims under this administration.”

The Pilgrims are very fortunate not to be alive today to apply for asylum in America. Fortunately for them, they arrived at America in a non-politically correct century.

They wanted America to be a safe harbor for persecuted Christians. Instead, America has increasingly become a safe harbor for homosexual activists from other nations. I have read about gay activists from Brazil who were granted asylum by asserting that there is persecution of gays in Brazil.

The Brazilian government bestows millions on gay groups and their political projects. They have government, media and other powerful institutions — even the United Nations — prostrated at their feet. In contrast, Christians preaching against their filthy behavior are threatened and persecuted by the Brazilian government and media.

Even so, Brazilian homosexuals are able to get asylum in America.

In today’s “free America” (free for sodomy), only gay Pilgrims would be welcome. Immigration officials would ask them, “Why are you coming to America?”

And they might respond, “Because the Brazilian government has refused to grant us billions of dollars for our comprehensive cause of societal change. We have received only a few millions. This is persecution! This is ‘homophobia!’”

Yet, the sheer stupidity is not Brazilian gays being granted asylum to join their American lovers in America and increase their power for ideological militancy. The right to be stupid, according to Kerry, belongs to people hungry for freedom to worship God and homeschool their children, not to depraved individuals hungry for filthy homosexual sex acts.

In this progressive view, the love of anal sex makes one a bright and intelligent individual, deserving a welcome in America to enjoy all her benefits.

In this view, the Pilgrims — and any Christian faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word — are just stupid.

Please pray for the Romeike family. They came to America in the wrong century!

With information from Daily Mail, World Magazine, Charisma and WND.

Portuguese version of this article: Governo dos EUA quer deportar família cristã

Spanish version of this article: El gobierno de los EE.UU. quiere deportar a una familia cristiana

Source: www.lastdayswatchman.blogspot.com

Recommended Reading:

Has Obama failed to advance leftism in America?

America paralyzed by Obama

Leading the world by evil example: Obama and gay “marriage”

United States: between Gayland and Mohammedland

The lie that got asylum

Will the United States become a magnet to attract homosexuals of other countries?  

Asylum for homosexual perverts U.S. policy

Homosexual Brazilian Gets Asylum in US After Claiming ‘Persecution’