The Call to Dunkirk

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Continuing the Story of “Nazi Germany” and their Persecution of Homeschool Families

Since J.C. Thibodaux wrote his article on Nazi Germany Alive and Kicking Kidnapping, we’ve come across even more information on the actions of the German state against homeschoolers.

A few cases of German injustice:
Melissa Busekros, a 15 year old (at the time) was seized by the state, SWAT style, diagnosed with “school phobia” because she was homeschooled and was subsequently placed in a mental hospital. In her mental diagnosis, the state also frowned on her obedience to her father and love for her family. A full version of the story can be viewed at Christian World News and World Net Daily; Christian World News has also published an exclusive interview with Melissa.

The Gorbers who had 6 of their children taken away in January and just recently regained the custody of their youngest child who is 3, for the crime of homeschooling. Though their children underwent psychiatric examination and all came out normal, the state refuses to return them, even with the father’s assurances to the court that he will enroll them in public school. HSLDA has published an article detailing this story.

The German state has declared homeschooling equivalent to child abuse and is trying Bert and Kathrin Brause with this crime for homeschooling their children. They face 2 years of prison time and the loss of their 8 children. Read this story at CBN News.

Klaus and Kathrin Landahl and their 5 children have fled the country, just barely escaping. When the mayor of their German town found out about them deregistrering their German citizenship so that they could leave that country and move to a country in which their homeschooling would be tolerated, he filed a lawsuit to take their custody of their children away. They have relocated to England. You can read about their story from CBN News and from LifeSiteNews.com.

Tilman, Dagmar Neubronner, and their children were informed by their lawyer that no further legal action could be taken and said “only jail and loss of custody are left”. Like the Landahls and many others, this family was also forced to flee Germany. Their story was also published by LifeSiteNews.com.

Interestingly enough, Germany also does not want non-Germans, such as missionaries homeschooling, denying the visas of missionaries like Clint and Susan Robinson. Germany also encourages its diplomats to use their state curriculum to homeschool their children. Thornton said, “Their officials are actually encouraged to home school and not put their children into American schools and into foreign schools.” (Taken from CBN News’ article Germany Declares War on Home-Schoolers.

Germany’s anti-Christian education:
CBN News also chronicled the kind of education public school students can expect in Germany:

“A Questionable Education

A lot of American Christians would have good reason not to want their kids subjected to German state schools. The sex education curriculum is often pornographic, even for young ages, and the occult is often celebrated.

Missionary Robinson told CBN News, ‘I know of schools right in our area where it’s not just mixed swimming but mixed showering after the swim class is over and mixed locker rooms and then they leave and go to the next class.’

German home-schooler Heiko Krautter told us he would be sinning to put his children in a state school.

He said, ‘These things in the school, the official state school, they destroy the children. And we teach the children in the things of God. And the people in the official school teach the children in other things, against God.’

Krautter fled Germany after this interview and took his family to Norway.

Thornton believes Germany’s war on home-schooling is just a part of Europe’s war against Christianity.

‘This is a battle to eradicate spiritual life from every person in Europe, to eradicate spirituality and Christianity from the culture,’ he said.

And the unfortunate victims in this battle are the families who believe educating their children is their God-given right.”

A copy of the German law

For those interested in reading the German law against homeschool families for themselves, Educating Germany has posted a copy of it in both German and in English on their site. Educating Germany is a website that is devoted to the plight of homeschool families in Germany; they have also published an address that readers can send welcome home gifts and encouragement to David Gorber:
David Gorber
Max-Mutscheller-Str. 2
88662 Überlingen
Germany

Contact information:

Life Site News has given contact information in this article to those interested in letting their voice be heard.

To contact the German embassies in Canada and the United States.
In Canada:

German Embassy
1 Waverley Street
Ottawa, ON, K2P 0T8
Tel.: 613-232-1101 Fax: 613-594-9330
Email: germanembassyottawa@on.aibn.com

In the US:

German Embassy
4645 Reservoir Road NW
Washington, DC, 20007-1998
(202) 298-4000
The embassy can be e-mailed from its website: http://www.globescope.biz/germany/reg/index.cfm

To express concerns to German authorities:

President of the Federal Republic of Germany
11010 Berlin
Germany
Telefon: +49 30 20 00-0
Fax: +49 030 20 00-19 99
E-Mail: Bundespraesident.Horst.Koehler@bpra.bund.de

Chancellor
Angela Merkel
Willy-Brandt-Straße 1
10557 Berlin
Germany
Telefon: +49 180 272-0000
Fax: +49 1888 272-2555
E-Mail: InternetPost@bundesregierung.de

Politician Joachim Herrmann
Chief of the CSU Party, also knows the Busekros family personally
Joachim Herrmann
Ludwig-Erhard-Straße 9 a
91052 Erlangen
Germany
Telefon: +49 9131- 53 45 38
Telefax: +49 9131- 61 18 40
E-Mail: joachim.herrmann@csu-bayern.de

One possible letter has been posted by Laigles Forum; this letter is written in German but also has its English translation written under it.

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The Primary Role of the Parent

Simply defined, that role is teaching our children.  The main purpose of childhood is to learn the things necessary for adulthood.  The most important lessons we teach our children are about God and how to serve Him.  I look to the Old Testament as a model:

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)

It would seem to me that what God was telling the Israelites was to teach their children at every opportunity they could about God and His commands.  Have regular Bible study with your children and teach them God’s Word.  Look for opportunities and everyday object lessons with which to teach our children about God and His Word.  One example might be that if you’re out admiring nature, talk about God’s hand in creation. 

Of course all the teaching in the world won’t be enough if we don’t exhibit Godly behavior ourselves for our children.  We must also show them by the example of our lives how they should live, just as we have been given the examples of Godly men and women before us as well as Christ Himself.

“Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.” (Hebrews 13:7)

“Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.” (James 5:10)

“For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.” (John 13:15, Jesus speaking on serving others)

I consider teaching my child about God and Godly behavior the most important task to which I’ve been charged.  I take it very seriously and seek God diligently for His help and grace.  May God bless you as you seek Him in all that you do, especially in raising your children to live for Him.

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