This week we are going to focus on homeschooling – specifically a recent incident in Germany:

Children Seized in Shocking Raid – HSLDA

Police Storm Homeschool Class, Take Children By Force – WND

There are at least four troubling ethical problems related to this event:

• First, that homeschooling is illegal in Germany at all.  The state wants the ability to indoctrinate all of the nation’s children, and no parent will get in their way.  The articles above note the scary Nazi parallels.  But the Bible is clear that it is first and foremost the parents’ responsibility to instruct their children (Deuteronomy 6, Ephesians 6, etc.).  The state has over-reached its God-given sphere.
• That the penalty for homeschooling is not only possible fines and jail time, but losing custody of your children.  According to this article, the German Constitutional Court has ruled “that homeschooling is a violation of custody which necessitates a loss of custody.”  Just like in Nazi Germany, today’s Germany views children as belonging to the state rather than the parents.  But let’s be clear: the state does not give parents the right of custody, God does when he knits the child together in the mother’s womb (Psalm 139).  And custody should only be removed in cases of dire danger to the child.
• That the government chose to remove the children in a violent manner that traumatized not only the parents but also the children.  The hatred shown by the authorities speaks volumes.
• That our government apparently supports Germany’s policies and actions.  The current administration has been fighting hard to deport another German family that if sent back could experience the same actions by the German government.  Siding with wrong behavior is wrong too.