See Story here.UPDATE: Let's remember readers, there is a story about this taking place in England as well as soon as 2011. The BBC News and the Daily Mail have these stories as linked here and here.
At least eight Russo-German families in Salzkotten, Germany, have suffered heavy fines and now their fathers have been sentenced to prison, because they have refused to send their elementary school-age children to mandatory sexual education classes.
The International Human Rights Group, a Christian legal defense organization that defends religious liberty and the right to homeschool in Europe, reports that in addition to refusing to allow their children to attend sex-ed classes, the families also resisted having their children enlisted in a theatre production of "Mein Körper gehört mir" or "My Body Belongs to Me," which informs young children in how to engage in sexual intercourse.
With fines having failed to force the families into compliance, government officials have now sentenced each of the families' respective fathers to spend a brief time in prison. One father has already spent seven days in jail and was released Friday.
Instead of inflicting ordinary punitive fines on the families, the state has opted to impose a special fine called "Bussgeld," which IHRG European Director Richard Guenther explains literally means "repentance money" and is "designed to show contrition for a wrong behavior on the part of the person being fined."
The "Bussgeld" fines are significant, perhaps especially because they put the eight German families in an impossible situation: payment of the fines would imply an admission of guilt, but they believe that they have done nothing wrong.
"This type of persecution from German government officials against the Salzkotten 8 shows how committed the German system is to punishing home school families and others who do not comply with the compulsory education laws," said IHRG President Joel Thornton, "even when they are only removing their children from a single clearly objectionable class."
Thornton states that unlike much of the American education system, German officials "view the children as belonging to the State, particularly during the time they are in school" and for that reason parents' beliefs and authority over their children takes second place to the interests and mandates of the State.
Attorneys Gabriele and Armin Eckermann of the German homeschooling advocacy group SchuzH have intervened with IHRG to represent the Salzkotten 8....The Youth Welfare Office or Jugendamt - an institution similar to Child Protective Services - acts as the government's chief intervening instrument, and when prison and fines do not bend Christian families into compliance, they recommend that these Christians lose parental custody of their children.
In one case, the Jugendamt, accompanied by 15 heavily armed police, forcibly seized 15 year-old Melissa Busekros in the dead of night from her family in 2007 against her will. However, legal intervention ensured that Busekros was legally permitted to return to her family upon turning 16.
IHRG is currently representing Hans and Petra Schmidt, who are faced with a similar situation. They are fighting the state to retain custody of their 14-year-old son Aaron, who is homeschooled. The Schmidts so far have been fined 13,000 Euros (US $19,000) in home-schooling fines and have had a lien placed on their home by the government.
Some homeschooling families have fled the country, either into neighboring Austria or abroad. German homeschooling parents Uwe and Hannelore Romeike and their family fled into the United States last November demanding asylum, a move that finally brought the attention of Germany's media to the extreme situation faced by its estimated 300-500 homeschooling families.
German Embassy Contacts:
In 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 United Kingdom:
Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany
23 Belgrave Square
London
SW1X 8PZ
Phone: 020 7824 1300
Fax: 020 7824 1449
13 comments:
This sick happening is occuring all over the world. I believe this is another indication that we are nearing the end times as defined in the Book of Revelations.
I wrote, once I found the email form. Remind the Germans of Article 26 par. 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:
3. Die Eltern haben ein vorrangiges Recht, die Art der Bildung zu wählen, die ihren Kindern zuteil werden soll.
[(3) Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.]
I agree! Here in America it is the same. The film idustry and all media are have ruined the innocents of children. Education
system has forced its mindset on
on its very young. It is sad!
Its sad it should come to this but I really can't understand why, on faith grounds parents refuse sex education for their children. Sex is a beutiful aspect of the marriage relationship and not to wish to acknowledge this to children who are growing up, asking questions about life and our world seems to me to deny the goodness and beauty, to treat sex as something not nice and to be hidden away, with all sorts of possible consequences later on. I do not think for a moment that children see it appropriate to engage in everything they learn about. I think Children have a right to learn about sex at an appropriate time in their development.
waterbrook,
Parents have the right to determine WHEN their children will learn about sex. Not the goverment. Who says these parents want to "deny the goodness and beauty, to treat sex as something not nice and to be hidden away..."? What else should we turn over to the government? You can't think an armed force coming into a home in the middle of the night to take away a child is right. Can you? Children do not belong to the state.
This is absolutely surreal. I don't consider myself naive, but I am flabbergasted over this situation. I will pray for these parents and their perseverance. What has happened in Europe? And, yet, people like waterbrook seem to find forced sex ed. okay. Mother, Mary, pray for us.
Nerina said 'What has happened in Europe?'
Don't be afraid, our salvation is near. Pray for courage, it will be given. It was given to those who lived before in such times, and God will not fail us. Not ever! Be strong, keep doing what's right, however humble the task before you and wait patiently for the Lord to act. He is always close, we must seek His Presence in each situation. As sin abounds, how much more will we be aware of His grace. Rosary banishes fear!
Prayers, ok. But if we really prayed some form of ACTION would be the result, since Strength is one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.
That means that we don't really pray or that we pray like cowards, hoping that some angel come from the sky.
I'm the father of four: the mere thought of being separated from my sons because I don't obey the kulturkampf drives me crazy!!!
Is it possible that the BISHOPS in Germany and in all of Europe don't stand up against this CRIME!?
Do you realize the arrogance of a state which considers sexual indoctrination more important for the children than their parents!!!
I'm immediately going to write to my European deputy, Mario Mauro.
Come on, Christians, if we are not able to move for our own sons' sake, don't speak to me of your faith: I won't believe you.
Paolo, Italy
I've just written my letter to deputy Mario Mauro. He's a very serious person and a sincere Christian.
If you want to do the same, but don't know anybody in the European parliament, this is his mail address:
mario.mauro@europarl.europa.eu
Let your representative hear your voices. And continue to pray!
Paolo
Paolo said
Come on, Christians, if we are not able to move for our own sons' sake, don't speak to me of your faith: I won't believe you.
My son was nearly murdered two years ago. I had been sensing an unease for many weeks before he was attacked, and prayed intensely due to this. The doctor's wanted to give up on him. I asked the chaplain to anoint him and pray for healing, but only if he believed in healing(another gift of the Holy Spirit). After the anointing, the doctors re-examined him and decided to operate again having wanted to let him die. He lived, it was a miracle, and God had been preparing us for it, for many weeks. I was not called a coward that particular day, but I was called a fool, as the doctor's wanted to switch off my son's life support. I felt the power of God beginning to manifest as faith ,it was like a train traveling through my being, I had absolute conviction my son would live. And other's scorn, I was invisible to. Prayer moves mountains, yes action too, but prayer is the foundation so never mock it, or seek to usurp it with ignorant opinions. Do what you feel led to, and share it, but without judging so quickly, as you have here.Rosaries to the ready, I appeal to people. The Lord then shows you what to do,courageously and courteously.
I grew up under communism and am amazed to see that so many things that are happening in the west resemble those old practices and beliefs. Loyalty to the state was above everything and its power over individuals was absolute. It seems that we are heading in that direction again in some ways. Scary.
I'm convinced that these things will start happening in the UK very soon and that many Christians will suffer for their faith. I also believe God will help us. So I'm with Shadowlands on this one - prayer is the most important thing we can do.
All the evidence shows that frank sex education, from as early as possible, reduces teenage pregnancy, abortion, general marital unhappiness. The statistics of 'liberal' Holland in these respects are far, far better than the UK or the US. Of course, sex is intrinsically embarrassing. Of course. Any sensible discussion of this topic should begin by admitting this. But of course most do not.
Mr. Moles, have you read Theology of the Body? If not, I highly recommend that you do as your points and examples are so silly and morally bankrupt that I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't get a response from anyone else.
"The statistics of 'liberal' Holland in these respects are far, far better than the UK or the US."
A sinkhole of sexual perversion and degeneracy -- but its growing Muslim population will put paid to that sooner or later.
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