Posted by Sharon on August 31 2009 at 23:39:37:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Following their loss in Federal Court, HSLDA suit resumes in state courts posted by Elsie Spry on August 31 2009 at 18:02:07:
"Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves." – William Pitt (1783)
Elsie, I disagree with your view of accountability. Accountability does have the aspect of ownership or final authority. My minor children are accountable to me because I am responsible for them. The American system of checks and balances and accountability are all for the government to be accountable to the citizens, not the citizens to the state! I should not have to answer to the State for how I choose to educate my children.
We are citizens, not subjects-who derive our rights fom the government. "Don´t tread on me" was one of the battle-cries of our Revolution. Our government is to leave law abiding citizens alone to make their own choices and to live with the consequences.
It is a rare case for a child to be physically removed from their home because they are home educated. Can you refresh my memory of such a case? But again you are using the fear of the unknown to say I must tolerate government intrusion into my home, so I can home educate in security. Just as President Bush told us we need to have warrantless wiretappings to be secure from terrorism (Patriot Act). Both assumptions are false.
As a free citizen, I should not be accountable to the state, however the government is to be accountable to its citizens for its laws, actions, and how it spends our money. In Scripture, parents are soley responsible to bring up their children. That responsibility was not given to the government or the church. I do render to Ceasar the things that are Ceasar´s, but my children don´t belong to Ceasar. God holds me soley accountable for my children, not the government.
I think also as Christians we sometimes mistakenly think we should go along and get along, and not assert our rights as citizens. The Apostle Paul thought there was no contradiction to say that he was a bondservant (slave) of Jesus Christ while at the same time he demanded his rights as a Roman citizen.
The requirements of the PA Home Education law are not minimal as you state. We are ranked the 49th worst home education law in the nation by HSLDA.
Regards,
Sharon