The following comes from a Jan. 9 story on Christian News Network.
A judge in Germany has barred a family in Darmstadt from immigrating to another country where homeschooling is legal and refused to return custody of the children to their parents.
As previously reported, approximately 20 social workers, police officers and special agents swarmed the home of Dirk and Petra Wunderlich last August and forcefully removed all their children. A family court judge had signed an order that day authorizing officials to immediately seize the Wunderlich’s children for failing to cooperate “with the authorities to send the children to [public] school.”
“I looked through a window and saw many people, police, and special agents, all armed,” Dirk outlined. “They told me they wanted to come in to speak with me. I tried to ask questions, but within seconds, three police officers brought a battering ram and were about to break the door in, so I opened it.”
In September, following a court hearing about the matter, the Wunderlich children were returned to their parents after Dirk and Petra agreed to send them to a state school. However, even after the children began attending school, they were still considered to be in the custody of the government.
Last month, attorneys for the Wunderlich family asked Judge Marcus Malkmus to return custody of the children to the parents since they have obeyed orders to send them to school. They also requested that the family be permitted to move to France, where homeschooling is legal.
In a written opinion, Malkmus refused both requests, characterizing homeschooling as a “straightjacket” for children, according to a report from the Homeschool Legal Defense Association.
“The children would grow up in a parallel society without having learned to be integrated or to have a dialogue with those who think differently and facing them in the sense of practicing tolerance,” Malkmus wrote. ”[Homeschooling presents] concrete endangerment to the wellbeing of the child.”
The homeschool attorneys: “Judge Malkmus told Dirk and Petra in October that if they left the country without court approval, he would see that steps were taken to return them to Germany where they would prosecuted criminally and their family likely permanently separated.”
Another German homeschooling family, which fled to the United States six years ago after experiencing similar difficulties, is awaiting a decision regarding whether the U.S. Supreme Court will agree to hear its appeal for asylum.
To read the original story, click here.
I thought Germany did away with exit permits when East Germany went defunct. Let’s hope Eric Holder doesn’t get any ideas.
Tom, let’s hope the Easter bunny shows up this year.
hahaha lol you are funny
Germany is really evil! How could their people allow a government to have so much power especially during these modern times. Didn’t they repent from what Hitler did?
I really feel for this family. Wish we could so something to help them. I wish I had the power to help them. Its a helpless feeling to hear about families being persecuted like this. These poor kids. I can’t even believe that they can’t even leave Germany to migrate to France? I didn’t think that Germany was communist.
Abeca, you asked, “How could their people allow a government to have so much power especially during these modern times?”
Los Angeles has just made it illegal for a store which sells perishable foods in that city to place the groceries in plastic bags. In San Fransisco merchants MUST charge the customer for each bag they hand out. I heard a recent statement from a merchant in SF when a customer in front of me protested about the bag charge. He told her that they (city officials) send in “undercover” shoppers to the stores and if they are CAUGHT not charging for the bag they will be fined thousands of dollars.
Abeca, we are already allowing draconian governmental power here in the USA. With regards to making “homeschooling” a crime. One of Obama’s next moves will be making it a crime here as well. Our government is tightening the noose. Governmental control always starts out loosely.
IRS agents are armed with guns. Obama has ordered the hiring of thousands more IRS agents. He calls this job creation.
Tracy yes it is terrible. It starts with little things, like forced charges on plastic bags and it then goes as far as you said about the IRS. Not very happy on how our country is now and how its getting worst. Our youth today are taught to think this way now. How can we save them from this way of reasoning. That is why these types of over controlling governments hate home schooling because it is a threat to their indoctrination. Anything that thinks outside of the box is a threat to them, especially if its more in line with God.
Our youth are powerless. They are told that at 18 they can do whatever they want. Why? Because they are an adult now. But its a lie, its a ploy. They know that at age, they are more opt to be rebellious. So they present something more appealing to them, away from how their parents raised them. Since good parents warn their children, society keeps reminding them, wait till your 18, you can move out and do what you want. Your parents can not tell you what to do anymore. That is why they want young voters, because they have not the maturity to reason well. A holy soul knows the importance in honoring God and His commandments, which includes honoring their parents good name throughout their adults years.
If government run schools, where actually a blessing, then no good parent would want to take them out but since there are occasions of disgust in what they are teaching our children or even allowing our children to do secretly behind their parents knowledge, then yes I can see why a parent would seek an alternative. I for one admire parents that devote themselves to home schooling their children all their years. I did it before and it was fun and adventurous, I was your type of mum, that kept out kids busy, found creative ways to help them learn. But it did consume a lot of time and at times it was stressful. Its not like you can leave the classroom and go home, your home became the classroom too. It took disciple and a lot of creativity and a lot of driving them to clubs, sports etc. Home schooling is not for everyone but people should have the right to choose an alternative, a better choice that they feel best suits their family. They should have that right and freedom to choose, especially if they can’t afford a private school.
Abeca, your children are blessed that you did this for them. You prove the point that Marriage is a vocation and not a tax exempt status.
Thank you Tracy. I tried, I am glad though that I found a decent part time Charter school that they attend several times a week and have PE activities on Fridays. That helps because I am not healthy enough, due to my anemia situation, to home school full time. I do respect parents that also know their limits and home schooling is not for everyone. So hopefully they can find a better alternative that best suits them. Some kids do better in home schooling and some kids actually do better in a structured classroom atmosphere, so having better choices for parents is key and I support that than your regular government run options.
Tracy yes you are correct marriage is a vocation, a sacrament. Both my husband and I take it seriously. We are human and we still have our flaws but we persevere with love. There are many issues we deal in these current times, that our values are constantly being attacked and tested. Its not always easy too, for there are many distractions and temptations as well.
Do all things in love and understand with love, your limitations.
I use to be hard on myself when I felt I wasn’t being a “perfect” teacher to my kids, that probably didn’t do my kids any good, I over exhausted myself instead of keeping it simple. The negativity around us from the secular and the lack of support didn’t help either. So I can imagine what this family is going through, God bless them for their perseverance and fortitude.
You also need your husband to be supportive as well. I noticed when both helped each other in the home schooling projects it helps tremendously. My hubby is a good man but his job usually tired him so much, that many times he wasn’t able to help me. So I understood that I needed to find another solution….well lets just say, we had our trials looking for better alternatives. To bad it had to be that way…..kids needs consistency and as I was learning too, well I guess I didn’t give them that as hard as i tried. : ) But currently praise God I found this charter school that is helping me keep it consistent…whew… : ) …I had to learn too …mum’s don’t come with handbooks that say “how to home school or what to do, where to go etc”
I tried applying for a scholarship for a private Catholic high school near by our home but was turned down…that broke my daughters heart at that time because she wanted so badly to attend that school. I remember crying a lot because I felt I had let her down…..being a stay at home mum didn’t give us enough income for us to afford that school. I think at that time they wanted around $10,000 a year? Can’t recall but it was around that figure. My only regret with my eldest was putting her in regular government high school and that is where the troubles began. This is where I wish I would of had more support or options other than regular high school. I’m only sharing this because I feel that we need to voice the struggles people of faith or not, go through when they are seeking quality education that does not violate their morals or their need for higher quality education especially if one has a child with special needs or a child who is ultra intelligent and regular schooling is only boring to him or her.
1 Peter 4:8 “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”
Abeca, thank you for sharing. I was hoping that you found a doctor to help you out with your anemia problem. I was wondering if you have thought of going to Dr. Delgado at the Culture of Life. I believe that he is trained to deal with your type of medical issue. I will continue to pray for you and your family.
Prayer of Liberation
You are great, O Lord, You are God, You are our Father, we pray for the intercession and with the help of the Archangels Michael, Raphael, Gabriel, because our brothers and sisters are freed from evil.
Anguish, sorrow, obsessions. We pray, deliver us, O Lord.
Hatred, fornication, envy. We pray, deliver us, O Lord.
From thoughts of jealousy, anger, death. We pray, deliver us, O Lord.
Any thoughts of suicide and abortion. We pray, deliver us, O Lord.
From all forms of sexuality bad. We pray, deliver us, O Lord.
By the division of family, friendship from all evil. We pray, deliver us, O Lord.
From every form of evil, invoice, and any evil witchcraft occult. We pray, deliver us, O Lord.
PLEASE O Lord, you said: « I leave you peace, my peace I give to you, » through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, grant that we may be delivered from every curse and enjoy more of your peace. Through Christ our Lord. Amen
Amen.
Old habits die hard. Present-day German officials have more of the fascist mentality in them than they might care to admit.
Old Adolf is alive and well in The Fatherland! Of course, the German decision, which hopefully can be appealed, is illustrative of the evil power of the State, which presumes to direct families — the center of earthly life, for you Illuminati outthere, still salivating over the Katy Perry performance — about the proper nature of relationships. What is happening in America is also implicated by such thinking: individual morality and responsibility is becoming whatever the State says that it is. Governor Cuomo is certain to become the textbook for Liberals like Governor Brown; “Go Away” if you believe that you have any rights that we (in political power) do not give you. Come to think of it, this sounds alot like Hilary Clinton’s notion of the need for a “Village” to raise your kids. Of course, “Village” means the politically empowered, not the happy grocer, teacher, or policeman. In this way, whoever gets to the seat of power becomes the moral leader, too. Homosexual behavior becomes the norm (and you better like it!!), as does abortion, sex-on-demand (everywhere, all the time, all ages), and elimination of economic freedom (profit becomes evil). It is certain that the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate also feel the cold wind of betrayal from such thinking.
St. Christopher, excellent commentary.
how would the drones FEEL about this story…..Every thing is fine in MY world. They should just FOLLOW the RULES.
Seig Heil!
May God have mercy on an amoral Amerika!
Viva Cristo Rey!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
Seig Heil = Obama Can!
May God have mercy on an amoral Amerika!
Viva Cristo Rey!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
One word can describe this unfortunate ruling, bizarre!
Thomas Edward Miles….Bizarre? Really? Please explain?
Kulturkampf has been effective since the time of Bismarck but has gained Germany no respect.
Let’s see, independent, self supporting, Western, Christian, distrustful of government, jealous of their liberties, and instantly assimilable non-whiners. A Founding Father’s dream. We’ll TAKE ‘EM [he said with gusto].
But wait. With the Romeike family already here, won’t all that blond hair throw our immigration quotas out of whack? I say split the difference: Blond hair–okay; Blond eyelashes–too extreme. Jawohl !
Were it not for the holocaust there was no valid moral objective to interfere in the war against Germany. The cost/benefit ratio made no sense when one considers that though there are no swastikas on display, fascism continues to prevail in Germany.
stan j, I thought Japan pulled us into that war, on Decmber 7, 1941, when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
Why get on our high horse. It could be worse. Imagine if the Wunderlichs escaped to France circa 1939. But then France and Germany negotiated the children’s return to the Fatherland.
Well, you don’t have to imagine. That would be the Elian Gonzalez-US/Cuba story 2000. Or the Romeike story in a few months, except Germany is a first rate culture and economy, and Cuba is a totalitarian cesspool. So why slum it Germany?
Hymie how much worst do you want it to get? Its already bad. Why soften the hardships that this family is enduring. God have mercy.
Not softening at all, Abeca. Merely pointing out to the high horsers that the US govt, at Castro’s behest, sent the child Elian back to a terrorist gulag against the express (and dying) wishes of his mother. Infinitely worse. And in a previous post you see that I sympathize, admire, and prefer those “obstinate little rebels” here.
. . . the Wunderfullichs, that is.