Thursday, January 27, 2011

Too Religious to Homeschool?

Is this really a legal challenge to homeschooling? Or is it a custody issue? What are your thoughts?


9 comments:

  1. I heard about that and it really pisses me off.

    Im chosing a very religious teaching for my children.

    Id rather not have them learning stuff like my nephew who is in public school about girls "special places" and "how to kiss". Did I mention he is in 1st grade??

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  2. I so agree!! When did it become the court's responsibility to protect kids from their parents' religion? And since when is religion worse than the kind of garbage kids learn in schools---from teachers and/or from other kids?

    It pisses me off too.

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  3. I dont know if this is the same case or not. A part of me hopes it is so I dont have to think about this happening in other cases but I heard a case on the radio recently that was very similar.. The judge ruled the child to go to public school because she defended her homeschool teachings with Biblical stuff and the judge thought she needed "socialization".. Im sorry but my children are in "school" to be "schooled" and learn, not to chit chat with friends.

    I certainly agree with you Linda. Its the parents decision how religious or un-religious an education should be, not the courts! You wouldnt hear of a court forcing a person to send their child to church because they are too un-religious

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  4. "You wouldn't hear of a court forcing a person to send their child to church because they are too un-religious."

    WOW...how true. Our courts (government) seems to have decided that the "religion" of non-religion is better than "religion" itself. But make no mistake...they are pushing a "religion" themselves.

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  5. While I agree that the courts have no business making the decision that it did in this case (and that decision should be challenged on its constitutionality), the parents brought this on themselves. I promise you that both parties are so embittered toward the other that they cannot see reasonable compromise, and are using their child as a tool to hurt the other person. And they would deny that to their deaths while fortifying their defenses to continue the fight.

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  6. And this gets at the heart of my question. Is this REALLY a challenge to homeschooling? Or is it a custody issue between a woman and the father of her children. Shouldn't a father have a right to have a say in how his child is educated? Shouldn't the mom have taken her former husband's wishes into account to some degree when choosing how to educate this child? Couldn't some compromise have been reached for the good of this child?

    I agree with you Arby. Shame on these parents for allowing the courts the power to decide what's in the best interest of their child.

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  7. No, this is not a challenge to homeschooling. Framing this as a challenge to homeschooling is a mistake. This is a custody issue. As for father’s rights, there are few issues that make me angrier faster than learning of a father’s rights being trampled by mothers, divorce lawyers, court decisions, and well-intentioned but flawed legislative action.

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  8. Still, the judges comments about religion and homeschooling infuriate me.

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  9. I'm chiming in - not on the homeschooling issue but on the custody issue.

    It does seem to be a custody issue. The court is to determine what is in the best interest of the child IF the parents can't agree. It may be that the father had some legitimate concerns regarding the child being homeschooled.

    Arby - I agree about father's and custody decisions. I get pretty angry about it, too. If I look over my cases (did I mention I'm a Custody Evaluator?) I see that I'm pretty much 50-50 on recommending for the father vs the mother.

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