USA Trying to Deport Christian Homeschoolers

[Radiant1]

USA Trying to Deport Christian Homeschooling Family Knowing They Face Persecution : Political Outcast

Uwe and Hannelore Romeike are Christians and the parents of six children. When their kids attended the German public schools, they were bullied and harassed because of being Christians. The parents began looking into the schools and what their kids were being taught. They found a number of objectionable and inappropriate things in the textbooks that they didn’t want their kids learning.

They strongly believed that their children would receive a better education grounded in biblical principles by being schooled at home rather than having their children indoctrinated by the German schools.

Uwe said: “We knew that homeschooling would not be an easy journey.”

However, the German government had made homeschooling illegal and actively pursued Christian families who tried to homeschool their children. In 2008, the Romeike family was ripped apart when government officials stepped in and forcibly removed the kids from the home. The parents were fined thousands of euros.

Their only hope was to seek political asylum in a country that allowed Christians to homeschool, so they applied to the US for asylum. A US immigration judge ruled in 2010 that the family did face persecution from the German government and granted the Romeike family political asylum. The family moved and settled in Tennessee.

...

US Attorney General Eric Holder and the Department of Homeland Security are fighting the political asylum status. Holder claims that the family’s fundamental rights have not been violated by Germany’s law forbidding families from homeschooling. They have asked the courts to withdraw the family’s political asylum and have them deported back to Germany.

...

Granted, this is one-sided piece, but still enough information to discuss both sides. From what I can gather, the US is stating that because Germany bans all homeschooling and not all homeschoolers are Christian this is not a religious asylum issue; however, it could be said the family is part of a "particular social group", i.e. Christianity. Could the ruling on this case set a precedent for homeschoolers in the states?

 

[Lurk]

It appears to me that, based on the number of children in the family, this family does not practice artificial birth control. That makes them a sect which would not participate totally in Obamacare. They should, therefore, be excluded from receiving ANY American graces, rights, or opportunities.

 

[GURPS]

that is convoluted reasoning

 

[sockgirl77]

USA Trying to Deport Christian Homeschooling Family Knowing They Face Persecution : Political Outcast



Granted, this is one-sided piece, but still enough information to discuss both sides. From what I can gather, the US is stating that because Germany bans all homeschooling and not all homeschoolers are Christian this is not a religious asylum issue; however, it could be said the family is part of a "particular social group", i.e. Christianity. Could the ruling on this case set a precedent for homeschoolers in the states?

You know you're going to bring out GURPS, IS, and BCP!

 

[Radiant1]

that is convoluted reasoning

Which, the gov't or the HSLDA? I'm not sure what to think of the whole thing, which is why I was hoping to get other's thoughts on the matter.

You know you're going to bring out GURPS, IS, and BCP!

Sowwy!

 

[bcp]

US Attorney General Eric Holder and the Department of Homeland Security are fighting the political asylum status. Holder claims that the family’s fundamental rights have not been violated by Germany’s law forbidding families from homeschooling. They have asked the courts to withdraw the family’s political asylum and have them deported back to Germany.

and yet, he cant find a way to get rid of the bean eaters.

wonder if its because the Germans look white, or would most likely vote conservative, or they are Christian and an easy target.

 

[GURPS]

Which, the gov't or the HSLDA? I'm not sure what to think of the whole thing, which is why I was hoping to get other's thoughts on the matter.

1st the shocking lack of Freedom in Germany ....

... then the Justice Dept filing to over turn the asylum ....

Holder claims that the family’s fundamental rights have not been violated by Germany’s law forbidding families from homeschooling.

I guess Holders Position is, the Nanny STATE Knows Best ....


12 million Illegals in this country, and one family wants the right to determine WHO Educates their children .....

goes back to that who 'Freedom to Associate' thing

Remember at last month when President Obama issued his Religious Freedom Day proclamation? He said:

“Today, we also remember that religious liberty is not just an American right; it is a universal human right to be protected here at home and across the globe. This freedom is an essential part of human dignity, and without it our world cannot know lasting peace.”

“As we observe Religious Freedom Day, let us remember the legacy of faith and independence we have inherited, and let us honor it by forever upholding our right to exercise our beliefs free from prejudice or persecution…”​

Here’s how he lives up to his statement.

I guess the words are spoken with a forked tounge


this makes the German Gov. case pretty straight forward,

“In most asylum cases, there is some guesswork necessary to figure out the government’s true motive—but not in this case. The Supreme Court of Germany declared that the purpose of the German ban on homeschooling was to ‘counteract the development of religious and philosophically motivated parallel societies.’

 

[Radiant1]

this makes the German Gov. case pretty straight forward,

The Supreme Court of Germany declared that the purpose of the German ban on homeschooling was to ‘counteract the development of religious and philosophically motivated parallel societies.’

You know, this is a good point. The purpose of Germany restricting homeschooling does indeed make this a religious issue, which in turn makes things a bit more suspicous of the US gov'ts motivations for now denying their asylum.

 

[GURPS]

Further Trials and Tribulations:


Religious family abandons US, gets lost at sea


PHOENIX (AP) — A northern Arizona family that was lost at sea for weeks in an ill-fated attempt to leave the U.S. over what they consider government interference in religion will fly back home Sunday.

Hannah Gastonguay, 26, said Saturday that she and her husband "decided to take a leap of faith and see where God led us" when they took their two small children and her father-in-law and set sail from San Diego for the tiny island nation of Kiribati in May.

But just weeks into their journey, the Gastonguays hit a series of storms that damaged their small boat, leaving them adrift for weeks, unable to make progress. They were eventually picked up by a Venezuelan fishing vessel, transferred to a Japanese cargo ship and taken to Chile where they are resting in a hotel in the port city of San Antonio.

Their flights home were arranged by U.S. Embassy officials, Gastonguay said. The U.S. State Department was not immediately available for comment.

The months-long journey has been "pretty exciting" and "little scary at certain points," Gastonguay told The Associated Press by telephone.

She said they wanted to go to Kiribati because "we didn't want to go anywhere big." She said they understood the island to be "one of the least developed countries in the world."

Kiribati is a group of islands just off the equator and the international date line about halfway between Hawaii and Australia. The total population is just over 100,000 people of primarily Micronesian descent.

Hannah Gastonguay said her family was fed up with government control in the U.S. As Christians they don't believe in "abortion, homosexuality, in the state-controlled church," she said.

U.S. "churches aren't their own," Gastonguay said, suggesting that government regulation interfered with religious independence.

Among other differences, she said they had a problem with being "forced to pay these taxes that pay for abortions we don't agree with."

The Gastonguays weren't members of any church, and Hannah Gastonguay said their faith came from reading the Bible and through prayer.

"The Bible is pretty clear," she said.

 

[Radiant1]

It would appear God did not want them to go to Kiribati.

 

[MarieB]

I've been following this case since 2009. One one hand I wouldn't mind if they stayed if they can provide for themselves and want to be here. On the other hand, I think it may set a bad precedent as far as what exactly should be deemed as persecution and who deserves asylum. (Not that there haven't already been bad precedents set in that regard). We don't want asylum to be the way around general immigration policies.

 

[cwo_ghwebb]

I've been following this case since 2009. One one hand I wouldn't mind if they stayed if they can provide for themselves and want to be here. On the other hand, I think it may set a bad precedent as far as what exactly should be deemed as persecution and who deserves asylum. (Not that there haven't already been bad precedents set in that regard). We don't want asylum to be the way around general immigration policies.

I'm not of the mind to comment on immigration policy tonight as I've been through the system as currently enforced and it's b.s.

In this case, I believe under our laws, it's a no brainer.

Not that I approve either way. But the law is the law. Holder, just enforce the law as written.

If you don't like it, won't enforce it, get a different job. Pretty simple.

 

[GURPS]

On the other hand, I think it may set a bad precedent as far as what exactly should be deemed as persecution and who deserves asylum.

if you are Mexican fleeing drug lords - you can get access ....
Mooselimb - fleeing - access granted
Christian - going to be jailed for Home Schooling denied

 

[MarieB]

if you are Mexican fleeing drug lords - you can get access ....
Mooselimb - fleeing - access granted
Christian - going to be jailed for Home Schooling denied

Note in my post, that i did state there have already been bad precedents set. That doesn't mean that we should cheer on another