The Thirst for Freedom

If the Youtube Video is not working watch here: http://freedomthirst.com/dominic-johansson-video/

The Following Was Originally Posted on 9/21/2009 (with the latest updates and a petition at the end):

I just read a distressing article at wnd.com about Swedish authorities storming an airplane commando style to take Dominic Johansson from his parents. The reason? Apparently because he was homeschooled!

Here is a quote from the article:

Annie and Dominic Johansson

“‘Any nation that severely restricts the ability of parents to choose alternative forms of education, including home education, in the name of creating national unity, cannot call itself a free nation. Freedom necessarily requires the individual to have the liberty to think differently and believe differently than programs instituted by the current rulers of any nation. Educational freedom is the cornerstone for all freedom of thought and conscience,’ he [Michael Farris] said.”  [Read More]

—End of Original Article—

Update 1/6/2010:

Would you believe that Swedish authorities are still holding this little boy captive and separated from his parents? Behold the horrendous results of worshiping the Messianic State!

Here is an excellent recap article with updates:

“What you have here is a socialist country trying to create a cookie cutter kid,” Kiska said. “This family is a little different from the average Swedish family. There are so few homeschoolers in the country that this, along with their issues, has caused the social services agency to take the child in order to coerce changes from the family. Unfortunately. in Europe this kind of thing happens too often where social workers take a child and then just keep him. The parents in these cases are really powerless since the system is so one-sided.”  [Read More]

Resources:

• Please read and sign this petition: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/return-dominic-johansson-to-his-parents
• Here is a blog dedicated to Dominic’s cause: http://dominicjohansson.blogspot.com/

Two parents educate their own children and end up arrested for “child endangerment.”

Read the article:

A Montgomery County couple has been arrested on child endangerment charges for failing to register their children with the school district as they were home-schooled, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office said Monday.
[Read More]

I know folks are just going to quote the verses about “submitting to all those in authority;” but by what Biblical reasoning is the state taking sovereignty of education away from parents?

Education should be the domain mostly of parents, a little bit of church.

The state should acknowledge and yield to the parental right, authority, and responsibility to provide education for their children. Parents should not have to get any approval from the state for their eduction program.

In my time spent blogging some of the opinions I have learned to respect the most belong to some of America’s Homeschool Moms. I believe that Christian parents taking responsibility for the education and development of their children is one of the most essential ingredients to preserving freedom. Free individuals will lead to a free society.

So I have to call attention to the following post by Dana Hanley of principleddiscovery.com:

“Rather than confronting the issue head on, I fear that HSLDA is actually further contributing to the problem by respecting standardized test scores as a valid measure of the education of a child. I realize these types of tests are enmeshed in our culture. But until we begin to sway public opinion in favor of a little balance, there will be increased calls to require all homeschooling families to submit to this kind of testing. Because for most Americans,

test scores = ability.

No one stops to wonder why it is we put more emphasis on a test score than on actual performance in the ‘real world.’ That one that we as homeschoolers are supposedly hiding from.” [Read More]