Friday, April 24, 2015

Sacrificing Homeschool Freedom on the Altar of Sports (Part 1)

If you missed my introduction to this blog series, click here to read it first!



I have promised with this blog series to address some of the arguments I am hearing surrounding this issue of homeschoolers being allowed to play on public school sports teams. I have already made clear where I stand, but I want to give firm reasons. Many of my answers will be geared mostly toward Christian homeschoolers since we stand to loose the most from this. However, this issue affects all homeschoolers who love their educational freedom! What I have to say may not sit well with many of you, but I am just firm enough in my convictions to not mind ruffling a few feathers!

So for today, here is one of the first arguments you will hear from those who support homeschoolers participating in public school activities:

We pay taxes that support the public school system! Therefore, our children deserve the same right to get to play sports on school teams as the public schoolers!

On the surface, this sounds valid. It sounds like homeschoolers are being treated unfairly. But this is a trap! This argument is very shallow.

For starters, our taxes go to support many things we seriously hope to never have to use (like 911 services).

Christian homeschoolers: Please don’t fall for this trap! This is exactly what the socialists who take your hard earned money want you to do. They want you to feel entitled so they can then slowly (but surely) step into your life more and more. You accept their "services," they tell you what you may or may not do as a homeschooler.

What is more important to you anyway, your money or your children? It would be far better, and wiser, to use the freedom and rights that we already have to work to correct this situation by reducing or eliminating those taxes. I have been known to complain more than once about how much of my husband's paycheck goes to support a school system we do not want or use! Maybe we should stop complaining and do something about that! But until then, let Caesar have his money, and let us keep our children and dedicate them to God! Matthew 22:21b “…Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.”

I have _so_ much more to say in posts to come on this issue! I am choosing to do this as a series rather than one big post in hopes that this will get folks' attention and they will consider each point carefully and prayerfully! In the meantime, feel free to share your thoughts. While I welcome comments, please know this issue is settled for me. You will not change my mind or silence my voice by leaving a negative comment!

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Thursday, April 23, 2015

Sacrificing Homeschool Freedom on the Altar of Sports Blog Series

Imagine this ridiculous scenario with me:

The Israelites have been enslaved in Egypt for over 400 years. With their blood, sweat, and tears they have been forced to build great cities for the wicked king. They have been beaten and abused. Their babies lives have been taken. They live in horrible conditions. For generations now they have cried out for deliverance. They long for freedom to live in a land of their own, to worship their own God, and to give their children a better life than what Egypt has to offer them.

Finally, God sends their deliverer! Through one amazing miracle after another, He sets them FREE! FREE from Egypt, it's king, it's taskmasters, and it's bondage! Then, when that freedom is tested, He opens up the waters of the Red Sea for them. They can cross and leave Egypt and it's slavery behind forever. FREEDOM is close enough to taste! But then...

The Israelites stop and say, "Wait just a minute!! We worked hard to build those cities back in Egypt! We demand our right to send our children back there to visit those cities, learn the Egyptian ways, and play with all the Egyptian children and their cool toys!"


"WHAT?!" you say, "NO! Cross the the Red Sea! Cut all ties! RUN AWAY TO FREEDOM! The toys are NOT WORTH IT!! GO while you can! Send your children back to Egypt, and they will be enslaved all over again! Just GO!"

Of course to anyone this seems so ridiculous! And yet...

This is no different than what is truly happening with this whole issue of homeschoolers fighting to participate in public school sports programs. For years homeschoolers all over the United States have fought for their right to remove their children from the public schools and teach them at home according to their own consciences. Many, MANY sacrifices have been made along the way! God has opened many doors for us, He has answered the prayers of the brave souls who have gone before to pave the way, and now homeschooling is legal in all 50 states! (With some states of course being more free than others.)

And now what do we have? A generation of people who are willing to take that hard earned freedom: my freedom, your freedom, and our children's freedom...

And sacrifice it on the altar of SPORTS!!!



Something we have all wanted, freedom to teach our children and train them up in the way they should go...could be seriously undermined all for the sake of GAMES!!!

I KNOW this is going to be a controversial blog series!

But the things I have to say DESPERATELY need to be said...LOUDLY! With all the "Tim Tebow bills" being introduced in many states, and all the claims and arguments being made, I want to face it head on and put out there exactly WHY I will NOT be supporting this fight! (And why our homeschool group actually worked to defeat a dangerous "Tim Tebow bill" that was introduced in KY earlier this year!)

In this blog series, I plan to tackle all the arguments I am hearing on this issue. I trust you will join me!!! In the meantime, here is an outstanding article written several years ago that I found as I was preparing for this series. It is titled Why the Question of Homeschoolers' Playing Public School Sports Affects All Homeschoolers

Are slam dunks so dear or touch downs so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it Almighty God! I know not what course other's may take, but as for me...Give me liberty or give me death! (With my apologies to Patrick Henry!)

I welcome comments! You are entitled to your opinions, but please know that this is one issue that is firmly settled in my mind. You will not be changing my mind or silencing my voice by leaving a negative comment! Are you also concerned about losing homeschooling freedoms because a few families think their children must play public school sports? I want to hear from you! And please stay tuned as we talk about this further in posts yet to come!!

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Link Ups I Join - Modest Monday, Hip Homeschool Blog Hop, From House to Home, Women Living Well, Fellowship Friday, Weekly Wrap Up -, TGI Saturday, Share It Saturday, The Homeschool Mother's Journal, Mom 2 Mom, Growing in Grace, Titus 2 Tuesday


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