Author: Shay

Once again, I can get past the news without feeling the need to mention this.

In this article by the San Francisco Chronicle titled “Homeschoolers’ setback sends shock waves through state” we are finding out that you simply can’t home school your kids in CA, that is… unless you hold a valid teaching credential. Here’s a snippet from the article that sums it up:

Yet the appeals court said state law has been clear since at least 1953, when another appellate court rejected a challenge by homeschooling parents to California’s compulsory education statutes. Those statutes require children ages 6 to 18 to attend a full-time day school, either public or private, or to be instructed by a tutor who holds a state credential for the child’s grade level.

“California courts have held that … parents do not have a constitutional right to homeschool their children,” Justice H. Walter Croskey said in the 3-0 ruling issued on Feb. 28. “Parents have a legal duty to see to their children’s schooling under the provisions of these laws.”

Parents can be criminally prosecuted for failing to comply, Croskey said.

“A primary purpose of the educational system is to train school children in good citizenship, patriotism and loyalty to the state and the nation as a means of protecting the public welfare,” the judge wrote, quoting from a 1961 case on a similar issue.

After reading both the article and the published ruling of this case (download the PDF here), it’s my understanding that this isn’t a NEW law, but something that has been in existence since as early as the 1950’s.

I know that many people at my church love home schooling and enjoy the freedom to able to train and educate their children as they see fit. I am honestly amazed that the state of CA has that kind of power, or even feels they have that kind of authority in the home. Of course parents could seek to obtain a teaching credential, but I have no idea how long that would take. Most credentialing programs in California last at least a year and require teaching time in the classroom. This is pretty big news in my mind.

Your thoughts? Leave me a comment.

The news continues to amaze me.
Read this: http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23322261-13762,00.html

So I’m assuming that 5,000 people were hallucinating when they were fed by Jesus. Or maybe they were hallucinating when they saw a dead man come back to life? Or how about when they saw that lame man walk?

Let’s be honest, the Bible will always be under attack — it doesn’t change a thing.

As I glanced through the headlines during my lunch break, I couldn’t help but be attracted to this one: “Christian Photographer Hauled before Commission for Refusing Same-Sex Job.” The basic gist is that this photographer in New Mexico refused to photograph a homosexual couple and now they are suing. All I have to say is…. woah.

The ramifications of this kind of lawsuit could be enormous, and quite scary. As a Christian and an aspiring photographer myself, I have actually asked myself that question: “What would I do if someone asked me to photograph a homosexual marriage?” But always my answer would be absolutely not. And I never though there would ever be any ramifications of denying someone my services. But if a case like this were to follow through, and this photographer lose… I would not longer be given the right to say no. To say that a private business couldn’t deny business based on her religious views — well, is flat out nuts. Does that mean that churches can’t deny same sex marriages? Does that mean that we should start tearing down the signs that read “no shoes, no shirt, no service” because they discriminate against shoeless and shirtless people? Honestly, I’ll be praying for this photographer. I’m sure she never thought, as I didn’t, that something like this could happen.

What do you think? Leave me a comment below, but be sure and read the article before you do.