| The CROWN of CHRIST Understanding the Times in the Light of Scripture |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Contemporary people, being virtually brainwashed by totalitarianism, speak of "the
government" as if it means exclusively the civil government. But God has
established FOUR GOVERNMENTS that need to show mutual respect to each other:
individual self-government, family government, Church polity and the civil state.
Whenever any of these fail to glorify God and honor Christ, they bring trouble upon
us all.
Scott Rocca Box 365 Gratz PA 17030
government" as if it means exclusively the civil government. But God has
established FOUR GOVERNMENTS that need to show mutual respect to each other:
individual self-government, family government, Church polity and the civil state.
Whenever any of these fail to glorify God and honor Christ, they bring trouble upon
us all.
Scott Rocca Box 365 Gratz PA 17030
| Alphabetical List of Past Articles |
| CURRENT ARTICLE - July 2008 Truancy is not a Crime |
Greetings from Gratz! Things are more hectic than ever for us.
Our sons are busy with their Rugby and I am changing work
schedules through the July 4th holiday. Also, we have relatives
visiting soon.
So I wanted to get my July article posted early.
Here is a copy of the letter we wrote to the superintendent of
our local government school a couple of years ago. They sent us
a letter asking why our oldest child had not been reported to
them as home school student - and threatening truancy
proceedings.
Once they found out about the on-going RFPA cases, they told
us they will wait to see how the courts rule. They also have a
new principal, and have not contacted us lately.
We believe as much as ever that we have no right to use our
neighbor's taxes to educate our children, that our neighbors
have no right to criminalize non-attendance in their school, and
that illiteracy is preferable to an "education" without Jesus.
Our sons are busy with their Rugby and I am changing work
schedules through the July 4th holiday. Also, we have relatives
visiting soon.
So I wanted to get my July article posted early.
Here is a copy of the letter we wrote to the superintendent of
our local government school a couple of years ago. They sent us
a letter asking why our oldest child had not been reported to
them as home school student - and threatening truancy
proceedings.
Once they found out about the on-going RFPA cases, they told
us they will wait to see how the courts rule. They also have a
new principal, and have not contacted us lately.
We believe as much as ever that we have no right to use our
neighbor's taxes to educate our children, that our neighbors
have no right to criminalize non-attendance in their school, and
that illiteracy is preferable to an "education" without Jesus.
28 Nov 2006
Mr. Barry W. Clippinger, Ed.D.
Upper Dauphin Area School District
5668 State Route 209
Lykens, PA 17048-8414
Sir;
Only today we received your letter dated November 17th and postmarked the 21st. This
gives us only a few days to respond to your very serious threat of prosecution. We claim
exemption from the Pennsylvania homeschool law.
Our claim is based on the Pennsylvania Religious Freedom Protection Act, 77 P.S. 2401, et.
Seq.
It is a genuine dictate of our religion that we educate our own children. We believe that
even natural philosophy makes it clear that children are to be raised by their own parents.
The civil government did not conceive our children or give birth to them with pain. They
are simply our children, not the children of the state.
The Holy Bible teaches us that our children are God’s gift to us. (Genesis 33:5, 48:8-9,
Psalms 127 & 128, Isaiah 8:18, Hebrews 2:13) The God of the Bible has warned us that we
will answer to Him for the entire manner in which our children are brought up, for He
claims our children as His own. (Job 10:8-12, Psalm 139:13-16, Isaiah 49:1,5, Jeremiah 1:
5, Ezekiel 16:20-21, Luke 1:41,44) We cannot in good conscience ask for state permission
to obey Jehovah’s command to teach our children His Religion. (Psalm 78:1-11, Ephesians
6:4) The Scriptures are quite specific in telling God’s people to instruct their children in
God’s law 24/7 – from waking up to lying down and on the whole journey in between.
(Deuteronomy 6:6-9) We intend for our children, like the Evangelist Timothy, to share the
Faith of their parents. (2 Timothy 1:5)
The current PA law would impose a substantial burden on our free exercise of religion,
because it would require us to submit to the civil government in educational matters,
which are purely domestic in nature. The right of a parent to raise his or her own children
is God-given, and therefore both natural and inalienable. Parenting is not a privilege
granted by the state. Jesus commands us to give Caesar what belongs to Caesar.
(Matthew 22:1) Thus your review of tax records will have showed you that we pay all our
taxes, since we participate in the money economy. But our children do not belong to the
government.
Pharaoh wanted the Israelite adult men go worship Jehovah ~ but leave the children
behind. Like Moses, we must answer that we will keep our family entire. “We will go with
our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters…” (Exodus 10:9)
The Apostle Paul tells us to integrate all of our thoughts into a Christian framework. (2
Corinthians 10:5) The compulsory government schools do not teach with a Biblical world-
view as their goal or foundation. So your institution cannot be of use to us in training our
children, and we have no desire to entangle ourselves in your affairs. We are as heathen
to your humanistic, evolutionary, Freudian & Deweyite beliefs, as they are heathen to us.
“Thus saith the Lord, learn not the way of heathen nations.” (Jeremiah 10:2)
We wish to be exceeding clear that we do not recognize your authority, but we do recognize
your power. This is an important distinction in political philosophy, drawn from the
theology of the Scottish Covenanters. Authority is actual right; power is mere force of
strength. So we cannot formally request permission to obey God, since no authority on
earth has any right to command us thus. If forced to choose, we must obey God rather
then men. (Acts 5:29)
But we certainly understand that you are a power. We do not want to go to court with
anyone, but wish to live in peace with all men. So let me share with you what I would
share with any of my neighbors if they made honest inquiry. Our children, including the
one who is nine years old, are all performing at or above “grade” level. They are taught all
the usual subjects, in English, i.e. arithmetic, reading, writing, spelling, history, natural
science, safety, music, art, etc.
Scott & Susan Rocca
Mr. Barry W. Clippinger, Ed.D.
Upper Dauphin Area School District
5668 State Route 209
Lykens, PA 17048-8414
Sir;
Only today we received your letter dated November 17th and postmarked the 21st. This
gives us only a few days to respond to your very serious threat of prosecution. We claim
exemption from the Pennsylvania homeschool law.
Our claim is based on the Pennsylvania Religious Freedom Protection Act, 77 P.S. 2401, et.
Seq.
It is a genuine dictate of our religion that we educate our own children. We believe that
even natural philosophy makes it clear that children are to be raised by their own parents.
The civil government did not conceive our children or give birth to them with pain. They
are simply our children, not the children of the state.
The Holy Bible teaches us that our children are God’s gift to us. (Genesis 33:5, 48:8-9,
Psalms 127 & 128, Isaiah 8:18, Hebrews 2:13) The God of the Bible has warned us that we
will answer to Him for the entire manner in which our children are brought up, for He
claims our children as His own. (Job 10:8-12, Psalm 139:13-16, Isaiah 49:1,5, Jeremiah 1:
5, Ezekiel 16:20-21, Luke 1:41,44) We cannot in good conscience ask for state permission
to obey Jehovah’s command to teach our children His Religion. (Psalm 78:1-11, Ephesians
6:4) The Scriptures are quite specific in telling God’s people to instruct their children in
God’s law 24/7 – from waking up to lying down and on the whole journey in between.
(Deuteronomy 6:6-9) We intend for our children, like the Evangelist Timothy, to share the
Faith of their parents. (2 Timothy 1:5)
The current PA law would impose a substantial burden on our free exercise of religion,
because it would require us to submit to the civil government in educational matters,
which are purely domestic in nature. The right of a parent to raise his or her own children
is God-given, and therefore both natural and inalienable. Parenting is not a privilege
granted by the state. Jesus commands us to give Caesar what belongs to Caesar.
(Matthew 22:1) Thus your review of tax records will have showed you that we pay all our
taxes, since we participate in the money economy. But our children do not belong to the
government.
Pharaoh wanted the Israelite adult men go worship Jehovah ~ but leave the children
behind. Like Moses, we must answer that we will keep our family entire. “We will go with
our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters…” (Exodus 10:9)
The Apostle Paul tells us to integrate all of our thoughts into a Christian framework. (2
Corinthians 10:5) The compulsory government schools do not teach with a Biblical world-
view as their goal or foundation. So your institution cannot be of use to us in training our
children, and we have no desire to entangle ourselves in your affairs. We are as heathen
to your humanistic, evolutionary, Freudian & Deweyite beliefs, as they are heathen to us.
“Thus saith the Lord, learn not the way of heathen nations.” (Jeremiah 10:2)
We wish to be exceeding clear that we do not recognize your authority, but we do recognize
your power. This is an important distinction in political philosophy, drawn from the
theology of the Scottish Covenanters. Authority is actual right; power is mere force of
strength. So we cannot formally request permission to obey God, since no authority on
earth has any right to command us thus. If forced to choose, we must obey God rather
then men. (Acts 5:29)
But we certainly understand that you are a power. We do not want to go to court with
anyone, but wish to live in peace with all men. So let me share with you what I would
share with any of my neighbors if they made honest inquiry. Our children, including the
one who is nine years old, are all performing at or above “grade” level. They are taught all
the usual subjects, in English, i.e. arithmetic, reading, writing, spelling, history, natural
science, safety, music, art, etc.
Scott & Susan Rocca
