You would think not by the way the Grassley Investigation has proceeded. Can one man, with a lot of power… attack a church, or churches, with the full power of the government just because he doesn’t agree with the churches’ doctrine? Sadly, apparently so. It doesn’t make it right. But, without all of us standing up and saying, “No, you can’t do this,” it will continue to happen! Public servants are supposed to be accountable to the public… but if we don’t stand up and take them to task, they will continue unhindered to persecute those that they don’t approve of for religious reasons.

You CAN do something about it! Take a look at this web site:

Believers Stand United!

“Senator Grassley of Iowa has asked six Pentecostal-Charismatic ministries to turn over to him a broad range of private church documents and information. In the case of one of the ministries, he has also asked for a list of the names and addresses of every minister whom the Church has paid to speak or perform music at the Church since 2004. The Senator has given no meaningful assurances that the information he receives will be kept from public disclosure. So what is really going on? What is the Senator up to? Why are some of the churches resistant to this? Why does this represent a threat to freedom of religion in America? What does this mean for the future of the church?

How Did This All Begin?

On November 5, 2007, Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) sent letters to six prominent Pentecostal-Charismatic ministries requesting that they provide certain information to him as the Ranking Member of the United States Senate Committee on Finance on or before December 6, 2007. The six churches the Senator targeted were:

* Without Walls International Church (Revs. Paula and Randy White)
* World Healing Center Church (Pastor Benny Hinn)
* Joyce Meyer Ministry (Revs. Joyce and David Meyer)
* New Birth Missionary Baptist Church (Bishop Eddie Long)
* World Changers Church International (Dr. Creflo Dollar)
* Eagle Mountain International Church (Revs. Kenneth and Gloria Copeland)

The letters asked for a variety of information about the corporate structure and activities of each organization, and for specific information about each church’s compensation, accounting, and financial practices. Some of the Senator’s letters asked for the identity of a church’s board members, amounts paid to visiting ministers, speakers, and musicians, and donations made from other churches and ministries. In most cases, Senator Grassley’s questions asked for information that other churches are not required to disclose publicly. The information sought by Senator Grassley is also the type of information that would be treated as confidential information, not subject to public disclosure, if obtained by the Internal Revenue Service (”IRS”) from any other church.

The six targeted organizations do not represent a broad cross-section of religious organizations, nor do they represent a broad cross-section of Christian churches. Rather, the six targeted organizations are all large, successful Pentecostal-Charismatic churches that share a common theology that is centuries old. All six have prominent television ministries. And all six ministries under investigation preach the “Word of Faith” message, which is based on the religious belief that God wants His children to be spiritually, physically, and financially blessed, and that prosperity in all areas of one’s life is an outward sign of the fulfillment of God’s promises contained in the Bible.

On November 6, 2007, the day after Senator Grassley sent these letters, he issued a press release that likened the churches being investigated to other “tax-exempt groups” that the Senator has investigated, such as the NCAA, hospitals, and colleges and universities. Nowhere in this press release was any acknowledgement made of the unique constitutional protections afforded to churches, or to their members who tithe to fund the operations and activities of their church. To the contrary, the Senator’s press release suggested that these individuals who make up the Body of Christ have a relationship to their church that is no different than the relationship of a “donor” to an organization like the American Red Cross. The press release made the further troubling suggestion that the Senator believes it is his “obligation” to review the manner in which these churches have spent the tithes of their members.

Eagle Mountain International Church/Kenneth Copeland Ministries (”KCM”) was one of only two ministries that filed a timely response to Senator Grassley’s initial request for information by the December 6, 2007, deadline. The Joyce Meyer Ministry was the other. KCM’s response reflected a sincere and good faith effort by the Church to provide answers to as many of the Senator’s questions as possible without compromising the protections afforded to the Church by the United States Constitution and the Internal Revenue Code. KCM provided responses to 17 of the 42 questions Senator Grassley posed. Where KCM provided a partial answer or response, or did not answer a question asked by Senator Grassley, the Church determined that the question raised constitutional and/or statutorily based privacy and confidentiality concerns.

In its December 6, 2007, response, KCM stated its position that the most timely and efficient manner for Senator Grassley to obtain the requested information, without compromising the rights of the Church and those persons associated with it, is to request the information from the IRS. Such a request would be subject to longstanding IRS church-inquiry procedures and confidentiality protections under the Internal Revenue Code.

Specifically, the IRS could obtain the information Senator Grassley is seeking from the Church through a ‘church tax inquiry’ under section 7611 of the Internal Revenue Code. Senator Grassley himself introduced this special provision of the Internal Revenue Code in 1983 as part of the Church Audit Procedures Act, in recognition of the potential for government investigations into churches to infringe upon ‘the civil liberties of churches.’ At the conclusion of a properly conducted church tax inquiry by the IRS, Senator Grassley could request the IRS to send him the information obtained through the church tax inquiry. By proceeding in this manner, Senator Grassley could obtain the information he is seeking without treating KCM (or the other targeted ministries) in a disparate manner from other churches that enjoy these constitutional and statutory protections.

On March 11, 2008, Senator Grassley and Senator Baucus of Montana, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance (the ‘Committee’), sent a follow-up letter to four of the six ministries that received Senator Grassley’s November 5, 2007, letter: Without Walls International Church (Revs. Paula and Randy White), New Birth Missionary Baptist Church (Bishop Eddie Long), World Changers Church International (Dr. Creflo Dollar), and Eagle Mountain International Church (Revs. Kenneth and Gloria Copeland). A Committee press release issued on March 12, 2008, asserted that, except for Without Walls International Church, these ministries had ‘not cooperated’ with Senator Grassley’s initial request. (No mention was made in the Committee’s Press Release of the information that KCM in fact provided to Senator Grassley on December 6, 2007.) The Committee’s press release further states that Senator Grassley’s questions were based on reports from watchdog groups, whistleblowers, and the media. No substantiation of these reports was set out in the Committee’s Press Release (or elsewhere). The March 11, 2008, letters take the position that Senator Grassley’s requests do ‘not infringe upon First Amendment rights,’ but no legal support is offered for this position. Finally, the letters indicate that the Committee may resort to ‘compulsory process’ if the requested information is not provided.

KCM responded to Senators Grassley and Baucus in a March 31, 2008, letter in which it declined to provide additional information in response to Senator Grassley’s request. KCM reiterated the Church’s position that the most timely and efficient manner for the Senators to obtain the requested information - without compromising the Church’s, its members’, partners’, and friends’ constitutional and statutorily based rights - is to request the information from the IRS. At the conclusion of a properly conducted IRS church tax inquiry, Senator Grassley could ask the IRS for the information obtained through that process. A request from Senator Grassley to the IRS would be covered by section 6103 of the Internal Revenue Code, which protects the privacy of information that the IRS obtains from all taxpayers. Senator Grassley would not be able to use information obtained by the IRS to subject the Church or its members to scrutiny by the public, but he would be able to fully use the information to accomplish his stated goal of determining whether the Church is complying with federal tax laws. If KCM were to provide the requested information directly to Senator Grassley or the Committee, however, the protections from public disclosure afforded to the Church under section 6103 of the Internal Revenue Code would not apply.”

Also, watch these videos!

Believer’s Stand United Videos

The churches that describe themselves as having “liberal theology” (which you can read as un-scriptural theology) are less likely to use new technologies to preach. I suspect that is because they really don’t have anything worth reaching anyone with… why spend money to use high tech, if you are preaching poverty, lack, and sickness anyway?

Study: Churches Slow to Adopt New Technology

“New research shows that a majority of churches use some type of emerging technology in their services, but the pace of technology adoption has slowed in recent years. Although 65 percent of Protestant churches now have a large screen projection system, that number is just slightly higher than in 2005 when 62 percent had such a system, according to The Barna Group. The use of large screens had jumped from the year 2000 when only 39 percent were using them. Since 2005, there was only a 5 percent increase in the adoption of a large screen projection system. The Barna study, released Monday, found that churches that say they are theologically conservative are more likely to have large screens (68 percent) than churches described by their pastor as having ‘liberal theology’ (43 percent). Smaller churches – ones that average less than 100 adults each week – are less likely to have big screens, with only 53 percent of them reportedly having one. Meanwhile, 76 percent of churches that draw 100 to 250 adults have a large screen and 88 percent of churches that draw more than 250 adults have it. Over half the churches that have a big screen use it to show movie clips or other video segments during their services and events. Along with the slower adoption of large screens, sending e-mail blasts have also not prevailed in the last couple of years. Fifty-six percent of Protestant churches send email blasts to large groups or to the entire church body but that number has remained the same since 2005. More churches have created an Internet presence since 2005. The latest study showed that 62 percent of Protestant churches have a church Web site, up from 57 percent in 2005. In 2000, only 34 percent had a Web site. Larger churches are more likely to have an Internet presence. Nine out of 10 churches with more than 250 adults attending have a Web site while only 48 percent of churches with less than 100 adults have one. ‘Many small churches seem to believe that new tools for ministry are outside of their budget range or may not be significant for a church of their size. It may be, though, that such thinking contributes to the continued small size of some of those churches,” said George Barna, who directed the study.”

We are blessed at Faith & Victory Church… we use LOT’S of high tech to preach the Gospel! Check out our web site, podcasts, and soon… streaming video via IPTV (Internet Protocol Television!) We reach 70,000 + folks a month with our podcasts… all over the world! Amen!

A controversial movie gets a lot of guff from many different corners… and “Expelled!” is no exception. In this article in the Christian Post, he reveals the truth about the mis-information:

Myths about ‘Expelled’

“If you have heard of the new documentary Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, opening April 18, chances are you have heard all kinds of distortions and myths about it. So let me set the record straight about some of the most common myths.

Myth #1: Darwinists interviewed for this film were tricked into participating.

Not so. Each scientist interviewed for Expelled, on both sides of the evolution debate, knew who would do the interview and what it was for. Each of them signed a release, allowing the producers to use the footage of their interviews.

Myth #2: The film is anti-science.

Wrong again. Many distinguished scientists were interviewed for this film and given the chance to express their views. Just like their Darwinist counterparts, the advocates of intelligent design and their supporters who are interviewed are there to talk about science, not to dismiss it. These are people like Cambridge physicist John Polkinghorne; Oxford mathematician and philosopher John Lennox; journalist Pamela Winnick, who has received hate mail for covering the issue; and biologist Caroline Crocker, who was fired from George Mason University for discussing intelligent design in the classroom. Some of them are religious believers; some are not. But what they share is a commitment to science and the unfettered pursuit of truth. Expelled is not anti-science; it is anti-censorship.

Myth #3: Ben Stein, the actor and writer who hosts the movie, has lost his mind.

Bringing up this very issue in a conference call, Stein quipped that he probably has, ‘but it was a long time ago . . . probably sometime around 1958.’ Well, I have known Stein well for years, and he is as bright as a button and anything but out of his mind. On a serious note, Stein and his film’s producers explained that the mud that people are flinging at him is just one small example of what happens to people who question Darwinian orthodoxy. The original idea for Expelled, said co-producer and software engineer Walt Ruloff, came to him when he was working on a project with a group of biotechnologists and learned ‘that there was a whole series of questions that could not be asked.’

The prevailing ideology among many scientists—it turned out—he concluded, was keep your mouth shut, take the research money, and publish only the data that fits with ‘the party line.’ The issue that concerns Ruloff and the others behind Expelled is whether the scientific establishment in this country is going to allow genuine ‘freedom of inquiry,’ or simply shut up—and slander—those who do not toe the line.

Given all this, Ben Stein states, ‘As long as the cause is right, I’m happy to be in an uphill struggle.’

Myth #4: Popular author and atheist Richard Dawkins tells Ben Stein in this film that there could have been a designer of life on earth, but it would have had to have been ‘a higher intelligence’ that had itself evolved ‘to a very high level . . . and seeded some form of life on this planet.’

Well, actually . . . that one is not a myth. He really did say it—striking admission, though it is.

So, I urge you to go see Expelled when it opens at a theater near you. Believe me, in this case the truth really is stranger—and more compelling—than any fiction the film’s detractors could possibly dream up.”

Here’s a movie teaser for you… what if science, that claims to be open-minded to any hypothesis, black-listed one point of view? Impossible, you say? Watch Ben Stein’s new movie, “Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed” and see it happen before your eyes! Watch the trailer for the movie at the link below:

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed

“By it’s April 18th national release, EXPELLED producers know that a minimum of 900 US theaters will screen the satirical documentary, making it one of the widest documentary releases in US film history. Film distributor Rocky Mountain Pictures has estimated that 1,000 screens will be booked by opening day.”

I warn you about bad movies, so it is only fair that I recommend one once in a while. I loved the Chronicles of Narnia… and I am looking forward to the next installment with the story of Price Caspian. Check out the story here:

Return to Narnia

“In about a month, Hollywood will bring the second book of C. S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia to the silver screen. And whether you are a parent introducing your kids to Narnia for the first time, or looking for an excuse to recapture the magical wonder of your own childhood, it is a good time to dust off a copy of Prince Caspian. While you will not find the spiritual lessons in Prince Caspian quite as obvious as those you remember from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, you will find plenty of profound truths about the Christian faith—delivered in a way that only the master, C. S. Lewis, could do. The saga of Prince Caspian unfolds in a world hundreds of years removed from the Narnia of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. In this age into which the Pevensie children are suddenly thrust, the evil King Miraz reigns and only a remnant of people actually believe those childish stories of Aslan, the Stone Table, and a time when animals talked. Like Lucy, Edmund, Susan, and Peter, we enter a world of skepticism that is very much like our own. Let’s just say that the best-selling books in Miraz’s kingdom could easily have been titled The Aslan Delusion and Aslan Is Not Great. Like our children, young Caspian grows up in an age when most people say, ‘Who actually believes in Aslan nowadays?’ As in the previous stories of Narnia, a cosmic battle between good and evil continues to rage. But unlike the direct head-to-head conflict between Aslan and the White Witch, the conflict in Prince Caspian is being waged between the followers of the opposing powers. On this cosmic stage, individual faith is tested. Will Prince Caspian believe in the stories of Narnia? Will Lucy follow what she believes to be Aslan? Here is something with which Christians today can certainly relate. It is one thing to be among the first witnesses who exult in the risen Christ. It is quite another to act out of faith when the stories of His witnesses are so many centuries removed from our world. As Jesus told doubting Thomas, ‘Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet have believed’ (John 20:29). This is our world, and this is the world of Caspian, as well. In this tale, as much as we learn about faith and doubt, there is also much to learn about the nature of Jesus. As Leland Ryken and Marjorie Mead put in the newly released, A Reader’s Guide to Caspian, what Aslan is like is the ‘primary theological question of Prince Caspian.’ And in it we find several answers that apply to our own Christian walk.”

John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

Let’s think a moment about what JESUS said here. “…No man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” Another way to state that is… “No one can come to God… EXCEPT THROUGH ME!” This puts a lie to the notion that “there are many ways to God.” I didn’t say that. Jesus said that. Take it up with Him, if you dare! I wouldn’t, if I were you. Jesus knows what He is talking about… if anyone knows He does!

Bottom line is… from a national perspective, you CAN believe ANYTHING that you want to. But, from God’s perspective, you MUST believe certain things. For instance, you MUST believe that Jesus Christ is your personal Lord and Saviour… you MUST believe that God raised Jesus from the dead LITERALLY!

Romans 10:8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Romans 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Romans 10:11 For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

So what of the fact that Barack Obama said this past week, right here in Greensboro, that you can get to God through many ways? Sorry, Barack… it just isn’t so.

Obama Suggests Jesus Christ Not the Only Way to Heaven

“Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama suggested Wednesday that Jesus Christ is not the only way to heaven during a campaign event in North Carolina. While answering a question about his Christian faith, Obama said he believes that Jesus Christ died for his sins and through God’s grace and mercy he could have ‘everlasting life,’ according to the Los Angeles Times. But he also believes Jews and Muslims and non-believers who live moral lives are as much ‘children of God’ as he is, according to The Associated Press. As an example, he spoke about his late mother who was ‘not a believer.’ ‘[S]he was the kindest, most decent, generous person that I have ever known,’ Obama said, according to the Times. ‘I’m sure she is in heaven, even though she may not have subscribed to everything that I subscribe to.’ Obama’s response came amid the recent controversy surrounding his former Chicago pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, who made inflammatory remarks about race and America in sermons he delivered many years ago.”

I hope that Obama’s mother received Jesus before she died… but, if she didn’t… no amount of wishful thinking will get her there. It is not for no reason that Jesus said, “Ye must be born again!” (John 3:7)

Not that you wouldn’t expect that… but, needless-to-say the “theology” of this film is highly skewed! The Bible is very clear about the circumstances of Jesus’ birth, life on earth, death, burial, and resurrection… but a new Muslim created film about Jesus re-writes the Biblical account.

Muslim’s Cross-Less Jesus Film Draws Mixed Reactions

“A new film on Jesus, told from an Islamic perspective, has drawn mixed reactions from the Christian community over its claim that Jesus did not die on the cross but was replaced by Judas Iscariot. ‘The Messiah’ – written, produced and directed by Iranian filmmaker Nader Talebzadeh - was filmed in the Islamic Republic of Iran with Iranian actors to portray how Muslims understand the life of Jesus based on the teachings of the Qur’an and the Gospel of Barnabas – a book not included in the Christian Bible and in which the Prophet Mohammed appears. The movie features two endings – the Muslim and Christian version of Jesus and the cross – and has won an award at Rome’s Religion Today Film Festival for generating interfaith dialogue. Dr. Emir Caner, dean of the College at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a former devout Muslim, recommends Christians to view both versions of the crucifixion account and ask themselves several questions:

• When was Jesus replaced, according to the Qur’an?
• Why did the disciples not recognize that the man they were following was replaced before the cross
• Why did the mother of Christ not recognize that her son was not present on the Cross
• What was the alleged purpose of Allah in deceiving the crowd, including the disciples and Mary, into thinking Christ was being crucified

Or, in my opinion, you could just skip the whole thing, and go read what happened for yourself in God’s Holy Word directly… say, in Matthew, Mark, Luke or the Book of John! The Bible is not just AN account of what happened, it is THE account of what happened… you can not pick and choose, and re-write history. The account in the Bible of Jesus is not a “cunningly devised fable” that you can re-tell anyway that you like.

2 Peter 1:16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
2 Peter 1:17 For he received from God the Father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
2 Peter 1:18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.
2 Peter 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
2 Peter 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation.
2 Peter 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

Today we celebrate Jesus’ literal resurrection bodily from the dead. He did not “swoon” on the cross (in other words, not really die.) He was not replaced by Judas (as the Muslims teach,) His body wasn’t stolen by His disciples… no, Jesus was supernaturally raised from the dead! He now lives eternally at the right hand of the Father God, making intercession for us! (Romans 8:34)

You may say, “Aw come on, Dr. Bill! You don’t REALLY believe that do you?” If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be a Christian! Check out these scriptures:

Romans 10:8 “But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;”
Romans 10:9 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
Romans 10:10 “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
Romans 10:11 “For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”

Note verse 9, “…and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” So, we could say it this way, without changing any meaning… if you don’t believe that Jesus was raised from the dead, then you aren’t saved! I didn’t say this… a simple reading of the above verses indicate this!

So, don’t let liberal theologians steal your faith! Believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, receive and confess Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour! And then testify of your doing so… write me, and let me know that you have done so!

The article I have linked to below is interesting. It posits that there is a bias in the mainstream media toward reporting about atheism in America. We certainly don’t see favorable mainstream media stories about Christianity. What is going on? Do they have an agenda? You decide.

Media Spreading ‘Gospel of Godlessness,’ says Watchdog

A media watchdog says that from broadcast to print, the news media seems to be spreading a ‘gospel of godlessness’ to the American public through its imbalanced coverage of atheism. Only eight percent of Americans are atheist, according The National Cultural Values Survey conducted for the Culture and Media Institute in December 2006. But after noticing the ascendancy of atheism in stories on religion, Media Research Center’s Culture and Media Institute sought to answer whether the news media gave atheism the same degree of scrutiny as Christianity and other faiths. After reviewing stories in 2007 that featured atheism or presented atheist viewpoints, the group found that the media not only gave atheism a more prominent voice in its coverage but also a favorable and even positive report. ‘Whether deliberately or not, the news media did not subject atheism or atheists to the same skepticism to which they subject Christians and Christianity,’ concluded CMI, according to a recent report compiled for Christian Broadcasting Network. ‘By airing unchallenged interviews and predominantly reporting positive-toned features, the news media effectively promoted atheism.’ From the 105 atheist-themed stories that CMI reviewed, eighty percent had a positive tone while 20 percent were neutral. Surprisingly, no feature stories were negative. The report also showed that only 54 percent of atheist-themed stories included a religious counterpoint compared to the 71 percent of the Christian-themed stories that included atheist counterpoints. Of the three leading news magazines – Newsweek, Time, and U.S. News and World Report - reviewed for the report, Newsweek gave the most coverage on atheists, with a little over half of its issues featuring atheism stories or commentaries by atheists.”

I have noticed that some of the social networking news sites that I read occasionally, seem to be emphasizing stories about rejection of God in the culture. These are the last days, and we should expect more of this… but it is sad to see people rejecting the things of God. Mark 7:9 says, “And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.”

In the People’s Republic of California… the answer is… the state! According to the Court of Appeals in California… parents DO NOT have the right to educate their own children, and can be arrested if they do home school their kids. Despite the fact that, for years, we have know that homeschooled children are BETTER educated than the largely sub-standard public schools, the key to them is that, as Hillary Clinton once said, “It takes a village to raise a child.” Read that as, “You are NOT qualified to determine what your child learns, you MUST turn to the state.” Check out this statement: “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.”

By the way, I learned that home schooling offers better education than public schools, not at church, not in homeschooling promoting Christian books… NO, I learned this in Education class in my Sophomore year at UNCG (in 1976.) The professor was quoting a mainstream study that indicated unequivocally that homeschooled children are orders of magnitude better educated than their public schooled peers. We then debated the “whys” of that fact. That, and many other reasons, are why my wife, Belinda and I. home school our son Benjamin, now 15 years old, who is reading and testing at second year college levels. And now, this news… the state has an agenda, the teacher’s unions have an agenda, and it is NOT the best education for children. It is indoctrination into their world view…. period.

Homeschoolers’ setback sends shock waves through state

“A California appeals court ruling clamping down on homeschooling by parents without teaching credentials sent shock waves across the state this week, leaving an estimated 166,000 children as possible truants and their parents at risk of prosecution. The homeschooling movement never saw the case coming. ‘At first, there was a sense of, No way,’ said homeschool parent Loren Mavromati, a resident of Redondo Beach (Los Angeles County) who is active with a homeschool association. ‘Then there was a little bit of fear. I think it has moved now into indignation.’ The ruling arose from a child welfare dispute between the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services and Philip and Mary Long of Lynwood, who have been homeschooling their eight children. Mary Long is their teacher, but holds no teaching credential. The parents said they also enrolled their children in Sunland Christian School, a private religious academy in Sylmar (Los Angeles County), which considers the Long children part of its independent study program and visits the home about four times a year. The Second District Court of Appeal ruled that California law requires parents to send their children to full-time public or private schools or have them taught by credentialed tutors at home. Some homeschoolers are affiliated with private or charter schools, like the Longs, but others fly under the radar completely. Many homeschooling families avoid truancy laws by registering with the state as a private school and then enroll only their own children. 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.’”

Dobson: Homeschool Ruling Strikes at Heart, Soul of Families

“Conservative Christian leaders are outraged at the California appeals court decision last week rejecting a parent’s right to educate their children at home. ‘What has occurred is another egregious decision handed down by a California appeals court that strikes at the very heart and soul of families and their children,’ said Focus on the Family founder and chairman Dr. James Dobson, in a broadcast Friday. ‘How dare these judges have the audacity to label tens of thousands of parents criminals – the equivalent to drug dealers or pickpockets – because they want to raise and educate their children according to their deeply held values?’ The state appellate court ruled that parents must have a teaching credential to homeschool their children. Otherwise, children ages 6 to 18 must attend public or private school full-time until graduation from high school. ‘Parents do not have a constitutional right to home school their children,’ Justice H. Walter Croskey wrote in a Feb. 28 opinion for the 2nd District Court of Appeal. Those words ‘are nothing less than explosive,’ said Rev. Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr., president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. The Pacific Justice Institute estimates there are 166,000 California students who are homeschooled. ‘This is an all-out assault on the family, and it must be met with a concerted effort to defend parents and their children,’ said Dobson whose prominent family organization will do whatever it can to get the ruling overturned. ‘We will team with key allies and use every means at our disposal to make sure that not just every Californian, but every American, is aware of this miscarriage of justice. We will encourage them, by the hundreds of thousands, to make their voices heard on this matter.’ California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger also denounced the ruling and promised on Friday to ensure that parents have the rights to homeschool their children.”