@kriegerwulff - The thing is though, you said that you would tell people who are not allowed by the state to homeschool, to homeschool anyway. Doing that would cause that persons children to be taken by the state.

@Kristenmomof3 - No, read what I said...Scripture tells people to educate their children, not by authority of myself to I assert this. If Scripture does indeed teach and command this, you cannot but conclude that, regardless of what man commands, we are to obey God rather than men.

So, now, does Scripture command parents to educate their children?

I will comment based on my experience in Sapulpa, where you live.  :>   I was homeschooled and personally I agree with your friend kriegerwulff.  I always had the desire to homeschool but for the first few years it just wasn't possible.  My girls went to Sapulpa public elementary school.  I was very involved; picked their teachers, pulled them out for the day when I knew they were having "sex" talks or other counseling sessions I didn't agree with.  They were always at the top of their class, popular, teachers loved them, good kids with good attitudes so I believed I was doing the right thing for the time.  When middle school time hit we made the decision to homeschool.  I had heard of all the bad stuff going on and my DH finally realized it would be the best thing to at least homeschool for a couple of years.  After the first year of homeschooling I realized that putting them in public school had been a mistake from the beginning.  It took me almost 2 years of de-brainwashing them (and I still fight it) to get them to realize that education isn't just for "school" but is a lifelong thing.  They had a bad attitude about learning - like it was boring and work.  I really want my children to understand that learning is something you do everyday in order to grow.  We would have been so much further ahead if only I had homeschooled from the beginning.  Public school put them in a box.  

@Kristenmomof3 - I do think that it is more likely that kids will yield to negative influences and temptations (like drugs, sexual experimentation, worldly mindset and philosophy) in middle school/high school if they are more likely to be subjected to those influences and they are more likely to be subjected to it if they are at school rather than at home.  I mean, I have 4 kids who are 13, 16, 16 and 18 and so far none of them have gone that direction and none of them have been in public school for junior high/high school.  I mean I see what you mean that if a kid is just hell bent on rebellion, they will rebel regardless.. but environment does play some part I would think?

@hbasedmomof6 - The question you ask, is extremely common, and is the usual track taken when raising objections to the idea that parents are charged by God to educate their children.

First, as I quoted previously, I draw attention to Deut. VI:6-7...the command is given to parents to teach their children of God "...when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." Secondly, the Wise-man said to his son in Prov I:8 "My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother..." he continues in Chapter VI "My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: Bind them continually upon thine heart, [and] tie them about thy neck." So before even getting to your question, we must first establish that God gave the command and charge to parents to educate their children. If anyone contends this, they need to demonstrate from Scripture that this isn't so.

Your question...you presume much in asking it, and in presuming it, you assume it to hold so in the case of public education. You assume that there is a corrolation between hiring a teacher and government education. You assume that the control one has over the curriculum and teaching WHEN hiring a teacher or tutor for you children, is the same as the government schooling. You assume that the moral character and quantity of the teacher is under your control in government education as in private tutoring.
Allow me to draw an example to myself, when I taught a class in the homeschool coop. I was required to stand before all the members, give a presentation of what I was going to teach, the syllubus, who I was, what qualified me to teach my subject, what experience I had, a profession of faith, and to answer any questions that might be raised, and then the choice lay with the parents as to whether they thought I could provide instruction for their children in a manner they believed to be fit. This is true, not just of my example, but in any case when one is going to hire a tutor for their children. David said in his 34th Pslam "Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD."

Further, your corrolation to a "sunday school" falls also short...because the Sunday school is paid for voluntarily by members of the church: no one is ever forced to give money, and if they don't like what is happening, then they are at liberty to not give to the church. Not so with the government schools...government schools are paid for by theft, through taxation...so only by robbing your neighbor through the anonynimity of the state, can your children by educated by the state. It is unjust, and is not a lawful hiring of a tutor for one's children.

Now, it lies with those who maintain that government school is acceptable to study scripture, to ask the question, and determine whether the charge given them by God is being fulfilled by government schooling. "...Thou shalt teach them when thou sittest in thy house..."

@Kristenmomof3 - ok i no way is this a i think you should homeschool post but i just wated to let you know a few things.I just went to the homeschool legal defense assoctiation they have all the laws for all the states.First off you're right with the must have highschool diploma but it also says or equvalent.so if you have your GED or wanted to get it you're fine.(and yes i only have my GED because i did the same thing only went to school through the tenth grade)

I also found nothing in there with having a special ed student having to remain in the public schools.this may have been false inormation given to you.Plus for me(and solely for me)this puts up red flags.This is taking the child away from the parent because the parent isnt good enough to teach a "special" child?or wont seek out the right tools to get help for the child.this urks me as the trust and responibility is being taken away from the parents.(i could write a whole topic on this thought)

I do see where you have to clock your hours and such.Getting a sgnature to approve your homeschooling is honestly not as scary as it sounds.i just looked up your affadavit and all it says is that you will teach the required subjects that you're clear from any felonies,and that your childrens medical/immunizations are up to date.and the whole convicted thing is only within 5 years.

again it's not me trying to push i just wanted to open your eyes up to more of the laws.

a lot of public schools will try to twist the laws around so it seems harder and you need to put more work in it then you really do.I've seen it happen to many friends in many states.Thats why all homeschoolers should be up to date on the laws surrounding your state!!

again not pushing just sharing what i found

@Kristenmomof3 - well from someone who has her GED trust me on this the GED is not that hard.I would encourage you even if you never homeschool to try and get it.It gives you a sense of accomplishment you would never imagine.I still look at my GED and smile knowing i took it and did so well in it.

@Kristenmomof3 - @javamommy - Yes and I have also heard people say they did it to show their kids that education was truly important to them. 

Here is a link to the PA laws:

http://www.hslda.org/laws/analysis/Pennsylvania.pdf

@Kristenmomof3 - Wow.. $100!  Here it is $60.  You are very articulate Kristen, I was just thinking you could probably pass with flying colors ;)  I figure those with an 8th grade education were probably Amish right?  I have no qualms with your decision personally.  I think if you feel comfortable with it, it is great.  :)

I lost what I was typing. The brief summation is this: appealing to the social life of the Judean people 500-1000 years after God gave them a command, doesn't have anything at all to do with the command itself. Nowhere in Scripture is it ever taught that the Jewish people were extremely faithful, or applied well the teaching of Torah. This would be like me quoting Anselm of Canterbury, or the Venerable Bede, or Gottshalk as being authoritative on what the New Testament authors meant. So citing cultural trends 500-1000 years after God said "...when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." (Deut XI) is irrelavent to the question.

"home schooling is not directly commanded in
this passage (or in any other biblical text), it can correctly be
identified as a "gray area" or a "wisdom issue""

Since when is it a gray issue "If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give
him a stone? or if [he ask] a fish, will he for a fish give him a
serpent?" But you ask, "what does that passage have to do with the discussion at hand, Krieger?" In this: our children deserve the best we can give them, no? Our children are to be instructed in the Wisdom of the Lord, no? The Wise-man also said "The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of knowledge" So why, then, would you say that sending your children to an institution that is avowedly anti-God, teaching vain philosophies of men, is a good thing? Why would you give your children the dead stones of worldly wisdom instead of the bread of life? It cannot be said that the education of children is a "gray area"...and it most CERTAINLY cannot be said that the education of Christian children is without moral or ethical standards. Paul warned adults in Col II "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after
the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after
Christ." How much more on guard should we be over the minds of Christian children (who "...now are they holy" I Cor. VII:14 according to the Apostle) over being spoiled through vain doctrines?

The very comments in this thread only go to demonstrate exactly whereof I speak...considering the sex education, the anti-God view of history, science, math, etc...Scripture does indeed teach us that Parents are to teach their children....is says this verbatium...therefore, it cannot be said that it is a "gray area'

Furthermore, I happen to agree with you that the Father should be much more involved, both in the planning, directing, and actual teaching of his children than most homeschooling fathers are.

"This responsibility is not necessarily met
just because a child learns math at home. Nor is this responsibility
necessarily abdicated when a child attends the public elementary school
across the street."

I recommend you read Gordon H. Clark's "A Christian Philosophy of Education" as dealing precisely with the difference here. Clark wrote his book in the 1940s, and it gives a picture of how philosophies and teaching heavily influence the message being taught. I also recommend "Mathematics: Is God Silent?" as a explaination of why teaching something as simple as math, if done without a foundation of God, is going to yield defective results.

Solomon said "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge"...government institutions cannot be said to fear the Lord. What, then do you expect your children to learn under them?

@hbasedmomof6 - exactly what i was thinking too

Public School? - proceed w/ caution - there are many schools that teach poorly, that teach what  I would see as objectionable, there are many that have poorly supervised students who are dangerous to your child - whether physically or spiritually. - that said, there are also many who encourage a love of learning, want parent involvement, provide a wide array of educational opportunities, provide great extra enrichment programs, sports, music, drama, etc and are nurturing - you have to look carefully at your district.