A Modern-Day Pilgrim Story
For one Christian family, answering "yes" came with a cost: Leaving their homeland, livelihood and extended family in search of religious freedom in the United States. The Romeike family fled Germany under the threat of fines, criminal prosecution and even losing custody of their children. Their crime? Homeschooling them—a decision made after they examined the government-mandated public school curriculum that clashed with their Christian values. Homeschooling is illegal in Germany, so the Romeikes knew they were taking a risk by teaching their children at home. However, authorities had not aggressively persecuted homeschool families in their part of the country—something that changed in the Romeikes' case. To the family's surprise, police came to their home to physically transport their children to public school, as authorities levied fines against them exceeding $11,000. So, the Romeikes crossed the ocean to what they hoped would be political asylum and religious freedom, only to find the Obama administration vigorously challenging an immigration court ruling that allowed the family to stay in the U.S. Their case is now headed to the U.S. Supreme Court, with the U.S. Justice Department arguing to send them back to Germany—where they would face the renewed threat of religious persecution. Focus on the Family Citizen® magazine is closely monitoring the Romeike family's plight. Yet religious persecution is not isolated to other countries. The November 2013 issue of Citizen examines the latest developments involving a young New Mexico family impacted by the loss of their religious freedom: Photographer Elaine Huguenin and her husband, Jonathan, were fined $7,000 for refusing to photograph a same-sex ceremony. November's Citizen also features two other faith-in-action stories. A huge victory for the pro-life cause in New York State, as well as introducing you to a new home for girls rescued from sex trafficking in Colorado Springs, CO. Citizen brings you in-depth reporting and insightful analysis—all from a source you can trust. Citizen puts accurate and reliable information on critical topics at your fingertips, making it a valuable resource to encourage you and your family with examples of thriving values lived out in the culture.
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