In the face of the mounting criticism over the years, HSLDA has reacted with charges of discrimination. Farris sent a response to the initial Home Education Magazine report calling critics "anti-Christian secular bigots." In fact, many of the critics cited in the report are Christian, and HEM regularly runs articles and columns by Christian home-schoolers. The initial reaction of HSLDA senior counsel Klicka to my questions about criticism aimed at the group was this: "We are a Christian organization and we are real clear about that."

When told that critics of the HSLDA differentiated between the many thousands of home-schoolers who happen to be Christian and those who advocate politically motivated, exclusivist home-schooling tactics, Klicka maintained that the criticisms are simply unfounded. If HSLDA has the strongest voice on issues of home schooling with the public and legislators, that is the result, he maintains, of hard work on the part of its leaders and members. Klicka says that "in the real world," home-schoolers with differing opinions can't always work in coalition; and that the HSLDA unapologetically forges ahead to "do the very best we can for the good of all home-schoolers."

Referring to cases in which HSLDA secured legislation others deem bad for home-schoolers, Klicka says, "Sometimes when the legislative climate is bad you've got to accept things that are less than perfect." And as for HSLDA's pursuit of issues unrelated to home schooling, well, they are all related, Klicka says. "If these battles are lost, they will also damage our home-schooling freedoms."

HSLDA's sustained lobbying against the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child -- the top issue cited in an "issues alert" sent by the HSLDA to all members of Congress last fall -- is necessary because "if children have rights, they could refuse to be home-schooled, plus it takes away parents' rights to physically discipline their children," says Klicka. He had a similar explanation for the group's opposition to increased federal child abuse laws -- more laws would mean more likelihood that corporal punishment could be defined as child abuse. (Just this month, administrators from Patrick Henry College were among those testifying before the Virginia Department of Social Services for a measure that would allow foster parents to physically discipline foster children.)

As for the notion that HSLDA tries to define proper Christians as only those who are fundamentalist and politically conservative, Klicka insists, "Unity among Christians has never been stronger." And Klicka's take on the assertions of Seelhoff, the publisher of Gentle Spirit? "Oh, that adulterer," muttered Klicka. "I haven't read her stuff, so I can't respond to it."

The "adulterer," however, is well-known to HSLDA insiders because she was once a great asset to the four pillars. As the circulation of Seelhoff's magazine, Gentle Spirit, skyrocketed, Welch, publisher of the Teaching Home, asked to list Seelhoff's popular home-schooling workshops in her magazine and Gregg Harris invited her to speak at home-school conferences.

But when she left her husband (who she said was abusive), violating a fundamental Christian taboo on divorce, many of the conservative Christian home-schooling leaders who had previously praised her turned on her, unleashing a battery of harassment that some have described as distinctly un-Christian.

Seelhoff filed a successful lawsuit against Welch, Harris and Mary Pride, who publishes another prominent conservative Christian home-school magazine, Practical Home-schooling. She was awarded $1.3 million in September 1998. Documents filed in the suit describe the following scenario:

Alleging that Seelhoff had committed adultery with her now-husband Rick Seelhoff, Welch informed 41 state home-school organizations of Seelhoff's alleged "adultery and lying," hoping to persuade groups to drop Seelhoff's forthcoming speaking engagements. (They did.)

Pride and other conservative home-schoolers, shocked at the news of Seelhoff's divorce, posted personal attacks on Seelhoff on several Web sites, and Pride directed an employee to spread the word among Gentle Spirit's advertisers and encourage them to drop their Gentle Spirit ads. (They did.)

The widely circulated reports of Seelhoff's "adulterous behavior" caused many Gentle Spirit subscribers to cancel. Finally, with Farris offering legal advice at various points, Welch, Harris and Seelhoff's former pastor tried to force her to sign a "proof of repentance" that would have her reconcile with her estranged husband; hand over her magazine and bank accounts; cease public speaking; give up her phone, post office box and online service; and never leave the house alone. Bereft of income and unable to give subscribers their money back, Seelhoff sued under antitrust laws.

HSLDA's response to members inquiring about the Seelhoff suit was simple: "We would simply refer people to 1 Cor. 6:1-10," wrote Farris. Good Christians, he added, are biblically prohibited from suing other Christians. Indeed, 1 Corinthians 6:1-10 begins with the question "When any of you has a grievance against another, do you dare to take it to court before the unrighteous, instead of taking it before the saints?" and ends with "Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! Fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, sodomites, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, revilers, robbers -- none of these will inherit the kingdom of God."

John Holzmann is another stalwart Christian who felt the righteous rage of HSLDA when he asked its leaders to respond to issues raised by Seelhoff, the HEM report and many customers of the Christian curriculum publishing firm he co-founded, Sonlight.

Sonlight materials had enjoyed great popularity in HSLDA circles and Holzmann offered HSLDA membership discounts to customers. But when Holzmann spoke up, HSLDA struck back. At a meeting with the group's representatives, Holzmann says he got the bottom line: Don't ever speak out against HSLDA publicly or you will face HSLDA charges of "gossip, slander and failure to observe the requirements of Matthew 18:15-17." ("If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If the member refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.")

In January, Holzmann announced that Sonlight would dissociate from HSLDA, and he left his exclusive home-school group for an inclusive group.

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