Texas Public Schools Must Offer Bible Course

Kernel Sanders · 09-03-08, 10:49 PM

Source [ WorldNetDaily | Texas to teachers: Bible will be taught]

Quote:

The Bible's history and literature will be required to be taught in public schools in Texas under a new law that has been clarified by the state attorney general to mean exactly what it says.

"This is a huge victory for the people of Texas and, I think, for people across the country for academic freedom," said Jonathan Saenz, a lawyer for Liberty Legal. "There are 1,300 references to the Bible in the works of Shakespeare alone. Over 60 percent of the allusions studied in [advanced placement] English come from the Bible. Students are going to be better academically and culturally when they hear about the Bible."

The decision is a result of work by the state legislature as well as an opinion from Greg Abbott, the state's attorney general, in a letter to Education Commissioner Robert Scott. House Bill 1287 was approved by state lawmakers in the spring of 2008, and it was signed into law by Gov. Rick Perry. It states all school districts must offer the course as an elective at the high school level by the 2009-2010 school year.

Rep. Warren Chisum, R-Pampa, the author of the plan, said if 15 or more students express interest in the course, districts must provide it. [...]

And Chisum said the legislature specifically addressed the Bible, not the Quran or any other religious writing, because "the Bible as a text … has historical and literary value."

"It can't go off into other religious philosophies because then it would be teaching religion, when the course is meant to teach literature," he said.

I know, I know, WorldNetDaily sucks. Just look at the quotes and the facts and ignore the rest.

Back on topic - as long as the courses are actually taught in a historical, literary manner I have not problem with this. The Bible has had immeasurable impact on American culture and literature. Ignoring it because it's religion means you're missing part of the picture. When we read Old Man and the Sea back in high school we didn't do much analysis because the entire thing was religious symbolism.

rathi · 09-03-08, 11:26 PM

I personally have no problem with bible being taught a literary document, or its historical impact on society. As an elective its fine, but does not deserve to part of the core education that students have to learn. The bible is only useful in education as a secondary way of learning about history and literature. Its not vital that students learn it, and I would be highly skeptical of anyone who wants to force this as a required subject.

tlmorg02 · 09-05-08, 04:05 PM

The bible does hold some historical context, but without the spiritual canotation it really seems that students will not have much to learn. Ultimately, I think this is a sign of the new push of the church toward dominating education once again.

If we continue down this path physics and chemistry will be replaced by "How many angels can dance on the head of a pin," again.

shuamort · 09-05-08, 04:12 PM

It's a tricky thing to teach subjectively, but I think knowing the contents of the Bible is a benefit to one's cultural literacy. I didn't grow up in a church and read the Bible autonomously and out of curiousity. My grandma's King James specifically which language sometimes was over my head and it would have been helpful having a "translation" into modern English. Of course, I also think this should be an elective instead of a requirement.

rivrrat · 09-05-08, 04:24 PM

I don't have a problem teaching the bible [the Qu'ran, the Vedas, the Analects of Confucius, the Torah, the Sutras, etc] in public schools in a historical, philosophical, literary OR religious context. As long as it's an elective and not required.

I think as far as literary content goes though, you'd get more out of Arabian Nights than you would the bible.

Kernel Sanders · 09-05-08, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rivrrat

I don't have a problem teaching the bible [the Qu'ran, the Vedas, the Analects of Confucius, the Torah, the Sutras, etc] in public schools in a historical, philosophical, literary OR religious context. As long as it's an elective and not required.

I have a problem with public schools teaching any religious text in a religious context. If for no other reason (and there are many reasons) than the matter of having such a concept as the government's interpretation of the Bible (Qu'ran...). Having a part of the government deciding what is important and what certain passages mean is not something I am comfortable with

Quote:

I think as far as literary content goes though, you'd get more out of Arabian Nights than you would the bible.

In a literary context I agree with you, but in a historical context I disagree. I don't know what the rest of your experiences were, but as a public school student in the North East, American history is all that's even mentioned until middle school. And in American history the Bible trounces every other text religious or otherwise as far as influence, presence, and reference are concerned. It's a shame that religion in school is so taboo that there was little mention of biblical influence on the Founding Fathers or important American documents. The closest we ever got was a quick overview on deism in AP Government and Politics.

rivrrat · 09-05-08, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kernel Sanders

I have a problem with public schools teaching any religious text in a religious context. If for no other reason (and there are many reasons) than the matter of having such a concept as the government's interpretation of the Bible (Qu'ran...). Having a part of the government deciding what is important and what certain passages mean is not something I am comfortable with

Well that's the point of keeping it elective. You can just not let your kid take the class if you don't want them too.

Quote:

In a literary context I agree with you, but in a historical context I disagree. I don't know what the rest of your experiences were, but as a public school student in the North East, American history is all that's even mentioned until middle school. And in American history the Bible trounces every other text religious or otherwise as far as influence, presence, and reference are concerned. It's a shame that religion in school is so taboo that there was little mention of biblical influence on the Founding Fathers or important American documents. The closest we ever got was a quick overview on deism in AP Government and Politics.

Perhaps so, but I hated American history personally. So I think I blocked most of those classes out.

Anywho though, I don't recall the bible being prominently featured in my American History classes. Only the silly beliefs and subsequent atrocious actions of some of its followers. The bible itself? Not at all. There's nothing in the bible itself that relates to American History.

Simon W. Moon · 09-05-08, 08:19 PM

We studied three books from the Bible in lit class, Psalms, Ecclesiastes and one other. It was very literary as many, many works in English draw from or reference parts of the Bible.

Sly · 09-05-08, 08:22 PM

If the Bible, they should teach the Koran too.

The silenced majority · 09-05-08, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sly

If the Bible, they should teach the Koran too.

Historically the Qu'ran has absolutely nothing to do with the United States, except when Thomas Jefferson studied a copy of it before dispatching the Navy to sink the (Muslim) Barbary Pirates.