Texas public schools required to teach Bible this year

KLTV ^ | Aug 14, 2009 | Sara Story

[kingattax]

WHITEHOUSE, TX (KLTV) - The school year is almost here, and if literature of the Bible is not already offered in your child's school, it will be this fall.

Books are a common sight in classrooms around the nation, but the Bible is one book that is not. Come this fall, a Texas law says all public schools must offer information relating to the Bible in their curriculum.

"By the end of the year, what they begin to realize is that it is pervasive. You can't get away from it. The kids came back and were like 'It's everywhere,'" said John Keeling, the social studies chair at Whitehouse High School. Whitehouse already offers a Bible elective. "The purpose of a course like this isn't even really to get kids to believe it per say. It is just to appreciate the profound impact that it has had on our history and on our government," said Keeling.

The law actually passed in 2007, but this will be the first school year it is enforced because the bill says, "The provisions of this act pertaining to a school district do not take effect until the 2009-2010 school year."

This has gained mixed reactions from East Texans. "I think it is a good thing because a lot of kids don't have that experience, and they already want to take prayer out of school as it is-- and you see where our kids are ending up!" said Tyler resident Laura Tucker.

Tyler resident Havis Tatum disagress with Tucker. He said, "I don't want anybody teaching their religious beliefs to my child unless they want to send their child to my house and let me teach them my religious views. There is no difference."

School officials tell us schools haven't enforced this law because of confusion over the bill's wording and lack of state funding.

For now, each school district must find a way to fill the requirement before the seats are filled with students.

[Jedidah]

I don’t want them teaching religion in public schools, because I sure don’t want them teaching Hindu or the Koran.

For what it’s worth, teaching Bible in Texas schools is really nothing new. My son, who graduated high school in the mid-90s, had to study the Book of Ruth in literature class in a large public high school. They used King James Version, which meant it was like reading Shakespeare to those kids who didn’t have a church background. (Many suffered, but he sailed through it.)

[dayglored]

> "It is just to appreciate the profound impact that it has had on our history and on our government"

Uh, huh. Somehow I don't think presentinging the Bible as "literature" is quite what they had in mind.

IMO, any American whose education does not include familiarization with the profound cultural effect of the Judeo-Christian Bible has missed arguably the single most influential document in our culture.

Likewise, a "comparative religions" course can be stimulating and edifying.

I keep my Bible handy. My KJV is a little dog-eared from all the times I've referred to it in discussions with my daughter.

However, teaching public school from the Bible is something else entirely. And I have to guess that's really what they have in mind here. This is not, IMO, a good idea. It opens the door to all manner of religious teaching from many other religions, and somehow I don't think that's what is intended. Back to the drawing board, guys.

[ari-freedom]

it’s part of basic cultural literacy

[Ron C.]

Most US citizens have NO IDEA that the Bible was the Main textbook in ALL of America's schools - for almost all of this nation's first 100 years.

Worse yet - they have NO KNOWLEDGE of the fact that our form of government was taken - almost completely from the Bible.

(Many of our nation's founders spoke at length about that fact.)

[lentulusgracchus]

This is likely to be awkward in implementation. The ACLU will go out and do a little barratry, scouting for people willing to sue on grounds that their sectarian particularism is offended by whatever comments are offered on Biblical content and moral injunctions.

The big split is going to be Calvinists vs. Jews vs. sneaky atheists pretending to be scientific materialists vs. everybody else in Christendom, vs. the Mormons.

The ACLU will bait the Calvinists (Presbyterians and Baptists) because their churches contain numbers of "witnesses" who are willing to get into atheists' faces.

They'll try to "prove" Baptist antisemitism by baiting some junior Bible scholar somewhere to comment on "His blood be upon us" and other New Testament favorites that make Jewish rabbis upset when they're tossed around in public. Then we'll hear from the atheists, as the ACLU shops their lawsuit around.

[ari-freedom]

well, public school is a problem no matter what it teaches

[dayglored]

> They used King James Version, which meant it was like reading Shakespeare to those kids who didn’t have a church background.

The KJV sings to me, its gorgeous and familiar phrasings ring in my ear and send chills down my spine.

It's all about what you grew up with, I guess.

The "modern" versions drive me up a wall. I suppose those same folks would "modernize" Shakespeare, too, in the name of better comprehension. What a load of hooey.

Granted, I haven't taken the time to learn Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, to read the originals (or what passes for them), but the KVJ has been the English "real deal" for centuries and I will have mine with me until I shuffle off this mortal coil.

[taraytarah]

Opening the door...???

[Shadowstrike]

You don’t want them teaching Hindu or the Koran?

Have you been to a public school lately?

News flash they already are.

Heck my Freshman year of High School, they had the Wiccan Bible in my Lit. Class.

Do I believe the Bible should be taught as Literature/ Not really, but I have a feeling those who “need” to learn the ways of our Lord, won’t see it as Literature at all.

Heck, you knows how many kids may be turned onto the right path by this.

[dayglored]

> Worse yet - they have NO KNOWLEDGE of the fact that our form of government was taken - almost completely from the Bible. (Many of our nation's founders spoke at length about that fact.)

I must ask you to supply some references for that claim. While it's certainly true that the Founders drew general inspiration and spiritual sustenance from the Bible and their beliefs, I know of no instance where "our form of government" (tri-part organization, bicameral congress, or anything else laid out in the Constitution) was specified as coming "almost completely from the Bible".

Please elucidate. Links to quotes from the writings of the Founders, such as the Federalist Papers, would be great.

[dayglored]

> well, public school is a problem no matter what it teaches

Yeah, there is that....

[Minus_The_Bear]

The good news is it is a public school so nobody will learn or remember anything!

[UnwashedPeasant]

it’s part of basic cultural literacy

Basic cultural literacy is normally not allowed in government schools because the liberal elite prefers ignorant peasants.

[ari-freedom]

opening the door to what? That door was already opened a long time ago...

[nmh]

Good.

Upset the atheists.

I’m so tired of these godless people.

They’re as bad as Obama.

[nmh]

Would you prefer Islam?

[dayglored]

> it’s part of basic cultural literacy

I agree it should be (and was for a long time). But I fear it is going the way of all other forms of literacy...