Posted on 08/16/2009 10:37:37 PM PDT by 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.
DAYGLORED RESPONDED: "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"."
DAYGLORED ADDED: "Please elucidate. Links to quotes from the writings of the Founders, such as the Federalist Papers, would be great."
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To save you a LOT of time, you might want to start your search for information and DVDs at http://www.wallbuilders.com/
Wall Builders' founder is David Barton. He is EXTREMELY KNOWLEDGEABLE about the religious foundation of our country. His bio is at http://www.wallbuilders.com/SCHbioDB.asp
Another site to check out is Ken Hamm's site http://www.answersingenesis.org/
I own several hundred dollars of books and DVDs from both sites and have met and talked to both men. They both know their subjects EXTREMELY well and offer WONDERFUL DVDs to CLEARLY explain and demonstrate their positions.
Bad idea. First of all, who’s “version” of the bible? Baptist? Catholic? Jehovah’s Witness? LDS? Many different views there. Second, it’ll open the door for teaching other religions in public schools.
Oh, I know. KJV is the scripture of my childhood, and I know much of it by heart.
God’s Word can melt a heart, no matter the language.
However, as much as I love the KJV, I don’t quibble over which translation is best. One matter of faith is that the Lord will not let his Word be extinguished, and I believe that a seeker can find the narrow path with any number of translations.
I’ve been very grateful for NIV in teaching small children, and I remind myself that it was all originally in tongues that I cannot understand.
> What do you mean, ‘or what passes for them’?
I didn't mean anything specific by my comment. I'm not a Biblican scholar, but I have read that there have been arguments among such scholars over the years about the authenticity of some of the records and early writings. If I had the time and language ability, I'd want to read them myself; alas, not in this lifetime...
The Baptists have their own version of the bible?
As opposed to Catholic ... yes. If you don't like that I used Baptist in my example, simply insert your protestant faith of choice in there.
No, just say Protestant. Since we are still a Protestant nation I don’t think that using the standard King James version of the bible in most schools would be a big deal, especially in Texas.
The King James bible has been the bible of choice for 400 years in America.
Usually this claim that it is impossible to settle on a bible (using the Catholic version if a school district chooses) is brought up by liberals trying to fight Christianity.
I don't think one could just say "protestant" as many of the faiths that you could put in that category interpret many passages differently. Very differently in some of those cases.
Usually this claim that it is impossible to settle on a bible (using the Catholic version if a school district chooses) is brought up by liberals trying to fight Christianity.
Now hold on just a minute there, pal. Who you callin' "liberal?" ;o)
Protestants use the King James bible, how complex do you think that a generalized school lesson is?
I imagine that the lessons could use the Catholic version or the Protestant version and teach everything that they need to for the course.
You are striving to blow smoke and try to turn this into something complicated that suddenly is beyond human abilities to handle, I don’t think it is and it seems that Texas doesn’t either.
I always saw it as a tacit admission the rest was bunkum, therefore it could be treated in the same way as Greek religion myths are discussed, but Christianity was special as it was correct and not to be casually torn apart the way you could take apart stories about Zeus and Hera.
Whatever. Have a nice day.
I understand now what you mean.
There is a scholar, Bart D. Ehrman, who studies the textual content of the Bible as opposed to the scriptural meaning, and he has published books such as Lost Christianities and Misquoting Jesus.
An excerpt from his book, Misquoting Jesus:
“Scribal errors were so common in antiquity that the author of the Book of Revelation threatened damnation to anyone who “adds to” or “takes away” words from the text.”
You may find his research interesting or it will shock and make you angry. For example, the favorite Bible story of Jesus’s forgiving the woman caught in adultery (John 8:3-11), is not part of the original four New Testaments but was added much later.
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