Indeed!
Posted on 03/01/2013 2:05:24 PM PST by SeekAndFind
Have you ever sensed in your own life that "the handwriting was on the wall"? Or encouraged a loved one to walk "the straight and narrow"?
Have you ever laughed at something that came "out of the mouths of babes"? Or gone "the extra mile" for an opportunity that might vanish "in the twinkling of an eye"?
If you have, then you've been thinking of the Bible.
These phrases are just "a drop in the bucket" (another biblical phrase) of the many things we say and do every day that have their origins in the most read, most influential book of all time. The Bible has affected the world for centuries in innumerable ways, including art, literature, philosophy, government, philanthropy, education, social justice and humanitarianism. One would think that a text of such significance would be taught regularly in schools. Not so. That is because of the "stumbling block" (the Bible again) that is posed by the powers that be in America.
It's time to change that, for the sake of the nation's children. It's time to encourage, perhaps even mandate, the teaching of the Bible in public schools as a primary document of Western civilization.
We know firsthand of its educational value, having grown up in Europe—Mark in England, Roma in Ireland—where Bible teaching was viewed as foundational to a well-rounded education. Now that we are naturalized U.S. citizens, we want to encourage public schools in America to give young people the same opportunity.
This is one of the reasons we created "The Bible," a 10-part miniseries premiering March 3 on the History Channel that dramatizes key stories from Scriptures. It will encourage audiences around the world to open or reopen Bibles to understand and enjoy these stories.
Without the Bible, Shakespeare would read differently
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
I’m a fan of the Great Books approach to education.
And the greatest of the Great Books is the Bible.
In ‘61, I went to school in a Bronx school (8th grade), everyday we met in the auditorium and started the day with a prayer and a Bible reading (Old Testament, the prayer was always something like “keep everyone safe, help them to be the best they came be”).
The article anticipated the above argument with the following paragraphs:
_______________________________
Teaching the Bible is of course a touchy subject. One can’t broach it without someone barking “separation of church and state” and “forcing religion down my throat.”
Yet the Supreme Court has said it’s perfectly OK for schools to do so, ruling in 1963 (Abington School District v. Schempp) that “the Bible is worthy of study for its literary and historic qualities. Nothing we have said here indicates that such study of the Bible or of religion, when presented objectively as a part of a secular (public school) program of education, may not be effected consistently with the First Amendment.”
The Supreme Court understood that we’re not talking about religion here, and certainly not about politics. We’re talking about knowledge. The foundations of knowledge of the ancient world—which informs the understanding of the modern world—are biblical in origin. Teddy Roosevelt, the 26th president known more as a cigar-chomping Rough Rider than a hymn-signing Bible-thumper, once said: “A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education.”
Post the Big Ten Commandments on school grounds and see what happens.
Believe it or not but my 3 kids all studied the Bible in their public school. They graduated in ‘89,’90 and ‘93. I’ll shock you a little more....this was in Massachusetts!
Which version, the Jewish, the Catholic or the Protestant? Just via how you wish to enumerate the ten Commandments is making a choice as to one particular religious tradition over others.
For myself I suspect that if anyone would know the proper enumeration it would be the Jewish people; but much like the sabbath- theology finds itself changed for political reasons.
That is impressive and surprising. With the vast majority of people so wrapped up in an imaginary right to not be offended, it takes a brave Board of Education to risk touching a course that involves the Bible.
RE: I’ll shock you a little more....this was in Massachusetts!
It’s because someone forgot to inform the ACLU. :)
and now that state will force girls to share bathrooms, lockers and maybe showers with so-called “tranny” boys.
and punish them if they complain.
jeesh
Dismantle the public school system. It will always be a vehicle for propaganda.
Yeah, early America was very confused about which bible they were using to teach with, especially whether they were using a Christian bible or should be teaching Judaism.
All schools, whether public or private, should be required to teach the messages and lessons of the Bible. It is child abuse to neglect the teaching of these basic truths.
Three of my grandsons are now in the same school system and I have to say I’m even more impressed with the education that they’re getting. Back in November, on Veteran’d Day, my oldest grandson’s school had an assembly to thank the veterans. They had men and women from all the various services get up and tell their stories. The kids erupted in applause and cheers and wrote really heartwarming essays about patriotism. These people were treated like rock stars.
When I see and hear this I feel that all is not lost.
“It’s time to encourage, perhaps even mandate, the teaching of the Bible in public schools”
Uh, no. Bad, bad idea. They will do it the same way they teach sex education, drawing from the deepest depths of depravity and calling this normal. Allow them to teach the Bible, and they will turn your children into atheists using scripture. If you want your children to know the lessons of scripture, teach them yourself. Hopefully by example.
So the founding fathers are the final word on theology and the proper enumeration of the ten commandments?
I never mentioned the founding fathers, but I don’t think that Americans used to be confused about teaching America’s children Judaism instead of Christianity.
Jewish Americans taught their children Judaism and there was little confusion that the government should be impartial in such things.
Indeed!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.