Time Magazine has published a story entitled "The Case for Teaching the Bible" that describes a course in Bible literacy being taught in New Braunsfels, Texas.
A case can be made for the value of public school courses on the Bible as literature. After 9/11 a stronger case can be made for courses that teach students about contemporary religions. Charles Haynes and the First Amendment Center have been at the forefront of efforts to see that it is done in a way that passes constitutional muster. Here's a link to a speech I once gave about his book From Battleground to Common Ground: Teaching About Religion in Public Schools.
I predict that the enthusiasm of conservative evangelicals for public school classes like this will wane as soon as secularists, free-thinkers, non-Christians, and liberal Christians begin to teach these courses and begin to inject their religious beliefs into discussions about the Bible. When evangelicals realize that they cannot control who teaches these courses in public schools, they will begin to reverse their position on this issue.
2 comments:
I think that it would be better to teach comparative religions in public schools. While limit the discussion to the Bible? The world would be much better off if people took the time to learn a bit about the other religions in the world. They might even realize the underlying similarities in them.
I took a Bible as literature course in my public high school and one on "religions of the world." This was in the '70s. Both electives were excellent and helpful.
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