Bible Classes in Public Schools: What's the Real Motivation?
It's possible to make a legitimate and reasonable case on behalf of teaching about the Bible. The more you know about the Bible, the easier it can be to understand significant swaths of Western literature, art, and philosophy. Of course, the same is true of ancient Greek and Roman mythology, but I don't see anyone recommending combined classes on religion & mythology. Unfortunately for defenders of such classes, they have trouble keeping quiet about their real motivations — the truth always comes out, one way or another.
The course has changed somewhat from the original request made by Debra Powell, who collected 862 signatures for her proposal. The course is planned to be a comparative religions class instead of focusing on just the Christian Bible, as Powell initially wanted.
[Moffat County High School Principal Jane Harmon] believes this is more akin to how religion classes are taught around the country. “We felt (comparative religion) is something that is commonly taught in colleges and would best serve our students,” she said.
Jo Ann Baxter, School Board president, agrees with Harmon. “We need a course in comparative literature, not necessarily the Bible,” Baxter said, “so we can teach our students to better understand the way people think around the world and how it plays into our political life.” At Thursday’s meeting, Baxter said she personally felt the district needed such a class because of “the state of the world today.”
Powell attended the meeting and agreed. She is disappointed the district will not teach the Bible itself. “Our kids are hurting, our society is hurting and we are losing our nation,” Powell said. “We’re not trying to indoctrinate. We’re trying to teach history and use (the Bible) as a source.”
Powell insisted it is not right to teach western history and culture without a focus on Christianity. “Our kids are lost and they have nowhere to go,” she said. “They have no idea where they came from since the Bible was removed from public schools in 1963. It’s a declining trend, and our kids and our nation are going by the wayside.”
Source: Craig Daily Press [emphasis added]
The statements in bold are indicative of the real reasons behind introducing Bible classes — and they are the same reasons Christians offer for school prayer and more religion generally in schools. According to Christians who want official government-supported religion in public schools, the world is in desperate shape and children are lost because they don't have God or Jesus in their lives. It's up to the state to rectify this situation by promoting traditional Christianity and Christian beliefs to students — regardless of what parents might want or teach at home.
Teaching children about religious beliefs, themes, images, and history so they can better understand literature, art, philosophy, and history is not the purpose of such classes. Instead, the purpose is to arm children with spiritual power and knowledge of God so that they can face moral dilemmas, resist temptation from Satan, and defeat evil secularism. It's religious indoctrination they are after, not education, which means that they are betraying their professional obligations as educators. They should resign and seek jobs at local churches where their personal agenda will be in sync with their job description.
Mark Chancey, associate professor of religious studies at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, contacted the Craig Daily Press on March 1 about NCBCPS curriculum.
“I’m a biblical studies professor … and have studied the National Council on Bible Curriculum in depth,” Chancey wrote in an email. “This group has a goal that goes beyond cultural literacy and education; it is part of a larger movement that wants to end the separation of church and state. I’m glad the board is proceeding slowly.”
It's important to remember that the people pushing Bible classes aren't merely devout Christians who are personally pious; instead, they are ideological activists working on behalf of Christian Nationalism. These are people who regard America as a "Christian Nation" founded by Christians, for Christians, and in the service of Christianity. When American culture, social institutions, and government fail to uphold and promote Christianity, they are in fact acting contrary to their "true" nature and purpose. Anything that is unChristian is unAmerica — if not anti-American.
Comments
I believe you may be misinterpreting the first of the highlighted comments (the one regarding the “state of the world”).
That comment is by the school board president, who favored a comparative religion course rather than a Bible course. From the context of the paragraph, it seems likely that she means the “state of the world” to refer to the current geopolitical situation.
This differs from the other two highlighted quotes, where Ms. Powell, the woman who wanted a Bible-only course, clearly justifies the course as an antidote to an imagined moral decay.
“They have no idea where they came from since the Bible was removed from public schools in 1963.”
That’s so true. Since then the bible has been banned all across the United States. Doesn’t anyone remember when the Secular Police burned every copy back then?
/sarcasm off
Well done though by the High School pricipal and the School Board president.
i was at school in Scotland in the 80’s and not only did we have a “Religious Education” class that, although mainly christian, also covered other religions - we also had a “Classical Studies” class that covered Greek and ROman religion, literature and language. The funny thing was, the teacher was clearly a believer in the Roman gods. So we did have this “combined religion and mythology” you mention - don’t know if they get it now! has this never happened in America?
The main idea with the back to the Bible people is, because the families and the churches have done such a bad job at teaching religion and morality, they want to force the state teachers to include Bible studies. Do they really think that students today will put down their video games and i-pods to revel in fairy tales from the Bronze age? I think we put too much emphasis on religion now. Too many students are not paying attention in Math and Science class mostly because our leaders have convinced them that science is just a theory. I am a teacher, and I have been studying Asian culture. If we do not stop playing stupid games with school curriculum. The Asians are going to take the high road in education and business, and leave us ignorant Americans to pray that they do not take over and make us second class citizens.
An uncritical indoctrination in the Bible is fundamentalist propaganda. It is as offensive as Mein Kampf.
The first removal of bibles in a public school was in 1890 in Edgerton, Wisconsin. Catholic parents didn’t want their kids to be forced to read the King James Version in public schools. The Wisconsin Supreme Court agreed.
To come right out and say it, I am a Christian. As a Christian, I do have an agenda for wanting the bible in our public school system.
In our state, some public schools do offer bible classes but only as electives; however, there is much monitoring involved. Our curriculum has been confiscated and returned by the ACLU with their approval as there is evidence that a specific religion is not being taught. The teachers are allowed to expose historical evidences without imposing religious beliefs.
There are some stipulations that must be kept in line. First off, the principal hires the teacher (who has to be state certified in religious studies)but does not pay the teacher. That comes from a legally-recognized non-profit board of parents who pay the salary of the teacher along with the benefits, retirement and curriculum equavalent to the school’s salaries. The school may not infiltrate the board and the board may not hire the teacher. All funding must be from the outside and may not be suported by the school.
Bible classes benefit the public school on a couple different fronts. First of all, it sooths some feathers of ‘the religious’ as they show they will cater to their desires. Second, it offers an additional elective for the students which many secular schools have need of a biblical-knowledge basis for some of their core literature courses and have made complaints that they have to go ‘backwards’ in their teachings because public school graduates don’t get idioms with a biblical basis (like “he thinks he walks on water”). Third, it brings in another teacher without having to pay the additional salary. Fourth, it shows the school is willing to listen to student and parent suggestions which makes for good PR. Fifth, it can be presented to history and English literature departments which benefits the other teachers in those departments in not having to cover that additional material. But most of all, under the ‘No Child Left Behind Act’, one of the grading factors is a smaller number of students in each class. Having bible electives thins out the student body which brings the school closer to their classroom limit goal and giving them a chance for a better grade in the government’s grading system of the school. In fact, the more electives with funding provided by an outside source, the better grade the school will receive because of class size and budget.
FYI, these bible classrooms also have the Koran, Book of Mormon, the Apocrypha, etc along side of the bible itself and are also discussed informatively.
The real reason why Bible studies should be a class in Public schools is because there are too many people that are living corrupt lives and need to live for their God and savior. I am living proof of a changed teen, I gave my life to God, and I have turned my life around. I am a better and happier person.