Bible Courses to Be Offered in Georgia Public Schools
These two Bible based courses are not required courses but will rather be offered as electives. Individual school districts will also be able to choose whether or not to offer the courses within their own district.
Although this is the first time that such a curriculum has been passed at the state level, Bible based courses are nothing new. Currently 373 school districts encompassing 1,350 schools in 37 states offer Bible based courses in their public schools, according to the National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools. However these courses at the local school district level have been highly controversial and have been met with strong litigation.
Such Bible courses are designed to ensure that the Bible is taught not in a religious manner but in a way emphasizing its important historical role as well as its literary value. The measure passed in Georgia says in part that the courses must be taught "in an objective and non-devotional manner with no attempt made to indoctrinate students."
In 1963, the use of the Bible as a devotional tool in public schools was banned by the Supreme Court. Study of the Bible's historical and literary value, however, was held up as Constitutional in the same decision, School District of Abington Township v. Schempp.
Some civil rights groups such as the Georgia ACLU are concerned that the two new courses offered focus solely on the Bible. In their view although the curriculum might on the surface be Constitutionally sound, implementation could vary and could lead to individual teachers pushing their own views on students and indulge in Christian prosyletizing.
The Georgia ACLU would like to see strict outlines put into the curriculum explaining to teachers what exactly they can and cannot do under the Constitution in order to avoid situations which might violate the freedom of religion.
Measures supporting Bible based curricula in Georgia public schools was originally introduced in the legislature during the 2006 election cycle. Democrats initially brought forward legislation under SB 437 but this was countered by Republican measures under SB 79 which ultimately passed overwhelmingly. Republicans are the majority in both houses of the Georgia legislature.
Published by Allen Butler
Allen Butler is a freelance writer and tutor living in Austin, TX. View profile
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7 Comments
Post a CommentIt is about time the truth is going to be taught to children in school! We don't need to teach the kids about Tibetan dead books thanks, this is America, we are a Christian nation and we are finally standing up for Christ!! Amen for Georgia and God Bless you all!!!
I also hate book banning (at any grade level), so it follows suit I'd be up in arms about restrictions placed on academic freedom.
Part of the reason I dislike public schools is because there are so many restrictions on academic freedom. For the record, I'm not Christian, although the official log of the Catholic church has me listed somewhere in their records. I don't want my daughter who is preschool aged being restricted in what she is exposed to, and I certainly don't think a highschooler (almost college-aged) should be restricted. I highly value academic freedom. And separation of church and state doesn't tell the whole story. Government subsidized stafford loans can be used at any institution of higher learning, which, guess what folks, does have a ton of religion courses or interdisiplinary courses such as the Philosophy of Religion. Should we eliminate government subsidized Stafford loans because of this fact?
I went to a nonsectarian prep school that was allowed to pick its own curriculum, and we studied the Old Testament as one work in one class in grade eight. In grade seven, however, we read excerpts of the Bible, the Koran, and the Talmud in fairness. I was lucky to have a very impartial teacher, but I'm concerned that the kids in Georgia might not have the same experience.
It's one book. If it's not devotional, then why aren't the other classics each devoted an entire class? C'mon, we all know the goal is devotional even if the teaching style isn't supposed to be.
The big picture, though, is that by forbidding study of the bible as an elective course we are undermining our own constitutional rights. Forbid that, and you're also (by precedent) forbidding study of the koran, the torah, the book of the dead, or any other tome that has been a basis for a religion. Americans should be worried more about protecting their right to *choose* whether to take or not to take an elective course, rather than implementing laws that take away any choice at all.
PTLeena answers her own objections to the article, and points to why it is a bad idea. "it might do some good for them to actually know what is says and how it should be interpreted before they decide what they believe." Who will teach the class, and tell students how to "interpret?" The courses are just a projection of the religious right, bent on forcing their into cirriculum...and the bible could not be taught objectively...to do so would cause alot of uproar from fundamentalists, because the bible could not stand very strongly as a literary work..