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Texas school board adds Bible class to high schools
MLive.com ^ | April 27, 2005 | The Associated Press

Posted on 04/27/2005 8:12:53 AM PDT by wmichgrad

ODESSA, Texas (AP) — The school board in this West Texas town voted unanimously to add a Bible class to its high school curriculum.

Hundreds of people, most of them supporters of the proposal, packed the board meeting Tuesday night. More than 6,000 Odessa residents had signed a petition supporting the class.

Some residents, however, said the school board acted too quickly. Others said they feared a national constitutional fight.

Barring any hurdles, the class should be added to the curriculum in fall 2006 and taught as a history or literature course. The school board still must develop a curriculum, which board member Floy Hinson said should be open for public review.

The board had heard a presentation in March from Mike Johnson, a representative of the Greensboro, N.C.-based National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools, who said that coursework designed by that organization is not about proselytizing or preaching.

But People for the American Way and the American Civil Liberties union have criticized the council, saying its materials promote religion.

Johnson said students in the elective class would learn such things as the geography of the Middle East and the influence of the Bible on history and culture.

"How can students understand Leonardo da Vinci's `Last Supper' or Handel's `Messiah' if they don't understand the reference from which they came?" Johnson said. The group's Web site says its curriculum has received backing in 292 school districts in 35 states.

In Frankenmuth, Mich., a similar proposal led to a yearlong controversy before the school board voted in January not to offer such a course.

On the Net:

National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools: http://www.bibleinschools.net

People for the American Way: http://www.pfaw.org


TOPICS: Culture/Society; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: bible; biblestudy; churchandstate; education; electives; religiouseducation; schoolboard
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1 posted on 04/27/2005 8:12:58 AM PDT by wmichgrad
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To: wmichgrad

A Christian education isn't just adding school prayer, a bible class, and downplaying evolution. In all actuality we've really had a socialist education system since the beginning of this country, it's just the religious leaders then fell for the trap. We need separation of state and schools.


2 posted on 04/27/2005 8:16:20 AM PDT by bahblahbah
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To: wmichgrad

The ACLU would rather they hand out automatic weapons...


3 posted on 04/27/2005 8:17:52 AM PDT by WestTexasWend
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To: bahblahbah
And those trying to push religion on our public schools are extremely naive that they could actually change the system and should just leave the government school system. School vouchers are not the answer because that will lead towards a fascist education system where the system is privatized but the government still has control. The best route is to allow for tax breaks for those who provide the education for themselves or donate to charities which then give money to needy students who can't afford the private education.
4 posted on 04/27/2005 8:19:38 AM PDT by bahblahbah
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To: wmichgrad

A comparative religions course that examines the major tenents and history of "The Big Five" Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism might pass legal muster. This course will not.


5 posted on 04/27/2005 8:21:40 AM PDT by Zeroisanumber
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To: Zeroisanumber

Perhaps so. Regardless of how one views the Bible, it seems to me that anyone trying to understand the history of western civilization, western art or english literature absolutely has to be more than passingly familiar with much of the Bible. Regardless of the translations used in church/hebrew school, students need to read the Authorized Version (King James) in the same way that they read Shakespeare, with annotation to explain the words whose meanings have changed and inscrutable obsolete spellings.


6 posted on 04/27/2005 8:29:32 AM PDT by CatoRenasci (Ceterum Censeo Arabiam Esse Delendam -- Forsan et haec olim meminisse iuvabit)
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To: wmichgrad
My wife was a child psychologist in Russia. At the direction of President Putin she helped develop a Bible curriculum for Russian elementary schools, which Putin signed into law. My wife was stunned when she came to America and discovered the Bible could not be used in public schools. I explained to her the ACLU is not in Russia yet.
7 posted on 04/27/2005 8:30:53 AM PDT by GarySpFc (Sneakypete, De Oppresso Liber)
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To: GarySpFc

I should add Putin also had others develop Bible programs for the trade schools and military.


8 posted on 04/27/2005 8:32:39 AM PDT by GarySpFc (Sneakypete, De Oppresso Liber)
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To: GarySpFc
I explained to her the ACLU is not in Russia yet.

I thought they were?? They were called Bolsheviks. I'm guessing because of the disastrous results of a century of communism has softened Putin's stance on religion.
9 posted on 04/27/2005 8:34:36 AM PDT by boofus
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To: CatoRenasci
Even as an Atheist strongly against mixing church and state, I would support the idea of reading the Bible and studying Christianity's important contributions to Western culture. However, no one can manage to just do that, there's always some busybody culture warrior (either from the left or the right) that perverts the original intent of the class to their own ends. Add that to the arguments that would break out between kids from different religions (not to mention different Christian denominations) and meddling by the parents.

*ugh* Better just to kick it further up the line and make it a college elective and spend more time on the three "R's".

10 posted on 04/27/2005 8:39:16 AM PDT by Zeroisanumber
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To: wmichgrad

It's an elective - what is the problem?


11 posted on 04/27/2005 8:40:23 AM PDT by mlc9852
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To: Zeroisanumber

And why not? If my child can study communism or basket-weaving, why can't he study the Bible?


12 posted on 04/27/2005 8:41:57 AM PDT by mlc9852
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To: wmichgrad

This is great. I can't wait to see how this plays out.


13 posted on 04/27/2005 8:43:15 AM PDT by <1/1,000,000th%
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To: CatoRenasci

And sometimes they even ask Bible questions on Jeopardy!


14 posted on 04/27/2005 8:43:51 AM PDT by mlc9852
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To: mlc9852

Communism and basket weaving weren't taught at my high school. Well... We were taught a little about the Soviet Union, but by then the Soviet Union had gone the way of the Dodo. We knew that there was such a thing as basket weaving, but mostly what we were taught was reading, writing, science, and math.


15 posted on 04/27/2005 8:48:45 AM PDT by Zeroisanumber
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To: wmichgrad
This is a very bad idea.

Once the government starts teaching religion in the schools we will have:

(1) Classes denigrating the accuracy and historical meaning of the Bible in which liberal teachers use "higher criticism" to destroy the faith of their pupils and

(2) A door is open for instruction in Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, witchcraft, etc.

Children should be taught the Bible in their homes and in their churches by people who teach true doctrine - not by government hirelings.

16 posted on 04/27/2005 9:00:19 AM PDT by wideawake (God bless our brave soldiers and their Commander in Chief)
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To: Zeroisanumber

You all didn't have electives?


17 posted on 04/27/2005 9:02:50 AM PDT by mlc9852
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To: boofus
I thought they were?? They were called Bolsheviks. I'm guessing because of the disastrous results of a century of communism has softened Putin's stance on religion.

I know many of you are going to be shocked to hear this, but Putin is a member of the Russian Orthodox Church, and attends faithfully.
18 posted on 04/27/2005 9:03:53 AM PDT by GarySpFc (Sneakypete, De Oppresso Liber)
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To: wmichgrad
Wow! What a novel idea. Great revelation. Except my kid had this as an elective in the 90's. The Bible as Literature.

Problem is now the hard right Christians will want a course in The Salvation through the Bible.

19 posted on 04/27/2005 9:11:01 AM PDT by joesbucks
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To: GarySpFc

Oh crap, that's not correct. My kid had this as an elective in the 90's. The Bible as Literature.
Class is still being taught today.


20 posted on 04/27/2005 9:13:04 AM PDT by joesbucks
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