Democrats want literacy class on Bible (in Alabama public schools)

Huntsville Times ^ | Taylor Bright

[Crackingham]

MONTGOMERY - Democratic lawmakers are pressing for a uniform Bible literacy class in Alabama's public schools. At a news conference today, the legislators plan to announce they will push in the Legislature early next year a bill that would allow local school boards to offer "Bible literacy" classes as elective high school courses. House Majority Leader Ken Guin, D-Carbon Hill, and Speaker of the House Seth Hammett, D-Andalusia, were expected to make the announcement.

Opponents say the Democrats' bill sanctions one religion; Republicans say Democrats are stealing their ideas.

The course will center on "The Bible and Its Influence," a book published by the Bible Literacy Project, a Virginia group that promotes knowledge of the Bible.

"It's very needed and there's a loss of Bible literacy," said Sheila Weber, spokeswoman for the Bible Literacy Project. "From our perspective, this is an educational gap in public education."

Weber said students need to be familiar with the Bible to understand American and British literature, and arts and music. But the books will also be useful in a religious context, she said. "We have written the textbook so it preserves the ability of the churches and parents to teach their view of the Bible."

The book, published in September, is not used by any school system now.

.......

"Anytime you specify the study of a specific religion, it just opens up the likelihood of abuse that it will turn into a devotional text rather than an academic text," said Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State in Washington.

"I just don't like the idea of taking one religion and singling it out for special treatment, even as an elective course, and, in addition, this book has problems, not as many as some, but it has problems nevertheless," he said.

Rep. Mike Hubbard, R-Auburn, the minority leader in the House, said the bill, along with a bill proposed by Rep. Steve Hurst, D-Munford, to put "In God We Trust" on Alabama license plates, is just politics.

"I don't think there's any doubt that the Democrats are going to try to be moving to the right as far as they can and shake the liberal label they have," said Hubbard, a board member of Redeem the Vote. "As we head into the election year, I think you'll see the Democrats doing anything they can to move toward the right."

[gondramB]

"Opponents say the Democrats' bill sanctions one religion; Republicans say Democrats are stealing their ideas."

I wonder if this can be done with violating the establishment cause- by teaching the contents of the bible but not having the teachers make any religious conclusions?

[kidd]

"As we head into the election year, I think you'll see the Democrats doing anything they can to move toward the right."

I don't have a problem with this at all...

I suggest that Republicans either let them move to the right, or propose similar right-ward moving legislation before they do.

[Gay State Conservative]

This could result in more than a few Alabama democRATS
leaving the Party,because we all know that the ACLU will
challenge this...successfully.

[wideawake]

Nor do I. The Democrats in the Northeast have been moving the political center further and further left until all that remains of GOP legislators in those states is a herd of RINOs.

Looks like the GOP in AL is creating DINOs - finally we are dominating society's ideological drift in some region.

[gcruse]

students need to be familiar with the Bible to understand American and British literature,

Well, you can't really understand the Bible without a knowledge of Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic.  So they should have three sections of foreign language as a prerequisite, right?

[VOA]

Democrats want literacy class on Bible (in Alabama public schools)

Translation:
Some Democrats Are Afraid Of Being Voted Out In Next Election;
A Few Democrats Start To See Unintended Consequences Of A Religion-Free
ACLU Utopia

[NCSteve]

I wonder if this can be done with violating the establishment cause...

Here's hoping that was a facetious response. The "establishment" clause does not apply here.

[ViLaLuz]

"Republicans say Democrats are stealing their ideas."

The Democrats are triangulating, but I doubt sincere.