In our first blog about Bibles in public schools, we discussed the history of the concept of “separation of church and state” and the extreme differences in understanding where this idea comes from and how schools follow this edict. In our second blog on the subject, we asked: Can the Bible as literature be taught without affecting religious sensibilities? Can one truly present the Bible without imparting some of our own beliefs into the process?

Now, we will explore how those who want the Bible in our public schools feel this issue should be handled.

The Institute for Creation Research along with numerous lay people believe that many of the behavioral problems in and out of our schools stems from society’s lack of Biblical knowledge. They hold that “exposure to the Bible has an almost magical influence against crime and the moral/ethical slide of our youth and our nation.”

To promote the Bible for educational purposes, they quote Patrick Henry as stating; “The Bible is a book worth more than all other books that were ever printed.” and note that Thomas Jefferson was the first President of the Washington D.C. school board which adopted the Bible as a primary reader.

As U.S. rights are based on the Constitution which is based on Old English law whose precepts come from the Bible, the feeling is that people are developing a huge gap in their understanding of the foundation on which America was founded by denying students the knowledge of where American laws come from. Additionally, in this turbulent world, it becomes more important to have some understanding of varying religious beliefs as many wars and important historical events sprouted from differences in faith.

Those who want the “Bible as Literature” in public schools feel that a truly educated person needs to have a grasp of Biblical art, music and literature. They should study the influence of the Bible on history, law, community, and cultural life. They will appreciate that the founding fathers’ worldviews were taken directly from the Bible which promotes human rights, women’s rights, social justice, etc. and they will develop a knowledge of the Jewish-Arab conflict which goes all the way back to the Bible.

On the other end of the spectrum, the ACLU- American Civil Liberties Union in 2008 succeeded in challenging Bible classes in Texas public schools. The settlement stated that it was unconstitutional to have a Bible curriculum in public school which was seen as “biased” even though the course, “The Bible in History and Literature”, was offered as an elective. The lessons were deemed as promoting a particular religious viewpoint not shared by Jews, Catholics, Orthodox Christians and many Protestants. Additionally, the King James Version of the Bible was chosen as its main textbook, which is not the Bible of choice for a wide range of Christian denominations, nor for members of the Jewish faith.

They hold that religion should be taught at home or in the house of worship and not in school.

However, even they admit that the Bible be taught constitutionally in schools as long as the curriculum is “objective”. Apparently, it seems, “objective” is in the eye of the teacher, so to speak. Who can judge what Biblical teaching is objective? It seems that is left in the hands of the courts.

In another case of blurring the line between church and state, a West Virginia middle school was asked to take down a memorial built for a beloved teacher who died in a car crash. The memorial had crosses and angels etched into stone as the woman was a devote Christian and a collector of angels. The family and friends who created the memorial felt that this teacher’s goodness could not be separated from her beliefs.

The Freedom from Religion Foundation, an atheist group, threatened to sue on constitutional grounds stating that the memorial endorses Christianity. The school removed the crosses but is standing strong on the angels given the teachers love for them. This fight has been continuing for 10 years!

Given that every year the Bible is the number one best-selling book since the invention of the Gutenberg printing press and it is of the utmost importance to world history and most people, should it be kept out of the public school system? Is it possible to teach the Bible as literacy or history without imposing ones beliefs on students? Is it time for a clarification of the concept of “separation of church and state” in order to avoid more conflict and confusion? We look forward to hearing your thoughts on the subject.