New Course Brings Bible Back to Public School Classrooms

[Tempest Storm]

A topic I got from one of the other debate forums I visit:

http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/redir.php?jid=2b8a9c75875f870f

By Jim Brown
August 4, 2003

(AgapePress) - A project to install a Bible course curriculum in public high schools is gaining steam across the United States.

The National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools is promoting an elective course in which the Bible is taught as history and literature on campus, during school hours, for credit. The group's founder and president, Elizabeth Ridenour, says contrary to what groups like the ACLU claim, the course is constitutionally legal.

"We have an open door. The National Secretary of Education and the Supreme Court have said it's legal. We need to not be silent like we were in 1963 when God was removed from the classrooms," she says.

Response to the program -- not only from school boards but from the students themselves -- has been tremendous, Ridenour says. The course has become so popular that school officials have had to turn students away in some districts because they lacked enough teachers.

"This has already been voted into 236 school districts in 33 states, and we have already had 153,000 students take the course nationwide," the Council's founder adds.

The North Carolina-based organization has been enlisting the help of numerous public figures, including several popular Christian leaders and Hollywood celebrities, to bring back the Bible in public schools through the course. The one-year Bible curriculum has received numerous endorsements.

"We've had some wonderful people join our advisory board. They're also doing television commercials for us," Ridenour says. Among those well-known people involved in promoting the curriculum are television evangelists Dr. D. James Kennedy (coralridge.org) and Joyce Meyer (JoyceMeyer.org); actors Chuck Norris, Jane Russell, and Dean Jones; and military hero Captain Scott O'Grady, the U.S. Air Force pilot who was shot down over Bosnia in 1995 and avoided capture until his rescue six days later.

Ridenour says the central approach of the course is simply to study the Bible as a foundation document of society, an approach that is altogether appropriate in a comprehensive secular education program. In the course, the Old Testament is taught the first semester, and the New Testament is offered the second semester. Students who only want to take the Old Testament are allowed to do so.

Well, so long as the students themselves get to decide whether they want o take the course, then I have little problem with it. I don't think parents should have any say in it whatsoever because Christian parents might try and force their non-Christian children into the program, and non-Christian pasrents might try and keep their Christian children out of it.

The Constitution clearly states that the government will not hold any official religion or hold any religion above any other, and that it will not demote any religion. So if the Christians want to do this, thats fine. But if the Muslims want to do something similar, or Buddhists, or even Wiccan's, then they should not to be stopped from doing so.

Likewise, this should not be a place for Christian to spread their religion to other non-believers or spread their political views. This is only so they can learn Creationism and Christian science. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

[IDefy]

there something very similar at my school where some kids meet after school everyday. im not a member (dont have the time to stay after) but i think its a good way to get kids who are interested in christianity to share stuff.

 

[Jaden]

well i think thats bullS*** not the program . lol why should it be limited to creationism and christian science? that is only a minimal part of christianity. i think it is great. If a non christian takes the classs them they should expect to have christian view points, including political ones taught to them. as long as it is an elective its their problem. all Australian schools offer religion as an elective. i guess america is just catching up

I guess it is for American's to decide if they want to allow Buddhist's muslims, wiccans etc to have a smililar program. but from an outside perspective it seems that ur country was built on biblical truths for the most part. not islamic ones, not buddhist onesd and not wiccan ones. i think the fact that prayer was taken out of schools in the first place was totally wrong. ur country is based on god. ur curency has "in god we trust" in ur pledge u have "one nation under GOD" from my point of view ur nation has been blessed becasue generally it has been founded on Christian principles. it would be sad to lose that.

 

[SpiritSkater]

they should have a class for every religion just not christian how godamn lame

 

[Sublime]

The classes are good idea but when they start making them required lotta kids gonna protest there right to not believe in religion or having a religion forced Upon them

 

[dice5_5]

Originally posted by IDefy
there something very similar at my school where some kids meet after school everyday. im not a member (dont have the time to stay after) but i think its a good way to get kids who are interested in christianity to share stuff.

It's probably a bible study group. We ususally had them before school started at my HS. It's a good way to keep yourself accountable and to make sure u're where u need to be in your walk with Christ. Once you get into college, there's all kinds of religious organizations too (depending on the college and it's size).

 

[Tempest Storm]

Originally posted by Jaden
well i think thats bullS*** not the program . lol why should it be limited to creationism and christian science? that is only a minimal part of christianity. i think it is great. If a non christian takes the classs them they should expect to have christian view points, including political ones taught to them. as long as it is an elective its their problem. all Australian schools offer religion as an elective. i guess america is just catching up

Because school isn't the place to teach that homosexuality is wrong, or that drinking is a sin. It is the school's job to teach science and facts, unbiasedly. Not a place for a religion, any religion or political group to "recruit" poeple.

I guess it is for American's to decide if they want to allow Buddhist's muslims, wiccans etc to have a smililar program. but from an outside perspective it seems that ur country was built on biblical truths for the most part. not islamic ones, not buddhist onesd and not wiccan ones. i think the fact that prayer was taken out of schools in the first place was totally wrong. ur country is based on god. ur curency has "in god we trust" in ur pledge u have "one nation under GOD" from my point of view ur nation has been blessed becasue generally it has been founded on Christian principles. it would be sad to lose that.

Freedom of Speech, Freedom of religion, seperation of church and state, and the entire 6th admendment don't really seem like Christian priciples to me. I don't deny that this Country does have certain Christian asspect built into, but it was hardly "founded on Biblical truths". And regardless of whether or not is was founded on those "truths", it no longer adhere's to them anymore. Homosexuality is no longer a crime, Abortion is legal. Sodomy is legal. Achohol, cigarettes, tatoos and peircings are all legal. So whether or not this country was based is Christianity and governed Christian morals, we aren't anymore.

Who said it was "One nation under the 'Christian' God" Or "In the 'Christian' God we trust"? The basis of this country was that anyone is free to practice whatever religion.

Blessed because we were founded in Christian beliefs, Hardly. We have been "blessed" because for a long time, our government was ruled by smart, intelligent ppl who had a shred of common sence in them. Because our constitution, dispite a few flaws, was revolutionary in it's time. Because a republic is one of the best (workable) government that can be concieved. that is why we have been "blessed", at least until recently. Notice that once we elected a Christian president, some pretty bad shit started happening. But over the past 100 years the country has started to shift towards modern day liberalism. This has been a good and bad thing. Despite they're constantly trying to increase the government, tax the rish and generally moving us into financial Socialism, they have paved the way for more civil liberties, right and personal freedoms.

 

[Steven22]

Nothing more than a theologist telling a student what is right and what is wrong "in the name of God." Don't expect to see so much action on behalf of this class, parents will soon start to complain and eventually the class will be cancelled.

 

[FakeNameHere]

Lawyers will i detect.

 

[LordSlippy]

They shouldnt be teaching FALSE CHARACTERS in school (by which i mean god)...they should have a special class on weekends or sumtin that does it..if any...

 

[TheGardian]

You don't have to belive the Bible to live in America, do You??? even if this course was made madatory, its easy to not take it, and besides, since our nation was based on the Bible, what the constitution says is NOT the bible, but you can see it. The Constitution does not say "from religion" but "of religion" it does not gaurentee that you will not have a religious person talking to you, and it certainly does not forbid us to practice it in PUBLIC, why George Washington said, "it is impossible to rightly govern without God and the Bible, where is our next president going to school???? possibly public school, we ought to inform him on what our law was based on before he is telling us what to do RIGHT??????

 

[Tempest Storm]

Originally posted by TheGardian
You don't have to belive the Bible to live in America, do You??? even if this course was made madatory, its easy to not take it, and besides, since our nation was based on the Bible, what the constitution says is NOT the bible, but you can see it. The Constitution does not say "from religion" but "of religion" it does not gaurentee that you will not have a religious person talking to you, and it certainly does not forbid us to practice it in PUBLIC, why George Washington said, "it is impossible to rightly govern without God and the Bible, where is our next president going to school???? possibly public school, we ought to inform him on what our law was based on before he is telling us what to do RIGHT??????

Whoa...major bump...

Our nation was NOT based on the Bible. Our Constitution and DoI clearly shows that it wasn't based on the Bible.

Freedom of religion is freedom from religion. You can't have one without the other.

Our law's are not based on Christianity or the Bible. They're based on common sence. And saying otherwise is a downright lie.

 

[cxoli]

Who said it was "One nation under the 'Christian' God" Or "In the 'Christian' God we trust"? The basis of this country was that anyone is free to practice whatever religion.

Exactly. Also, Christians, Jews, and Muslims all worship the same God (unless I'm terribly mistaken), so you can't really say what religion it was based on.

Our nation was NOT based on the Bible. Our Constitution and DoI clearly shows that it wasn't based on the Bible.

You're right. Where do people get that idea from, anyway? I was under the impression that the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence were based on concepts like "all men are created equal" and we are all entitled to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," not the Bible or Christian teachings.

Anyway, I think the course sounds like a pretty good idea. For those who want to learn more about Christianity, it's a great opportunity. As long as they don't force it upon you, it's fine by me.

they should have a class for every religion just not christian how godamn lame

Christianity is the most widely practiced religion in the United States, which I'm guessing is why they're having classes like this; there's the most demand for it. If there was enough demand for classes on other religions, they would probably have those as well.

 

[jackalopes]

Originally posted by SpiritSkater
they should have a class for every religion just not christian how godamn lame

well if someone did start a program for another religion mabey it would happen but they dont

 

[Magikarp]

Yea.. if other religions are so concerned about the fact that the teaching of Christian ideals is the only religious class present in a school, they should start their own campaign if they care about it so much.

I support the common idea that has been posted: it should be allowed only as an elective.

 

[cxoli]

I support the common idea that has been posted: it should be allowed only as an elective.

If it were mandatory, I would protest even though I'm Christian. Trying to force your beliefs upon someone is just wrong. Though debating is quite fun ^_^

 

[shutupandgoaway]

I think if a Bible course is taught as a noncompulsory elective course, and without parental force, it should definitly be allowed. As long as the beliefs are not forced on anyone, it can be looked at almost as a sort of ethics course, though with some notable differences.

 

[MaSteR~ClouD]

I didn't take the time to read all the post sorry.

I really hope that doesn't happen we dont need there fake christian bull*hit in school, School is already very bad we dont need any thing eles to waste time Christians lying too people about God doesn't help anything at all, If anything it waste there time to learn the skills they need for when there is a job shortage in 2014'ish and all the babydooms die or can't work anymore. I'v ask so many people were did God come form? they all way he just was always there I feel very sad and sorry for those people who can really live there lifes really thinking thats turth I mean how slow do you have to be to really think somthing was just always there?! I know you just wont somthing to make you think theres a reason for living you can pray to me I'm so angy right now! you ruined my day damnit

 

[jd-inflames]

When it comes to this kind of topic, I don't personally mind what they are doing, promoting religion is a good thing I think. It keeps people more under control if they are in a religious environment. BUT, if they are going to do this, they need to rethink the "Seperation of Church and State" laws. And, they shouldn't require the classes of course.

And no, I'm not christian.

 

[DB]

They would also have to have every other religion classes if they would want it to be equal and live up to the 14th amendment.