Texas school to offer Bible class

[Puffy2]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...19&e=2&u=/ap/20050427/ap_on_re_us/bible_class

Bible Class Story


I'm actually ok with it as long as the instructor teaches from a historical perspective instead of a religious perspective AND the teach from a Catholic Bible which includes all the original religious texts, AND as long as classes are also offered in the Koran and other religious literature.

 

[ncgolfer]

We have a Bible class in our local high schools, however it is totally voluntary and non-evangelistic. It had to be funded by our local church association and all fees paid by outside sources and not the school system.

 

[chadfromdallas]

"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.

I've taken art courses that covered these works just fine without having to learn about the bible!

This is terrible, absolutely, terrible!

 

[ncgolfer]

Would you have a problem is it was a class based on the Koran or Torrah?

 

[chadfromdallas]

Would you have a problem is it was a class based on the Koran or Torrah?

Of course....

 

[brerrabbit]

I am a Christian and believe in the bible and its teachings. However given the current political climate I can certainly understand why others would object to the idea. However I have absolutly no problem with a class like this. How can a person even begin to understand sociology, and history without a major examination of all the major religions of the world. What prompted mass migration of immigrants from Ireland, Scotland, and England. Religious freedom. What is the basis of most of the laws in countries around the world, religion. What was an uderlying basis for the seperation of church and state that liberals so vigorously fight for today? The lack of religious freedom in Great Britain. To not study the bible and its implications to society over time is to ignore one of the major forces that formed the world in which we live and the nation we call home. Believe in the bible or not to not allow it to be studied from a purely historical aspect is to ignore the very history you are suppose to be studing.

 

[Puffy2]

I agree - I think for a decent education, everyone should be familiar with it from a historical perspective.

The problem comes with who decides which version to instruct from (they are NOT all the same), and who teaches the class, and how do we know that the class will be taught from a literature/historical view and not theological?

but, if they are going to offer it, they should be fair and offer instruction of the other religious texts as well.

 

[chadfromdallas]

Believe in the bible or not to not allow it to be studied from a purely historical aspect is to ignore the very history you are suppose to be studing.

Learning about these historical events can be taught without this class. It can be taught without the bible being involved at all. To understand those things doesn't require the bible. I sure as hell learned about them and understood without opening a bible.

 

[Galahad]

I sure as hell

A completely accidental reference I assume.......

 

[chadfromdallas]

A completely accidental reference I assume.......

Figured I'd throw that in there

 

[wvrevy]

If they insist on teaching it, why not include it in a literature class...You know, along with all the other HISTORICAL FICTION ?

 

[Toby'sFriend]

but, if they are going to offer it, they should be fair and offer instruction of the other religious texts as well.

I'm not sure I agree with that.
If a High School offers Spanish, are they required to be "fair" and offer German, French, Chinese, Japanese, Hindu etc etc etc If they offer Marching Band, are they also required to offer Symphony Orchestra, handbell choir, and Garage Band Punk? That might all be nice, but I don't know of many school districts that would have the available funds or the available time to offer EVERYTHING.

The fact is, schools try to center their curriculums around meeting State and National Education standards and also around the interests of the population they serve. I've been to Odessa Texas. I have to say that if they did offer an elective class on the Koran, they would be lucky to get five students.

Honestly, I really don't feel there is a problem with this as long as the class is completely elective and the students have a variety of other choices that fill the same Graduation requirement.

I took a class based on the Old Testament in college (State University). It was completely what I did not expect and I enjoyed it so much that I took New Testament the next semester. Neither class was a "conversion" type of experience. they were studies of an extremely important volume of literature that has certainly helped to shape modern society.

 

[Planogirl]

I have mixed feelings about this. There is no question that the Bible impacts the world to a great degree and if taught from an historical perspective, I can see where a class like this could be useful. I agree that the problems are which version to use and what curriculum that will be acceptable to everyone and so on. The teacher needs to be as neutral as possible too and I can't imagine how difficult that would be.

 

[momof2inPA]

It is a History/Literature class, and it sounds to be inspired by contemporary literature.

My son attends a public cyber school. His 1st grade history included History of the Israelites and touched on the origins of Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. There was, however, much more information on the Israelites than the other religions. I thought it was great, especially compared to my own history classes in public schools.

 

[ncgolfer]

If they insist on teaching it, why not include it in a literature class...You know, along with all the other HISTORICAL FICTION ?

Your so gracious being respectful of others beliefs and sacred documents.

 

[DisDuck]

My degree is in History. In HS and HS only if a course is offered on Comparative Religion, as an elective, then I have no problem with it. But it must be totally inclusive on 'comparative'; therefore, for historical purposes it must include topics on Zorastroism, Gilgamesh, Greek, Roman, Egyptian, etc. The religions and their societies all had an impact on our history. One of the earliest legal codes was set down by Hammarubi and he was not a mono-theist.

Otherwise, I agree with Chad the historical components can be taught without reference to a Bible or religious compodium of any kind. For those who took Western Civ in college was a bible one of your textbooks? Wasn't for me and yet I still studied the impact of Jesus or Mohammend on history.

To use a bible as a literature tool without injecting religion would be very hard. Someone mentioned that the Catholic Bible should be used as it is the 'most complete' (paraphrasing here). Sorry I don't trust that version/translation of The Torah. In general, 'christian' bibles use a translation from Greek which is a translation from Aramaic not Hebrew as the source. Therefore, there are bound to be mis-translations. The more appropriate tool would be an authorized English translation with annotations directly from The Torah Scroll (Hebrew).

 

[momof2inPA]

My degree is in History. In HS and HS only if a course is offered on Comparative Religion, as an elective, then I have no problem with it. But it must be totally inclusive on 'comparative'; therefore, for historical purposes it must include topics on Zorastroism, Gilgamesh, Greek, Roman, Egyptian, etc. The religions and their societies all had an impact on our history. One of the earliest legal codes was set down by Hammarubi and he was not a mono-theist.

Shouldn't more importance or priority be given to the more popular, historically significant works of literature? It would be nice to have a broad exposure to differing religions, but in a high school in West Texas, do you think they have the resources to do so?

 

[chrissyk]

We had a required religion/philosophy class at my (private) high school. I can remember that the Bible was one of the required texts, and I actually remember studying from it for my final. I wasn't offended by this class, and I'm about the most agnostic person out there. It was more of a historical perspective on world religions.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

Great news! Hope to see more reports like this.

 

[tar heel]

All our local public high schools offer Bible class. The funds come from the individual schools' Bible Teaching Association. They do fund-raisers and also get support from civic clubs and churches. Fund-raising for the Bible class and the athletic booster club both started about the same time when our high school was being built. My understanding is that Bible is taught as a cross between a history class and a literature class.

I took both Old Testament and New Testament at a very liberal state university -- too of the best and most fascinating classes I had. We used an annotated Revised Standard Version. A lot of time was spent on talking about the original language, the writers, changes that had been made over the centuries and why, etc. It was a "great awakening" (pun intended) for someone like me who had been raised in a fundamentalist church.