Bible Textbook for Public Schools Planned


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Bible Textbook for Public Schools Planned

By RICHARD N. OSTLING, AP Religion Writer

Thursday, September 22, 2005

An interfaith group released a new textbook Thursday aimed at teaching public high school students about the Bible while avoiding legal and religious disputes.

The nonprofit Bible Literacy Project of Fairfax, Va., spent five years and $2 million developing "The Bible and Its Influence." The textbook, introduced at a Washington news conference, won initial endorsements from experts in literature, religion and church-state law.

American Jewish Congress attorney Marc Stern, an adviser on the effort, said despite concern over growing tensions among U.S. religious groups, "this book is proof that the despair is premature, that it is possible to acknowledge and respect deep religious differences and yet still find common ground."

Another adviser, evangelical literature scholar Leland Ryken of Wheaton College, called the textbook "a triumph of scholarship and a major publishing event."

The colorful $50 book and forthcoming teacher's guide, covering both Old and New Testaments, are planned for semester-long or full-year courses starting next year.

The editors are Cullen Schippe, a retired vice president at textbook publisher Macmillan/McGraw-Hill, and Chuck Stetson, a venture capitalist who chairs Bible Literacy. The 41 contributors include prominent evangelical, mainline Protestant, Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Jewish and secular experts.

Religious lobbies and federal courts have long struggled over Bible course content. To avoid problems, Bible Literacy's editors accommodated Jewish sensitivities about the New Testament, attributed reports about miracles to the source rather than simply calling them historical facts and generally downplayed scholarly theories ? about authorship and dates, for example ? that offend conservatives.

Educators know biblical knowledge is valuable ? 60 percent of allusions in one English Advanced Placement prep course came from the Bible ? and that polls show teens don't know much about Scripture. Yet few public schools offer such coursework, partly due to demands for other elective classes, partly over legal worries. The U.S. Supreme Court's 1963 decision barring schoolroom Bible recitations said that "the Bible is worthy of study for its literary and historic qualities" if "presented objectively as part of a secular program of education."

Full article here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?.../a103555D54.DTL

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We have it already inside out schools. Not the book itself but the idea, we are taught most religions (only things like who what where and why) and are tested and what we learned from it, which I think is unfair since some of us arent going to listen when they bring up another religion.

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Religion is a private matter to be dealt with outside of school. I dont think any aspect should come into school, except respecting that others are religious and encouraging some knowledge of religion.

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i accept it if:

-the literature is actually valid, i.e. vetted by actual researchers, literary experts, etc. and not just political or interest groups (i can't say based on what i read in the article. who are those experts? what did they say exactly?).

-the literature is not forced onto students.

-the literature is used for criticism as well, pointing out the flaws in the bible and religion, religious dogma and scripture, etc. this is especially useful in a philosophy course.

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i accept it if:

-the literature is actually valid, i.e. vetted by actual researchers, literary experts, etc. and not just political or interest groups (i can't say based on what i read in the article.  who are those experts?  what did they say exactly?).

-the literature is not forced onto students.

-the literature is used for criticism as well, pointing out the flaws in the bible and religion, religious dogma and scripture, etc.  this is especially useful in a philosophy course.

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Exactly. As long as it is not a tool for pro-Christian teaching, I favour the education on religious history. There is absolutely nothing wrong with learning about it, as it is beneficial for education.

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Oh well this is only going to make the kids hate it more. Just like everything else in school the kids will hate it and the ones that already do will hate it more. Whatever suits their fancy I guess.

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It depends on how this is treated. If its just a thinly veiled (or not even disguised at all) attempt to convert students to a certain religion, well then sue it into oblivion. My school gave us Bibles to read and study. We discussed things like some of its contents, writing inconsistencies, interpretations, and different historical authors that make the Bible read like a patchwork sewn together. If it is real objective study in that sense, I don't really have a reason to oppose it.

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Religion is a private matter to be dealt with outside of school. I dont think any aspect should come into school, except respecting that others are religious and encouraging some knowledge of religion.

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Wrong. Religion, Faith = GOD is not a private matter, GOD is the creator of this world and people need to hear about it. But in my opinion, school is a joke and i dont support it. If they havent fully put GOD in the schools after all these years, they aint gonna do it no time soon.

**** school, study at home and be happy.

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IMO if it's given or studied like any other literature and students or teachers aren't shunned for any POV they have, I don't see much of a problem yet but it would be nice if there were books from different religions included. What I do see happening is some parents getting up in arms if a teacher gives it how they don't want it. Criticize or point out a flaw in a section and all hell would break lose. Some people really protect that thing word for word. One thing's for sure, I don't really see it being usefull for elementary or middle school. Should be more for an elective class in HS.

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Why are they pushing religion onto the students, Isn't this something that should be practiced on one's own time?

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I agree, just as I feel the same way regarding evolution.

Public school is for reading, writing, arithmetic etc .What you need to get ahead in this world, It is not for anything other then that.

If its a private school, that is another matter.

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I'm against religion and I'm agnostic, but I think that ignoring the Bible and its influence is a rather closed-minded thing to do. One can study or read a book without believing its content (as I did with "Da Vinci Code"), and I actually think it's a good idea to study the Bible, as it helps greatly in understanding the people who believe in it. I do NOT think it's good idea to have someone who is grounded in their religion to be teaching students, as it'll just lead to this person purposely or inadvertently leaking their religious views to the students. I also do not think it's a good idea to force students to learn the Bible, but it makes for a great elective.

Edited by viserov
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Wrong. Religion, Faith = GOD is not a private matter, GOD is the creator of this world and people need to hear about it. But in my opinion, school is a joke and i dont support it. If they havent fully put GOD in the schools after all these years, they aint gonna do it no time soon.

**** school, study at home and be happy.

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Your exactly why I rest my case. Their are plenty of people who are religious who seem to think because they believe it, it should be pushed on others. Beliefs are a choice, not compulsary and children deserve to be able to make their own decisions, not have it rammed down their throats.

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Wrong. Religion, Faith = GOD is not a private matter

well, this is mistaken on several levels:

-in the us, the constitution recognizes no law establishing particular religions.

-religion, faith = god is mistaken. not all religions are deistic, and unless you wish to prove that they are necessarily wrong, this claim has no basis.

-one can be faithful without god, as existentialists and humanists are often faithful to human solidarity without god.

-in fact, not everyone agrees with you. many theologians have indicated that religion/faith is indeed a private matter, that it is not applicable to all people (consider the elitist transcribers vs. the uneducated masses), etc.

GOD is the creator of this world and people need to hear about it.

again, let's see:

-you assert a claim with 1) justification, or 2) logical necessity (i.e. the implication is untrue).

-your claim that god is the creator is personal and intimate, not a priori true. i fail to see how this could be universally applied.

-just because you may believe something to be universally true does NOT legitimize your imposition of it onto others.

But in my opinion, school is a joke and i dont support it. If they havent fully put GOD in the schools after all these years, they aint gonna do it no time soon.

actually, i like school. not necessarily for the classes (which were a joke), but for the stimulation. i was able to discuss my ideas with my ta's and professors.

Public school is for reading, writing, arithmetic etc .What you need to get ahead in this world, It is not for anything other then that.

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i hate to think of education as some kind of prep course for the working world. there is so much joy in learning that would be marginalized if we were to focus on maximizing the number of able workers.

one of my professors didn't have exams (no quizzes, tests, or finals), only homework problems, which he didn't even grade (simply check-, check, or check+). he wanted us to focus on the material, to really understand it, to enjoy it, and not worry about grades.

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while they're at it we should have a version for the Quran, Torah etc :/

I dont agree with this religion stuff in schools, everyone is of course biased to their particular faith/beliefs.

Edited by kaffra
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well if its optional then i dont really mind, but if this became a forced hting, i would not read, i would not do the homework, and i would participate. i am an agnostic transcendentalist (it makes sense, lol) and well i dont want to be forced to learn and practice cliched dogma in school. bible education can be important, some of it is historically accurate and it is interesting but i do not want to waste credits in school on that.

also it is disrespectful to people of differing faiths, for instance muslims, jews, budists, etc... if you are going learn about one, then all should be learned about.

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Wrong. Religion, Faith = GOD is not a private matter, GOD is the creator of this world and people need to hear about it.

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Excuse me, but I happen to know a lot of people who don't believe in God. And don't say this as a fact, it is your opinion, nothing more.

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I am a Christian and have been an advocate for some time to bring GOD back into our public schools. Locally, school officials have been fired for refusing to remove a copy of the Ten Commandments that was posted on the wall of the school.

American public schools are trying to remove GOD completely from schools. If GOD is removed from school how can kids be taught why some wars were faught. How can kids learn what the US Constitution and Bill of Rights were based on. Without GOD how can kids learn about American Cultures? America is based on Christian beliefs. America was founded by Christians who feared God and lived by Christian ethics.

The world without religion is nothing - throughout history there has been a religion that people practiced. In all religions there is a GOD - most religions and their denominations have two basic principles which:

1) GOD

2) Heaven, hell, spirit world, Life after death, afterlife, etc, etc

No matter if your an athiest, Christian, Jewish, Catholic, Islamic - you believe in GOD. For that simple fact alone - Public schools should teach about GOD. [- - I said athiest because in order for you not to worship a GOD ... you gotta believe there is a GOD. :yes: ] All religions have their point of view of how or why we are here on the earth today. Which religion is right is really irrelivant - kids need to know about GOD.

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In all religions there is a GOD

Wow, that is nowhere near the truth, there are many many religions which do not have a god.

I said athiest because in order for you not to worship a GOD ... you gotta believe there is a GOD.

Wow, thats some killer logic you've got there. Did you know that in order to not believe in McFluffleBunnies, you have to first believe that there is a McFluffleBunnie?

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The only thing kids need to learn about god is what a complete load of twaddle and nonsense it is.

I said athiest because in order for you not to worship a GOD ... you gotta believe there is a GOD.

You really think you know it all don't you? I mean you truly believe that was was a salient and unarguble stroke of pure logic, don't you?

FYI an atheist is someone who does not believe in any kind of god at all, period. It isn't just about 'worshiping' a God. It's about plain flat out blunt saying that there is no such thing as god to begin with.

For me this just shows the level of intelligence of the people who do believe in God.

I am sure it wouldn't be difficult to have a much more intelligent and arresting conversation with a slug than it would be to have a similiar conversation with your average right wing religious nut.

Which is why, although this is a topic I have discussed many times in the past, I have no interest in taking any further part in this specific thread.

GJ

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The only thing kids need to learn about god is what a complete load of twaddle and nonsense it is.

You really think you know it all don't you? I mean you truly believe that was was a salient and unarguble stroke of pure logic, don't you?

FYI an atheist is someone who does not believe in any kind of god at all, period. It isn't just about 'worshiping' a God. It's about plain flat out blunt saying that there is no such thing as god to begin with.

For me this just shows the level of intelligence of the people who do believe in God.

I am sure it wouldn't be difficult to have a much more intelligent and arresting conversation with a slug than it would be to have a similiar conversation with your average right wing religious nut.

Which is why, although this is a topic I have discussed many times in the past, I have no interest in taking any further part in this specific thread.

GJ

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I didn't say anything about worshiping.

I am very aware of what an atheist claims to be - which is why I said what I did. If you would stop and resist your baseless attempt to insult me. You would see that it is impossible to renounce something that doesn?t exist.

Furthermore, I could careless how many times you have unsuccessfully debated this topic. I will gladly entertain conversing over this topic at any time.:rofl:l:

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If you would stop and resist your baseless attempt to insult me. You would see that it is impossible to renounce something that doesn?t exist.

You need to lay off the drugs buddy.

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I didn't say anything about worshiping.

I am very aware of what an atheist claims to be - which is why I said what I did. If you would stop and resist your baseless attempt to insult me. You would see that it is impossible to renounce something that doesn?t exist.

Furthermore, I could careless how many times you have unsuccessfully debated this topic. I will gladly entertain conversing over this topic at any time.&nbsp:rofl:l:

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Atheism is not worshipping a god, it is not believing that they exist, and it is not renouncing a religion. I do not believe that there is a god. Ever. Anywhere. Period. Don't tell me what atheism is. I am an atheist.

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