Bible 101

Should Bible classes be taught in public schools?? It's an age old debate coming to the forefront once again in Texas this time. A few issues come to my mind when I see this. At first glance, I am fearful that if we open up public schools to Bible teaching by ??? what will the result be? In other words, who in the public schools is qualified to teach the Bible? I'm sure there are many wonderful Christian teachers, but there's no guarantee they will be the ones handed this curriculum. I'm also leery that if we start teaching Bible classes, what's next? Koran classes? Yikes! I'm sure those same supporters of Bible classes would be heading to court over the Koran.

I'm not nearly as scared about not teaching the Bible in school when I know that I'm free to teach it at home, where I know exactly how it's being taught. I'm not signing my children up for Hebrew school expecting them to learn about about Christianity. I'm certainly not signing them into public schools expecting them to come home with new ideas about religion and beliefs! I don't really understand the push to include Bible in public schools, other than that Christians feel they are being pushed out the front door and are trying desperately to get their foot back in. I'm just not sure this is the best foot forward.

But, the truth of the matter is this: it's an elective. For those who don't know what that means, it's a class that students do not HAVE to take. They CHOOSE to take it. Under those circumstances, I'm all for it - I think! Again, I'd love to view the curriculum, know who's teaching it and want my child to choose to take this class - not force them to. I think under the most desirable conditions, this could be an awesome opportunity for my children. Under not so wonderful conditions, this could be a major roadblock in someone's faith.

Let's say a not so willing teacher is asked to teach this class, say someone who is an atheist. What if someone is chosen to teach this class who has no idea what the overall theme of the Bible even is; that God, the trinity, deeply desires to be in a relationship with every single human being out of an unconditional, indisputable love for what He has created? What if a student who really doesn't want to take that class is forced to by some "well-meaning" parents? What if said student learns from said teacher that there really is no overall theme within those sacred pages of a historical document? What then? Will we be jumping for joy that we won and that the Bible can be carried into a public school?

I try to wrap my mind around these issues, prayer in school, teaching theories other than evolution, adding a Bible class to public school curriculum, and I don't see it as really all that black and white like many others do. The last thing I want as a Christian parent is for my child to be the victim of a hostile, vindictive teacher who is forced to teach something he/she doesn't really believe in. I had an experience like that in my high school biology class, where my teacher, the most popular teacher in school, would systematically single out Christians who believed in creation and decimate us in front of our peers. I'm NOT interested in that for my child, but I don't believe forcing teachers to teach classes they are not interested in or knowledgeable about is the answer.

So, what is the answer? For me, I'm not jumping on the bandwagon either way. I'm not fighting for this or against it. If Bible classes are offered at my child's Maryland High School (I'm sort of laughing at this, as MD will be the VERY LAST state to ever accept a Bible class inside a public school!), we'll find out who is teaching it, what the curriculum is IF my child is even interested in taking that elective. If it's never offered, which would be my bet, then we'll just try to take care of that deficiency at home, which is what I would expect most Christian parents do.

If you want to put the Bible in public schools, send it in by word of mouth. Raise children who know it, who live by it, who can apply it to everyday situations. It won't be a class, it will be a lifestyle that their friends, teachers and peers will see as different and maybe someday will remember as something that was worth living by. As a parent, do the same. I'm not saying this because we have perfected this method - far from it! I wish this was us that I'm describing. This article actually is spurring me on to do a better job with this. (I'm kind of ashamed to admit this - but I know we can do better!)

Peace!