The Bible and Public Schools (Patsy Spence)

To What Extent And In What Ways Can The Bible Be Taught In the Public Schools of America Without Infringing On the Separation of Church And State?

Patsy A. Spence

 

East Carolina University – Greenville, NC

 

June 12, 2002

 

 

To What Extent And In What Ways Can The Bible Be Taught In the Public Schools of America Without Infringing On the Separation of Church And State?

 

1. Introduction

The purpose for writing this article entitled “To What Extent and In What Ways Can the Bible Be Taught In the Public Schools of America Without Infringing on the Separation of Church and State,” is to up-date the general public on what is and is not okay in the instruction of Bible in the public schools of America at the present time. It is a topic that many people are interested in all across the United States and around the world.   This interest crosses cultural, socio-economic and age gaps as well as religious and secular arenas. It shrouds both political and religious interests and concerns.  Since the Supreme Court decisions of 1962 and 1963 involving the cases of Engel v. Vitale and Abington School District v. Schemp, the court decisions ruled that prayer and Bible readings were unconstitutional, the majority of the American public has been hoodwinked to believe that nothing should be said or done in regard to God and the Bible in the public schools of America.  Since the sixties there have been many questions about the legality of studying the Bible and its contents in the public schools of America.  In fact a number of the Justices of the Supreme Court had some very positive things to state concerning the use of the Bible as a teaching tool in the public schools of America. It is interesting to note that one of the main texts used in the earlier public schools of America was the Bible. It was used as a primary reader for learning to read as well as to spell. Its contents were respected and used to teach what was considered morally and ethically sound in society.  Recently, a variety of court decisions have been made in several states that support the idea of the teaching of the Bible as a both an elective literature and history in the high school settings of America. This paper will discuss recent court decisions as well as ways that the Bible can be taught in the public schools of America today without infringing on the separation of church and state.      

 

2. Significance of the Research

The significance of the research is far reaching. It helps to link the culture of much of our western literature with a plume line that has been a basis from which it has drawn a rich supply of its originality. Many old adages such as “Strain at a gnat and swallow a camel,” and “Am I my brother’s keeper?” and “Be a good Samaritan,” originate from the Bible. Without some knowledge of the Bible, many students are going to be left in the dark with a missing link that bridges the gap to such significant studies as John Milton’s Paradise Lost as well as Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn. Even as current as December 24, 2001, U.S. News & World Report news magazine featured an article that focused on Biblical events such as Moses and the release of the Hebrews from Egyptian bondage and Joshua’s conquest of Canaan. A person would have to have some understanding of Biblical knowledge to read the article from an intellectual standpoint. In order to know some of the correct answers on college entrance exams and graduate tests such as the SAT and MAT, a student must have some understanding of Bible either as a literature or history. It’s shameful that we expect such understanding from students and we do not provide for them opportunities to learn the material in their educational pursuits as they go through the stairway of learning from pre-school to twelfth grade in the public school setting.  Many students in today’s society are un-churched and although this may be a matter of choice by parents for their offspring, education in the western world has a rich heritage that has been gleaned from the Bible and has it roots in much of American history and literature. We must recall to remembrance that many of the great universities such as Harvard and Yale got their start as Christian Universities and their main text was the Bible. According to the web site, Schools in America, 187 of the first colleges in America were Christian as well as Bible teaching institutions. In its early days Harvard University required a strong knowledge of the Bible before students were accepted. The Puritans started it. Other universities that got their start from Christian origins were Yale, 1701, Princeton, 1746, Dartmouth, 1754 and William and Mary. Many benevolent institutions of our day such as The Salvation Army, The Red Cross and Samaritan’s purse have all gotten their start from people who believed in the contents of Bible. So, we have a rich religious heritage in America that has become politically shrouded by the bureaucracy of Supreme Court rulings that have been incorrectly interpreted by the public. In the process of this litigation the public schools of America have provided this country’s educational system with a missing link that must be recovered.  It is the hope of the author of this research that the missing link can once again be taught and found in the public schools of America!

 

3. Context of the Study

This study takes place in the spring of 2002 at North Johnston High School in Johnston County Public School District and is located in rural eastern North Carolina. It is one of three known public school districts in North Carolina to offer Bible as an elective. The other two districts are Charlotte-Mecklenburg and Lenoir counties. The Johnston County School Board approved the teaching of the Bible in Johnston County in the spring of 1995.  Initially, approved to be taught as an elective history course and is presently offered as a history or literature course in its 2002/2003 high school course descriptions brochure.  As a literature it is taught for its literary value and as a history it is taught for its historical impact on history, law, the American community life, and culture.

North Johnston is comprised of several ethnic groups of students including, Caucasians, African Americans, and Hispanics with the majority of approximately 70% being Caucasian. The schools population comprises approximately 630 students. It has been recognized as an “Exemplary School” for the past four years and possibly a “School of Distinction” for the past year.

The students involved in the study have taken Bible as an elective English

course that will be a partial fulfillment of the need of five English classes needed for graduation. The semester included three sections of Bible As A Literature being taught in ninety-minute segments three times per day that calculates into total of fifteen sections of ninety-minute classes per week.  It should be noted that there are other elective English courses available such as Journalism, Yearbook and Essentials In English that can be taken instead of the elective Bible course. There were approximately eighty students taking the course for the Spring 2002 semester. It was a very popular course and at the beginning of the semester there were only two dropping the course and seven students adding the course to their schedules early in the semester.

4. Site and Sample Selections

Clark (1997) says, “When we are members of a learning community, we are free to express ourselves in whatever modes we choose, knowing that the community is enriched by our presence.” Clark also questions how a century ago men on the western frontier carried dog-eared Bibles and other classics, taught themselves to read and became contributing members of society as teachers, ministers, lawyers and politicians and yet today with our sophisticated schools, kids are being robbed of their birthright to learn. Is it because American schools have been robbed of true wisdom and understanding of how to exist harmoniously in a world of diversity? The subject matter seems to suggest that this is the case. With this rationale stated – the relevance of the Bible being taught to the students in the public schools of America is presented.  

The controversy of whether to teach the Bible and have prayer in the

                  public schools of America is certainly not a current issue by any stretch of

                 the imagination. There have been those in various arenas of both the

     religious and secular world that have questioned its legality and vehemently

   sought for its removal since the mid to late 1800s. However, the Supreme Court         

 

decisions that stand out most in the public’s mind of today are the decisions made in 1962 and 1963 that banned prayer and Bible reading in the public schools of America.

In 1962, in the case of Engel v. Vitale, the New York School Board of Education had adopted what was known as the Regents’ prayer. It was a twenty-two-word prayer that stated the following words:

“Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and we beg thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers and our Country.”

 

Ten parents objected to it being read over the school’s public address system and took the matter all the way to the United States Supreme Court.  At the conclusion of the case, Justice Black wrote the decision that held to the idea that the Regents’ prayer was unconstitutional because it went against the establishment clause of promoting one religion over another and therefore was considered an infringement against religious freedom.

The very next year another case came before the Supreme Court Justices in 1963 in the case of Abington School District v. Schempp. This time a Pennsylvania statute that required that the school day begin with ten verses of scripture being read from the Bible on the school’s intercom system. This was also voted unconstitutional by the High Court because it precluded that the reading was of a devotional nature and not for any literary or historical purpose in its requirement. However, the Supreme Court further stated  in the Abington vs. Schempp that:

“It certainly may be said that the Bible is worthy of study for its literary and historic qualities. Nothing we have said here indicates that such study of the Bible or of religion, when presented objectively as a part of a secular (public school) program of education, may not be effected consistently with the First Amendment.”

 

In yet another case known as the Nyquist Case, the Supreme Court outlines clearly that the First Amendment does not forbid all mention of religion in public schools but rather the advancement or inhibition of religion that is prohibited.

It is also interesting to note that the Supreme Court also states in regard to the Schemmp case “one’s education is not complete without a study of comparative religion or the history of religion and its relationship to the advancement of civilization.” According to Simonds (1996) when looked at from this standpoint it must be stated that from a historical context, religion and the Bible are inseparable from the history of man and government.

The Florey decision stated that it “would literally be impossible to develop a public-school curriculum that did not in some way affect the religious or non-religious sensibilities of some of the students and their parents.” Simonds (1996).

A study of religion and the Bible are valuable components of the study of our history and the development of civilization offer much toward attaining a world-class education. Sigmonds (1996).

 It appears that most school systems along with superintendents and principals and teachers got on the same bandwagon after the 1962 and 1963 rulings on prayer and Bible reading in the schools of America. Often times when something was mentioned concerning God, the Bible and prayer, educators have turned a deaf ear to legitimate and timely questions that young minds have concerning their American roots and cultural heritage.

   Clark (1997) states “If everything is connected to everything else, then each individual makes a difference because everything one does affects everything else.”   The fact that there have been so many contributions made to our society through the Bible cannot be denied. But, to deny the students in the public schools of America this opportunity to learn about these important contributions is to close a door of complete understanding to their minds as they seek to identify their roles in our society. This door must be opened and walked through if we are to produce a literate society of thinkers that will carry us through the coming years.  Clark  (1997) says that the events of the world never occur in a vacuum but in a cultural context consisting of a complex network of social, economic, political, and ecological influences and relationships. Students need encouragement from their teachers to think and ask questions as it relates to their world and the larger world in which they live.  Hollins (1996) suggests that knowledge about culture should include the history, beliefs, customs, traditions, values, and accomplishments of a particular group and how others have benefited from those experiences. What better way to connect the present with the past than to share the great historical values from than the Bible as it relates to our present time frame? According to Erik Erickson people go through a time of identity vs. role crises at the fifth stage of personal and social development occurs at age 12 to 18 years of age. They form relationships with peer groups and models of leadership. They are trying to decide to be or not to be oneself as well as wanting to share oneself. How important it is for this age to have some understanding as to the framework of how he emerges from the past to the present. In this framework teachers should experience the “teachable moment” more often so that the students’ interest can be captivated for an “a ha” event.  This will lead them into thinking about subjects connectively.  This will also give the student a sense of ownership and responsibility in a relevant world instead of being a passive member of the world’s ranks. The student will then become an active experimenting member making discoveries of value to share with others. Students must be prepared to think and become equipped to face the challenges of a new day on the horizon. As educators, we cannot afford to not tell them the whole story as it relates to mankind and the Bible and allow them to decide for themselves the course that they will take on the stage of life. As educators, we have a responsibility to help students find their places in the world in which they live. It‘s like unto a quote from Shakespeare who said, “All the world ‘s a stage and all men and women are merely players.” So the world is a stage and the actors come and go, but they study and learn and leave behind their ideologies and offspring that will once again repeat the cycle of life and death to those who live in generations to come. So, the teacher and the students take on the roll as actors and actresses on the stage of life.  The students and the teacher can become an integral part of laying the foundation for students to understand the heritage and culture of the country and world in which they reside. It is only as teachers help student to take a true and complete glimpse of the past that we can prepare them to walk confidently into the future of many unknowns. However, it has been stated that if we would learn from the past, we would not make so many mistakes in the present.  Just as we can learn from the classic writers of the past such as John Donne and his famous quote that states, “No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent a part of the main.” We can also share with students beautiful and important literary and historical values from the Bible that will help students find the missing link of learning that will connect the past to the present and lead to a future that has more clarity and meaning. In this context, the world is a stage that has a bridge connected to the past; the actors are in place to become recipients or contributors to the world of the future and wonders that are relevant to everyday life. No child need be left behind as an island, alone and forgotten. Because each child deserves a chance to know and learn about the wonders and the marvels that are taught from the Bible and what better way to convey its contents than through the public schools of America. Each student will be able to play a vital part in the drama of real life as he is completely connected to his past by learning what the Bible has to teach from a historical viewpoint.

Technologically we are now only one click away from any part of the world by the Internet. Students in North Carolina can easily connect to other places on the globe such as China, Australia, Venezuela, Russia, France, England or next door with just one click of the computer mouse. Wow, mouse! A mouse is something people used to run out of their homes with a scream and now they hold it in the palm of their hand! Talking about diversity and differences, but this is a new concept that our forefathers never even thought about. So the world has truly become smaller because of computers and students need to know how to use this educational tool to a worthy advantage. Going back to Donne’s concept of no man being an island, educators can no longer be islands separated from the rest of the world, but must launch out into the depth of new knowledge and concepts that are constantly changing in a diverse world.  Just as Alfred Wagener suggested the concept of Pangaea, the earth being one whole landmass that eventually drifted into the continents as seen on maps today, educators must recognize that technologically the world is being pulled together by this force called the Internet. So, at this juncture we are no longer drifting apart in a world of diversity but being pulled together by this force that we called, “the Internet.”  This tool should be shared to the advantage of learning worthwhile educational concepts with our fellowman and gaining new thoughts worthy of learning from our brothers and sisters in far off lands who have been brought near through technology. What does this all mean? It means we are our brother’s keeper and although other peoples and lands may differ from us, we have a moral responsibility to reach out and share with other people. Suppose for example that certain scientific inventions that were made in China such as the printing press, etc. had never been shared with Europe… Would Germany’s Gutenberg have developed the printing press in Europe in 1456?  What of the first book printed off that press, the Bible? Most students don’t know that the Bible has been the number one best seller since it first came off the Gutenberg press. Every year it continues to be the most bought and desired book around the world. What if Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone had never been shared with the world or Thomas Edison’s light bulb?  Where would man be today without these inventions? Certainly not connected with the world with today’s technological advances. But this idea of diversity goes much deeper than this. In the writing Of the most Excellent Men, Montaigne likened the world to a noble farce, wherein, republics, and emperors have for so many ages played their parts, and to which the whole vast universe serves for a theatre. Thomas Heywood, in Apology for Actors, 1612 said that “The world’s a theatre, the earth a stage, which God and Nature do with actors fill.” But, the world is more than just a ridiculous joke filled with actors, it’s a real place with real people, many hurting and lonely and God has truly placed mankind on earth not just to serve himself but others. He has placed curiosity and a thirst for discovery and learning within the heart of man. It’s okay to want to try to satisfy that thirst for knowledge but, when educators and students try to fill this void inside without acknowledging God and His purpose in their lives they will always come up empty. Karl Marx, the writer of the Communist Manifesto, has influenced so many people in the modern world, with communistic ideas about making everyone equal. If all inhabitants of the world were truly equal and there was no diversity in which to deal with, then there would be no males or females or black, white, yellow or red races, everyone would be like robots with no personality or emotions. There would be no cultural shocks from one culture to another for it would all be one culture. The world would be just one huge “Duh”! The reality is that God made the world and the inhabitants therein and not one human being is like another. Each person has his own set of personal fingerprints and that fact cannot be changed. We are different! Diversity, differences… Humans are alike, but different and humankind is in the world and must learn to deal with one another and respect one another from the viewpoint of cultures, race, religion and educational status, but not to the point that truth and reason are sacrificed. It has been said that reason can go so far, but faith has no limits. Perhaps in the midst of so-called educators whitewashing the minds of students with reason, faith has been thrown out much like someone throwing out the baby rather than the bath water.  Maybe that’s the problem in education. So called professionals try to reason everything out and many times forget that humans have a spiritual side that if neglected can cause such awful tragedies as the holocaust of World War II in which one man by the name of Adolph Hitler became responsible for the annihilation of six million people because they were different, they were Jews.   Jesus Christ was a Jew, but oh how many lives He has touched and continues to touch in a positive way for the healing of mankind’s broken and lonely heart. When man runs from His touch, he ends up doing stupid things like Hitler whose life ended in the tragedy of suicide. In the book, Marx & Satan, Richard Wurmbrand discusses the sad account of the life of Karl Marx who at one time was brought up in a Christian home, and for some reason turned on his religious heritage. He tells of a man that had great promise for the world and mankind and yet those closest to him died empty and unfulfilling lives. Was Marx unwilling to accept diversity in the world? Why did he become a drunk? Why did his wife leave him time and time again and then return to a man that didn’t even care enough for his own wife to attend her funeral?  When one looks at the tragedy that has followed the leaders of Communistic countries such as the former Soviet Union, Romania, North Korea and China under the leaderships of Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, Nicolae Ceausescu, Kim Il-Sung and Mao Tse-Tung and the massacres of the innocent masses who died under their rule one cannot help but question the authenticity of such men and the parts they have acted out on the stage of life in the world. The sad thing is that when these men died, they left behind their ideologies that continue to oppress the world. Can today’s educators and students find meaning and purpose amid such a world of diversity? Many times to find answers we must look back into the past and what better way to do this than to look into the pages of the Bible. What better way to find meaning and purpose in life than to look at the patriarchs of the Old Testament such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob later renamed Israel and then his sons who each had to make concessions with the brother Joseph whom they sold into slavery. Its by looking at the lives of such men in the New Testament such as Paul, Peter, John and Jesus Christ that we can realize that if the search is made deep enough and honest enough, meaning and purpose can be found in life. For each one is a real actor or actress on the stage of life and must not be afraid to ask questions and seek answers. Educators must not turn a deaf ear to students who ask questions concerning God and creation. Governments near or far must not suppress teachers from giving true and straightforward answers to honest and noble questions.  There is a proverb that says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.” Proverbs 9:10. When people fail to realize this, the ship that carries them starts drifting off into foggy waters without a captain. The science of meteorology might suggest that there is an iceberg near that’s causing the fog. But, the mind has set sail on its own and will not be directed by a higher intelligence that sees the uncharted waters ahead. Time and time again man makes shipwreck on the icebergs of foolish ideologies and sadly few learn from the tragic mistakes of being adrift without a compass or guide.  

Life can be compared to a jigsaw puzzle with many pieces that must be fitted together to make it an entire picture. The pieces involve much diversity of color, shape and size. As individuals go through the process from infant to what some have deemed as the golden years of life there are many diverse circumstances and changes chaos that take place. Some things are wonderful and others not so wonderful. But they all come together to make one whole picture.  Through this process, man tries to fit pieces where they shouldn’t be. So the problems mount from diversity to chaos. But, alas, its too late to turn back the hands of the clock, the life has been lived…the poetry from John Donne begins to ring louder and clearer, “Ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee.” The puzzle of life is no longer a heap of scattered pieces, for they are now joined to make a picture of beauty or tragedy.  What if the story of “Romeo and Juliet” had ended with the words, “and they married and lived happily ever after?” The diversity of irony and tragedy in the story would have ended quite differently. But, the writer, William Shakespeare, saw it from his viewpoint and so it was penned. Does that mean that it had to end this way, “no.” So, why teach Bible in the public schools of America? To make Bible taught from a literary and historical viewpoint relevant to students and help them realize that while they are going through the educational process that life has meaning and purpose and that they don’t have to deny God and pretend He’s not there just because they happen to be a student in the public schools of America and are somehow denied this constitutional right. They don’t have to remain behind a closed door that says, “Do not enter,” because the educational system of this country says you can’t discover what the Bible says and find out that there is a God out there that really cares about the existence of every man, woman, boy and girl.  There was a very wise man by the name of Solomon who once said, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:13 & 14.

5. Researcher’s Role in Management

The researcher’s role in this study has been a participant-observer.

                  She has implemented various strategies of teaching Bible as an elective  

                  literature course in a public school setting. Some of the strategies used have    

      included warm-ups activities, lecture, cooperative learning groups,

      independent studies, reading circles, poetry projects, research, technology,

     writing and art, student information analysis sheets were

                  conducted as well as parent surveys. Pre and post Bible knowledge tests were

given to assess student knowledge of the Bible early and later in the process of      

the semester course.

6. Data Sources
   1. Student pre and post Bible knowledge tests

(The same test is used early in January and late May to test the knowledge of students in Bible knowledge)

 

1. Student background information sheets

 

1. Parent surveys

(Teacher made questionnaire for parents to respond to their thoughts on the teaching of Bible in the public schools of America)

        

1. Selected student work samples

 

1. Pictures of various student activities

 

1. Assignments and grade sheets

 

1. Student opinion essay questions

 

1. Evidence incorporation of Bible across the curriculum

7. Cross Walk

Questions& Strategies	Tests Pre& Post	Cooperative Learning & “Hands- On” Activities	Progress Reports & Grades	Student Projects	Parent Survey
How do the surveys sum up the results?	X	X	X	X	X
To what extent and in what ways can the Bible be taught?	X	X	X	X
How do students respond to Bible being taught as an elective course?	X	X	X	X
To what extent does Bible being taught add to the overall curriculum of a school?	X	X	X	X

 

8. Managing and Recording Data

Data was collected by means of pre and post student tests, grade spreadsheets, teacher observations and parent surveys. Other data collected has been in the form of student work samples such as children’s books, poetry projects, outlines, activity sheets and traditional tests. Additionally, photography of students actively engaged in the learning of Bible in a variety of ways that encompasses across the curriculum learning activities have been taken for viewing.  Student opinion essay questions have been helpful in determining what students are thinking concerning the teaching of Bible as an elective literature course.

9. Data Analysis Strategies

There are a variety of strategies to analyze in the culmination of this research project. First of all, there was the gathering of pre and post Bible knowledge tests for gathering information on what was known before and after taking the course.

Secondly, a review of information gathered from parent surveys that reveal the positions of parents on the teaching of the Bible in the public schools of America as well as in the local school system.

Thirdly, to look at strategies used in teaching the course that implemented across the curriculum teaching of Bible as an elective course.

Finally, observations of the instructor of student participation in classroom activities and taking into account the total school program in this observation.  

10. Timeline

January 2002

1. Pre Bible Tests
2. Student information sheets
3. Parent letters from the teacher
4. Daily Warm-up activities
5. Traditional Tests
6. Student opinion essay questions for extra credit
7. Cooperative Projects
8. Individual Projects
9. Alternative Assignments
10. Discussions
11. Videos
12. Reading Circles
13. Writing Activities
14. Art Activities

 

February 2002

1.  Daily Warm-up activities
2.  Traditional Tests
3.  Student opinion essay questions for extra credit
4.  Alternative Assignments
5.  Cooperative Projects
6.  Individual Projects
7.  Discussions
8.  Group and individual reading assignments
9.  Videos
10.  Research and Technology incorporated

 

March 2002

1. Daily Warm-up activities
2. Traditional Tests
3. Student opinion essay questions for extra credit

b.    Cooperative Projects

1.  Individual Projects
2.  Reading activities
3.  Writing and art activities
4.  Discussions
5.  Videos

 

April 2002

1.  Daily Warm-up activity
2.  Traditional Tests
3.  Student opinion essay questions for extra credit
4.  Cooperative Projects
5.  Individual Projects
6.  Poetry Projects
7.  Discussions
8.  Videos

 

May 2002

1.  Daily Warm-up activity
2.  Post Bible knowledge Tests
3.  Cooperative Projects
4.  Individual Projects
5.  Discussions
6.  Parent Surveys
7.  Bible Exam
8.  Student response to the teaching of Bible in the public schools of America

 in the form of an essay extra credit question on the exam

 

11. Findings

There were a variety of strategies analyzed in the culmination of this research project.

First of all, there were pre and post Bible knowledge tests that showed significant gains in learning from 4% to 55% increase on various questions asked. For instance, initially 96% knew how many books were in the Bible and after the course 100% knew that there are sixty-six books in the Bible. Only 25% knew that Acts is the book that describes the beginning of the church and on the post test 75% correctly answered this question.

Secondly, the parent surveys reveal that 96% of the 24 parents polled approved of the teaching of the Bible in the public schools of America and want it to continue in the local school system.

Thirdly, it is a course that was successfully implemented across the curriculum as indicated by the spreadsheet of student assignments. A variety of student work samples have been gathered for examination as evidence. A multiplicity of photographs were taken showing the students engaged in a variety of activities that included cooperative learning groups, writing, reading, oral presentations, and art, technology, discussions and student opinion essay questions.

Finally, observations by the instructor of student participation in classroom activities and examination of student responses to essay opinion questions indicated that the vast majority of the students enjoyed the course and were pleased that they were given the opportunity to study the Bible in a public school setting.

 

12. Conclusion

In conclusion, the Bible can be taught in a variety of ways in the public schools of America without infringing on the separation of church and state. The vast majority of parents and students surveyed and tested were overwhelmingly in support of a Bible course being taught in the public schools of America and especially in the local school system. Parents made some positive comments on the surveys sent home. For instance, David’s mother commented, “David has really enjoyed this class.” Joey’s mom said, “I have seen a more positive attitude since Joey started this class and more desire to learn about the Bible. He even tries to apply things to his daily life.” The latter comment was truly a positive response for authenticating and applying learning in real life.

Dr. Mark L’Esperance, professor of education at East Carolina University suggests that one of the best ways to promote student learning is to develop a parent-action plan for the local school. If parents are supportive of the Bible being taught in the local public school system, then this is one of the most important proponents in having the Bible taught as a literature and history course.  This plan is important to the local school setting because it will directly involve parents in the education of their children.  Parent involvement in student education will serve as a catalyst to reinforce in the home what is being taught in the school.    

 The judicial court systems decisions in the 1960’s caused a missing link to occur in the educational systems of this country. Later rulings are beginning to swing back to the right in our judicial court decisions that are certainly a move in the right direction. We need this missing link of Bible teaching restored to the public schools of America so that the youth can pull together in their own minds how the past and present are related to the laws and customs of our great country called the “Land of the Free and the Brave.” Without this missing link we chart a course of learning into unknown murky waters of the future that cannot be linked to the present without a bridge of knowledge from the past.  Public schools in America must bridge the gap of learning by providing this missing link of who we are and where we have emerged. This can be done legally according to recent Supreme Court rulings as long as the state and local boards of education approve of it being taught as an elective in history and/or literature. The course must be taught to students that have parent approval and want to take it as an elective course in history or literature.

In essence, Bible can be taught as both literature and history courses in America without infringing on the separation of church and state. It can be taught in a variety of ways that will enhance the total school program.

Haynes & Thomas, (1998) make mention in their book, Finding Common Ground, that the Bible can be taught for its literary and historical values, but must not be taught from a devotional standpoint. Several states are mentioned which have school districts that have in place guidelines on teaching about the Bible for its literary and historical value, but not for indoctrination and conversion purposes. Among these listed with their guidelines were, Wicomico County Board of Education in Salisbury Maryland, Ramona Unified School District, Ramona, California, Des Moines Public School, Des Moines Iowa, and St. Louis Park Public Schools, Minneapolis Minnesota.

  As a literature, the Bible can be taught for its literary meaning and value. It can explore the various styles of writing, including the symbolic prose and poetry of the Old Testament and simple narrative of the New Testament. There can be an in-depth study of authors, characters, vocabulary, plot and literary techniques involved in the composition of the Bible. Students can research and discuss various ideas in both written and verbal forms. It can examine the basic content of the importance of the Bible as literature and the impact of the Bible on other works of literature.

 As a history, the Bible is can be studied in an effort to linking the present with the past beginning with a study of ancient Judaism through the development of the Christian church. Students can examine the history of Christianity in the United States and the impact its role has played in our culture. It can be taught as a survey course of both the Old and New Testaments. The basic content of the Bible course can demonstrate the importance of the Bible as an historical document that shows the impact of the Bible on history, law, American community life, and culture.

 This knowledge in effect can help students emerge as intellectual beings who will be better equipped to face the future as they gain a clearer understanding of the past through a study of Bible!                                                         References

Bible. King James Version.

Clark, Jr., E.T.  (1997).  Designing and implementing an integrated curriculum.  VT: Holistic Education Press.

 

Erickson, E. (1980). Erickson’s stages of personal and social development [Handout].

Haynes, C.C. & Oliver, T. (1998). Finding common ground: A first amendment guide to religion and public education. TN: The First Amendment Center.

 

Hollins, E.R. (1996). Culture in school learning, revealing the deep meaning.  NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers.

 

Sheler, J.L. (2001). The fight for history.  U.S.news & world report,131, 38-46.

 

(1986).  The Rebirth of america.  Pa: The Arthur S. Demoss Foundation.

 

(2001).  Schools in america.  [On-line] Available: http://members/met/judith/america.html

 

Simonds, R.L. (1996). Teaching the bible in public schools? El Cajon, Ca: Institute for Creation Research. [On-line] Available http://icr.org/pubs/imp/imp-279.htm

 

Wurmbrand, R. (1990). Marx and satan.  IL: Crossway Books.

www.askjeeves.com

www.google.com

www.yahoo.com

   

 

 

 

Addendum Added on June 18 & 29, 2002 & Oct. 14, 2002

 

I think it is interesting to note that the three places that were so severely affected by the 9/ll/01 tragedies are also where approximately 40 years ago prayer and Bible reading were extracted from our public schools as a matter of devotion and reverence to Almighty God!

  Please note that the Supreme Court of the land made prayer unconstitutional from a case out of New York City Schools in 1962. In 1963 Bible reading was banned from a devotional standpoint from the public schools by a Supreme Court ruling that was in Pennsylvania.  Please note that the rulings took place at the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C.  (Is there a judgment correlation with 9-11-02?)

 

BBN Radio News reported on 92.5 FM the week of June 24, 2002 that 33 states are now teaching Bible as an elective high school history or literature class. Dade County, Florida was facing a lawsuit by the ACLU (The American Civil Liberties Union) because of the teaching. Be in prayer for this matter.

 

Also, this week an Atheist in California opposed his second grade daughter reciting  the pledge of allegiance because it says, “One nation under God.” A San Francisco federal appeals court agreed and now we are faced with the possibility of the pledge of allegiance to our great country being stripped from all schools and public functions. Why do we keep accepting things of this nature? We must pray and ask God to hold back this tide of evil that seeks a world without God.

 

Also, I heard recently on a BBN Radio – (92.5 FM) “Take A Moment” that there is another faction working to have our date recognition changed from B.C. (Before Christ) to C.E. ( Current Era) and A.D. ( Anno Domini – Latin for “In the Year of Our LORD”) to B.C.E. ( Before Current Era)…. Where will it stop? When this nation is turned into hell? We must be reminded of the scripture in Psalms 9:17 “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.”

 

The Friday, Oct. 11, 2002 edition of the News and Observer records on page 4-E that students are flocking to religion courses since 9-11. It seems there has been an increased awareness of religious matters and many universities are experiencing the growth of 20 % or more of interest in classes pertaining to religion. Many are looking for answers to the puzzling questions that have arisen since 9-11. May God give godly men and women to stand in the gap and lift up the blood-stained banner of Jesus Christ! God Bless!

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