Georgia to OK Bible-based literature classes

SuzannePjam

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17540958/

Why can't the religious right be satisified with Sunday school, CCD, and all of the outside of public school options to persue their religion? Like there's not enough literature out there that they have to delve into the bible for material. If it were really supposed to be an "objective" class not about religious devotion, why aren't other religions included, such as the muslim and buddhism faiths? I can see this dissoving into a fight using tax payers money to resolve an issue about a program that should never have been put into place.

Georgia to OK Bible-based literature classes
State to be first to make Bible the main book in two public school classes

ATLANTA - Georgia is poised to introduce two literature classes on the Bible in public schools next year, a move some critics say would make the state the first to take an explicit stance endorsing — and funding — biblical teachings.
The Bible already is incorporated into some classes in Georgia and other states, but some critics say the board's move, which makes the Bible the classes' main text, treads into dangerous turf.
On a list of classes approved Thursday by the Georgia Board of Education are Literature and History of the Old Testament Era, and Literature and History of the New Testament Era. The classes, approved last year by the Legislature, will not be required, and the state's 180 school systems can decide for themselves whether to offer them.
The school board's unanimous vote set up a 30-day public comment period, after which it is expected to give final approval.
Senate Majority Leader Tommie Williams, the Republican who sponsored the plan, said the Bible plays a major role in history and is important in understanding many classic literary works.
"It's not just 'The Good Book,'" Williams said. "It's a good book."
Charles Haynes of the First Amendment Center, a nonpartisan civil liberties group, has said the Georgia policy is the nation's first to endorse and fund Bible classes on a statewide level.
The bill approved overwhelmingly in the Legislature was tailored to make it clear the courses would not stray into religious teaching, Williams said.
The measure calls for the courses to be taught "in an objective and nondevotional manner with no attempt made to indoctrinate students."
But critics say that while the language may pass constitutional muster, that could change in the classroom if instructors stray.
Maggie Garrett, legislative counsel for the Georgia branch of the American Civil Liberties Union, said the curriculum approved Tuesday — like the legislation itself — is vague.
"They didn't put in any outlines describing what they can and can't do constitutionally," she said. "The same traps are there for teachers who decide to teach the class."
Some teachers might seek to include their own beliefs or be pushed by students into conversations that include religious proselytizing, Garrett said.
During last year's campaign-period legislative session, Democrats surprised majority Republicans by introducing a plan to teach the Bible in public schools. Republicans, who control both chambers, quickly responded with their own version, which passed and was signed into law by Gov. Sonny Perdue.

SPEEDY MCCREADY

sounds like a good idea to me.....

catefrances

yeah well the bible does tell a good story, i'll give it that.

get rid of a few of those begats and put a few more chicks in it and i'd be happy.

OutOfBreath

If its a class the individual student can choose or not, then go ahead. If it's the schools who decide whether all students have these, then stop them at once.

Peace
Dan

Smellyman2

The bible is a terrible read. The authors kinda suck at storytelling.

RolandTD20Kdrummer

Smellyman wrote:

The bible is a terrible read. The authors kinda suck at storytelling.

They didn't have as many words back then as we do now. It was written by the government of the time...the church.

Worship your government...obey...

baraka

OutOfBreath wrote:

If its a class the individual student can choose or not, then go ahead. If it's the schools who decide whether all students have these, then stop them at once.

Peace
Dan

That's what I was wondering, is it a required class or an elective? After re-reading the article, it saw this: "The classes, approved last year by the Legislature, will not be required, and the state's 180 school systems can decide for themselves whether to offer them."

Also, I curious to the context this will be taught. Will it be like bible study, presented as absolute fact, or will it be presented as simply educational and informational.

cornnifer

baraka wrote:

That's what I was wondering, is it a required class or an elective? After re-reading the article, it saw this: "The classes, approved last year by the Legislature, will not be required, and the state's 180 school systems can decide for themselves whether to offer them."

Also, I curious to the context this will be taught. Will it be like bible study, presented as absolute fact, or will it be presented as simply educational and informational.

Judging by the fact thats its billed as a literature class, i'm guessing it isn't being taught as undisputed fact. That, coupled with the fact that it sounds completely elective, and your left with nothing for anyone to complain about. (Not that you were, i mean in general).

Smellyman2

cornnifer wrote:

Judging by the fact thats its billed as a literature class, i'm guessing it isn't being taught as undisputed fact. That, coupled with the fact that it sounds completely elective, and your left with nothing for anyone to complain about. (Not that you were, i mean in general).

Plenty to still complain about. The study of the bible in school? Sounds like...I don't know, "Bible Study".

You know what will happen now. All religious books will either have to be made available also or they have to drop "Bible Study" all together.

down_ski

Smellyman wrote:

Plenty to still complain about. The study of the bible in school? Sounds like...I don't know, "Bible Study".

You know what will happen now. All religious books will either have to be made available also or they have to drop "Bible Study" all together.

These schools are being allowed to teach the Bible from a "Historical" point of view. These teachers will not be teaching/preaching their own religious points of view, or pushing religion on the students.

If the teachers did that, the ACLU would be all over them like stink on shit.

norm

Where is the Qur'an study class? Or Torah?

RolandTD20Kdrummer

What do the teachers say when the kids start asking questions?

uhh...it's all in the book somewhere just read it?

Do you only allow agnostic teachers to convey the material?

hmm tough one.

deadnote

i got no problem with the bible and some teaching hell they teach all kind of bullshit in school anyway just another thing getting shoved in your face if your gonna try and teach good values then the story of jesus is good to keep em in line


i really only want to worship my family

im rich

PJ_Saluki

It's already been said on the thread but I believe it too: if it's an elective, let 'em do it. I've been meaning to read the thing for years. Also, bible as lit classes have been offered at colleges for years. I would like to see them expand it to other religious texts, as well.

hippiemom

I don't have a problem if it's being presented strictly as literature and not as an infallible truth. It's impossible to understand western literature or western culture without knowledge of the bible, so it does absolutely need to be taught.

I predict a lawsuit at some point though ... you just know there will be a teacher somewhere that won't be able to resist proselytizing.

deadnothingbetter

Smellyman wrote:

The bible is a terrible read. The authors kinda suck at storytelling.

actually, no. the stories are very compelling. if i do ever become a filmmaker i have a great idea... or at least i think it is. i always wondered why they had never made a movie about the mexican revolution. and then i wondered once about a story about king david and his son absolon and how dramatic it is and how good it would be if they made it a movie.

the story goes like this. King David has concubines and so he has a son, Amnon, from one of his women and a daughter, Tamar, from another woman. Amnon as it turns out to be is madly in love with his own sister Tamar. So he tries to sleep with her but she tells him that it's wrong. So he rapes her. David hears about this but does nothing about it. He only gives Amnon a slap on the hand. Absolon, tamar's full-blooded brother, is enraged by this because his father did nothing about it. King David warns absolon not to do anything about it, but Absolon kills Amnon anyway. And then Absolon turns against the Kingdom of Israel and divides the entire nation to the point where he builds an army greater than his own father. But King David does not want to go to war against his son. In the end, David warns his general not to harm Absolon but his general does it anyway. While Absolon's hair is caught through what i think are twigs, the general peirces an arrow through his heart. David hears about the death of a second son and is bitter. So in the end the general gives David a terrific speech that says, "Today you have humiliated all your men, who have just saved your life and the lives of your sons and daughters and the lives of your wives and concubines. 6 You love those who hate you and hate those who love you. You have made it clear today that the commanders and their men mean nothing to you. I see that you would be pleased if Absalom were alive today and all of us were dead. 7 Now go out and encourage your men. I swear by the LORD that if you don't go out, not a man will be left with you by nightfall. This will be worse for you than all the calamities that have come upon you from your youth till now."

8 So the king got up and took his seat in the gateway."

so after hearing how such a great story this would be, i thought it would be a better idea to change the whole setting into the time of the mexican revolution. and instead of it being a hebrew king, it would be about this huge mexican dude with his huge sombrero who is going through certain hostilities with his son trying to bring down his hacienda. and the general would be played by Benicio del Toro. what do you think? i think it's pretty badass.

present address

the last post should be titled thread killer.... but man you have a great idea...

Trau

My college has a class called "The Bible as Literature". I don't see what the problem is.

norm

Trau wrote:

My college has a class called "The Bible as Literature". I don't see what the problem is.

An elective, I assume. Which is fine. BTW, was this a public or private school?

beachdweller

SuzannePjam wrote:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17540958/

Why can't the religious right be satisified with Sunday school, CCD, and all of the outside of public school options to persue their religion? Like there's not enough literature out there that they have to delve into the bible for material. If it were really supposed to be an "objective" class not about religious devotion, why aren't other religions included, such as the muslim and buddhism faiths? I can see this dissoving into a fight using tax payers money to resolve an issue about a program that should never have been put into place.

Georgia to OK Bible-based literature classes
State to be first to make Bible the main book in two public school classes

ATLANTA - Georgia is poised to introduce two literature classes on the Bible in public schools next year, a move some critics say would make the state the first to take an explicit stance endorsing — and funding — biblical teachings.
The Bible already is incorporated into some classes in Georgia and other states, but some critics say the board's move, which makes the Bible the classes' main text, treads into dangerous turf.
On a list of classes approved Thursday by the Georgia Board of Education are Literature and History of the Old Testament Era, and Literature and History of the New Testament Era. The classes, approved last year by the Legislature, will not be required, and the state's 180 school systems can decide for themselves whether to offer them.
The school board's unanimous vote set up a 30-day public comment period, after which it is expected to give final approval.
Senate Majority Leader Tommie Williams, the Republican who sponsored the plan, said the Bible plays a major role in history and is important in understanding many classic literary works.
"It's not just 'The Good Book,'" Williams said. "It's a good book."
Charles Haynes of the First Amendment Center, a nonpartisan civil liberties group, has said the Georgia policy is the nation's first to endorse and fund Bible classes on a statewide level.
The bill approved overwhelmingly in the Legislature was tailored to make it clear the courses would not stray into religious teaching, Williams said.
The measure calls for the courses to be taught "in an objective and nondevotional manner with no attempt made to indoctrinate students."
But critics say that while the language may pass constitutional muster, that could change in the classroom if instructors stray.
Maggie Garrett, legislative counsel for the Georgia branch of the American Civil Liberties Union, said the curriculum approved Tuesday — like the legislation itself — is vague.
"They didn't put in any outlines describing what they can and can't do constitutionally," she said. "The same traps are there for teachers who decide to teach the class."
Some teachers might seek to include their own beliefs or be pushed by students into conversations that include religious proselytizing, Garrett said.
During last year's campaign-period legislative session, Democrats surprised majority Republicans by introducing a plan to teach the Bible in public schools. Republicans, who control both chambers, quickly responded with their own version, which passed and was signed into law by Gov. Sonny Perdue.

I have no problem with this as long as it's taught as "Fiction"

cornnifer

hippiemom wrote:

I don't have a problem if it's being presented strictly as literature and not as an infallible truth. It's impossible to understand western literature or western culture without knowledge of the bible, so it does absolutely need to be taught.

I predict a lawsuit at some point though ... you just know there will be a teacher somewhere that won't be able to resist proselytizing.

Thats really it HM, its being billed as a literature class, and it is ELECTIVE, meaning kids CHOOSE to take the class. There is absolutely NOTHING for anyone to bitch about.

As far as proselytizing, i'm fairly sure the district will be very careful in who the have teaching the class. Most teachers, faithful or not would be well aware of the possibilities of lawsuit, making them very careful to follow the rules. If anything, i would imagine it would be taught by skeptics in the first place.