A high school in South Carolina will soon become the first school in its district to offer a class in which students use the Bible to examine its effects on literature, history and art.
Two new courses on the Old Testament and New Testament were approved by the Carvers Bay High school board last Tuesday and are expected to be offered to students in the 2008-2009 school year. The school will become the first in its district to have such a program, joining other schools in South Carolina, including Conway High School in Horry County, that have been teaching the program for several years.
"I look at it more as this is a study of the greatest book ever written from a literary viewpoint," Principal Kelvin Wymbs told The Sun News.
A bill signed by Gov. Sanford last June allows high schools to offer classes on the Bible as long as they are "taught in an objective manner with no attempt to influence the students as to either the truth or falsity of the materials presented," according to the bill.
"We know everyone has individual beliefs," said Wymbs. "We're not trying to impose this on anyone. This is not a debate on the Bible. We are going to look at this from a literary viewpoint and what it represents."
More specifically, the classes would be taught as electives over two separate semesters to students in grades 10 and 12. The students will examine the Bible, looking for literary, historical and artistic contexts, according to Wymbs and teacher Lisa Cribb.
Similar program offerings were approved for public funding by Georgia lawmakers in 2006. Recent reports, however, say that Georgia schools are shying away from the courses, citing such reasons as a lack of interest from students who have a strong upbringing in Christianity, cost of materials, scheduling conflicts, and concerns over legal implications.
Lawmakers in Alabama, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas have considered similar plans for Bible-related courses this year, although none has received final approval.
But for Carvers Bay High School, plans to implement the course are in order. The principal said the parents and people he has talked to about the class seem very receptive and that he expects to present it to his school improvement council later this month.
Cribb, who joined a panel of teachers last November to set the statewide standards for the course, said that "students need a working knowledge of the Bible," one that would allow them to see that the Bible's impact reaches past "a text taught in Sunday School," according to The Sun News.
"There is an enormous amount of allusion in great literary works to the Bible that they don't know. It will help them to analyze better and make connections," she said.
"You can look at it from a historical perspective or a socio-political perspective. You can look at the Judeo-Christian values and how they have influenced government and politics."
Comments
Muggleborn-
That was hilarious.
Yes my comment was supercilious in the idea that I hold in contempt anything which goes against God. I do not see how anyone could refer to God or his creation in terms created by one who does not honor Him.
But I do agree with your comments and clariications mostly.
I would go on to comment on the topic of public education- that it is NEVER justified according to Biblical standards. Never. The public education system does not follow the Biblical principles of education and it is inherently designed to destroy individual growth and families. Where as the idea of home education supports both and is in line with the Biblical principles of education.
Gen1_28,
>> I am guessing you think pulbic educatino is a good thing- but let me try to explain this...
The Bible says for parents to train their children. <<
Sorry, I read your posts from latest to oldest.
I TOTALLY agree. I think education DOES start (and end) with the parents. We can NOT rely on state education anymore to teach our children right from wrong. It's up to us. I think God SHOULD be in every aspect education but currently ISN'T. The founding fathers meant for it to be, but the Establishment Clause and Bill of Rights have been twisted out of context.
Gen1_28, I apologize if my concern wasn't stated clearly. My center point was that I don't believe that God will be honored in a Bible Literary class (by some teachers), any more than than He would be in a typical Micro-biology class. In fact, I believe it could be WORSE.
And I apologize again if I'm jumping to conclusions, here. But you witchcraft question, to me, seemed rather ... supercilious.
Gen1_28,
>> is that name [MuggleBorn] somehow a reference to Harry Potter? Please don't tell me you think witchcraft is allowed in the Bible... <<
Okay. I admit it! "I am Lord MoldyWart!" I'm much more evil than my half-brother, Lord Voldemort, who's face is likened to that of a snake. I made a horcrux from a dirty ashtray, and now my face is likened to that of Joe Camel.
I'll market my products to kids and when I'm done, I'll vanish, leaving behind nothing but a puff of smoke and thin, misty spackle of phlegm from my hacking cough.
My last act was to get J. K. Rowling to convince everyone that Dumbledore is gay. I call the spell "Suckerus Demographicus"
...
Oh C'mon. That was funny :^)
... Seriously though ... No. I don't think that witchcraft is okay. Leviticus 19:31 taught me that.
Read my post on the 'Vatican Slams Harry Potter as 'Wrong Kind of Hero'' article. I think my stance on it is pretty clear.
BTW, please don't be mad at me on account of my MoldyWart joke. We are kin in the Spirit of the Lord. But haven't you ever seen any of my other posts? I think my position on many issues is pretty clear.
jonathanjkim,
Was the Sermon on the Mount a "private" setting?
Acts 10:42 - "He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead."
1 Timothy 4:13 - "Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching."
i don't believe in educating religion in public school. Jesus should be witnessed and nurtured in Church and in community by the Christians and has no place in public setting. It's all private matter.. Get the politic out of religion and out of public lime-light.. including public schools.. Would Jesus push to teach at the local school and politic and condemn those who don't? Reading what Majority of the Christians think, I feel my Jesus isn't the one they believe..
Not to harp on you Muggleborn...
But is that name somehow a reference to Harry Potter? Please don't tell me you think witchcraft is allowed in the Bible...
Muggleborn-
You think THAT is something to worry about!!??
I am guessing you think pulbic educatino is a good thing- but let me try to explain this...
The Bible says for parents to train their children. And Parents are to do it throughout every aspect of the day (refer to Deut 6). The Bible says that we must honor God in all things, recognizing him as the creator of all things.
How does public education recognize God in every subject? Since God IS the beginning of wisdom, then each subject must begin with him as the precondition. It is precisely because parents do not honor the Biblicle principles of education.
Sure, go to church, say "I love Jesus" Then send you children off to be educated by God haters.
The only thing about this that would concern me, is that biases will undoubtedly emerge in classroom discussions. Or more to the point, some non-believing teachers may try to emphasize their perceptions that the Bible as nothing more than a literary collection of fables, and not the Word of God.
FullGospel-
I agree. Get the Word of God in them. Unfortunatly I must disagree with public education as it goes against the Biblical principles of education. And I think allowing the Bible in public schools will subdue Christians into believeing that public education (k-12)as it is today is allowed by God- which it is not.
It doesn't matter to me what perspective someone wants to look at the Bible from. As long as you're looking at the Bible, the Holy Spirit can do the rest, Amen?