ODESSA — Each side in a lawsuit over a West Texas school district's Bible curriculum claimed victory Wednesday after a mediator's proposal gained final approval.
The Ector County Independent School District can continue to offer a Bible course but its course work will be developed by a committee of seven local educators appointed by the superintendent. The lawsuit challenged class material produced by the Greensboro, N.C.-based National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools.
A mediator in Dallas developed the proposal and the district trustees voted on Wednesday to approve the plan. Plaintiffs approved it earlier this week.
The curriculum must meet criteria set by state law and the class will be offered beginning in the 2008-09 school year.
"It's a great victory for ECISD because they're going to get to continue having a Bible course," Hiram Sasser of Liberty Legal Institute, which represented the district, said in a statement. "They're going to develop their own curriculum the way they want to do it without anybody getting in their business. They're going to have the Bible as the primary textbook. That's the most important thing. It's the thing the community wanted."
The lawsuit, filed in May on behalf of eight parents in the district, alleged the Bible course violated their religious liberty. Mediation began earlier this year.
The agreement, said T. Jeremy Gunn, of the American Civil Liberties Union, is a victory for putting religious education in parents' hands.
"It is unacceptable for government officials to decide which religious beliefs are true and which are not and then use the public school system as a means of proselytizing children," he said in a statement.
The state and national ACLU and the People for the American Way Foundation sued the school district in May. The Ector school board approved the course, a high school elective, by a 4-2 vote in December 2005.
At issue was a Bible course that teaches the King James version using material produced by the North Carolina group. The course uses the Bible as the students' textbook.
The National Council said its curriculum is used in hundreds of school districts, including more than 50 in Texas.
The parents' suit was dismissed.
Copyright 2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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xristosnika, you are right in your analysis of the Constitution - as far as it goes, but you left out some important parts. Originally, the Bill of Rights only applied to the Federal Government, so the States were free to establish any religion they chose, and to ban all others! They were also free to jail people for criticizing the government, to take your property without any compensation, and to imprison you without trial or anything approaching “due process”. This was part of what is known as “State’s rights”.
It also included the right to allow slavery. Then along came a little fracas known as the Civil War. The South lost, and the 14th Amendment was added to the Constitution. Under the doctrine of Incorporation, the 14th makes the Bill of Rights applicable to the States. Thus, whatever the Federal government previously was forbidden to do, the States were now forbidden as well. (I’m oversimplifying, but 3,000 characters doesn’t leave room for a full course on Constitutional Law.)
By the way, Star2, I suggest you review the entire website you cited to. It belongs to the so-called “National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools” whose curriculum started the lawsuit to begin with (since it’s goal is clearly proselytization). If the new curriculum is anything like that, the lawsuit will simply start all over again.
seedplanter, was this Jefferson's edition which removed all miracles and the resurrection from the NT since TJ did not beleive traditional Christianity had a future in a world informed by the Enlightment.
Star2: Thanks for the website information.
The first Bible that was printed in the US was paid for by our government for the use in public education as was recomended by Thomas Jefferson.
If you want to know what is being taught in the Bible Class, then go to the following link
http://www.bibleinschools.net/The-Curriculum
and click the box that says Unit 9.
Review of the outline. You will see that the Bible is taught as literature, history, how the Jews view their religion, and etc.. The students get good training in developing their critical thinking skills.
If any student comes away from this course believing and receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord it will be because of the work of the Holy Spirit and not the religious indoctrination of man.
I had several thoughts after reading the article:
(1) The thing that jumped out at me is the fact that the original course was an "elective" which means students were not compelled to take the course. It was their, and their parents, choice whether or not they wanted to attend the class. No student was "forced" to take the class. Some "parents" really need to get a grip.
(2) I would not be surprised if the issue resurfaces next year because the group of "educators" putting together the new course came up with something like "The Bible as Science Fiction," or "The Bible as an Instrument of Oppression" or some other ridiculous stuff like that.
(3) I think there are assumptions being made by some/many that the course to be offered will be in keeping with the traditional Judeo-Christian view of the Bible.
(4) I personally have no problem with the Bible being offered as an "elective" in high school. I also don't have a problem with the quran, Torah, Buddhist Sutra's etc also being offered as electives as well. The operative word here is "elective."
In this case I am definitely "Pro-choice." But I guess in our society "Pro-choice" only comes into play when we are talking about killing children in the womb and not when we are talking about what students are allowed to study.
Sorry, I'm rambling.
The reality is that simply reading the Bible is no assurance of moral behavior. We live a religiously diverse nation, and even the smallest community has different religious traditions. A KJV based curriculum is deficient to begin with as most children in the 21st century cannot read nor should they be expected to read 17th century english. Our nation has a long history of respected religious divesity. Today fear based movements try to change our freedom of religion
Returning back to reading and studying the Bible as a primary textbook (as was done in past generations) would be a great blessing to many families today. May many be encouraged to learn biblical truth for not only spiritual, but for practical knowledge and everyday living.
(Deuteronomy 6:5-7, Holy Bible/King James Bible)
“5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”
(2 Timothy 3:14-17, Holy Bible/KJV)
“14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”
Returning back to reading and studying the Bible as a primary textbook (as was done in past generations) would be a great blessing to many families today. May many be encouraged to learn biblical truth for not only spiritual, but for practical knowledge and everyday living.
Biblical literacy is an important component to understanding America and Americans.
scitsonga: you work in the sciences, and were asked many questions in regard to your knowledge of math and science. None about religion or the bible, they have no place in the laboratory BUT you forget that the Creator established the laws of math, science, as well as other good topics of learning, including the Bible. It is not an either, or, but rather a pursuit of knowledge and wisdom that recognizes both scientific truth as well as moral truth that makes a holy scientist the wisest scientist. Think about Isaac Newton, and other scientists that worked in harmony with faith.
TerryH "on;t ever remember being asked about science and math on a job interview either"
I work in the sciences, I was asked many questions in regard to my knowledge of math and science. None about religion or the bible, they have no place in the laboratory
The famous Establishment Clause says "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof". An establishment of religion was to make a denomination the national church such as England and the other European powers had at the time. It did not prohibit a State government from designating a state church. The national government is also prohibited from denying the free exercise of religion. However, if a local school district, by popular vote, wishes to exercise religion in the school, the national government often interferes with their right to do so, granted under the constitution.
For those of you who favor religion being taught in public schools, be careful what you wish for. Your great granchildren just might be taught a religion other than Christianity.
I am glad to see that someone is teaching the history of creation on an alternative level than evolution. Personally it makes more since that we were created than evolving from some sort of explosion. After all out of all of the explosions we here of I haven't seen anyting other than death and destruction created especially nothing of human form.
Hey first - I don;t ever remember being asked about science and math on a job interview either. What is your point? This curriculum is not based on any from of religion but offered as a history teaching you know like the theory of evolution. Get your facts straight before posting a comment as such.
II don’t see what the problem is about having a class on the bible. The class should be on a volunteer basic and not a forced basis or a required subject. (In other words if a student didn’t want to take the course they wouldn’t be forced to). Then make sure then instructor that the course as set down don’t try and force her/his beliefs on the students in other words no type of religious faith would be taught in the class.
I would love to attend a class on the bible because I believe it would be very interesting.