Ark. lawmakers OK bill on Bible as elective course

[gatorboy]

http://www.todaysthv.com/news/news.aspx?storyid=147426

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) -- Arkansas lawmakers have advanced a bill to lay out guidelines for public schools that want to offer elective courses on the Bible.

The proposal, which passed by a voice vote in a House education committee on Tuesday, would discourage teachers from using such a class as a pulpit. But several lawmakers voiced concern that the bill might not prevent teachers from injecting their own religious views into the classroom.

The bill does not deal with other religious books, such as the Quran or the Torah.

Republican Rep. Denny Altes called the Bible the most accurate history book and says students could learn about its influence on literature, culture and politics in a nonreligious setting.

[bluestateguy]

1. Don't we have Sunday schools and Bible studies in churches to do that?

The irony is that these politicians have just enabled public school teachers (public employees!!!) to teach Scripture.

The fundies may find that they don't like that so much. What if the teacher ends up being a liberal Episcopalian or a member of the United Church of Christ? Tee hee hee.

[LeftofObama]

2. **Sigh**

:banghead:

[arcane1]

3. "Republican Rep. Denny Altes called the Bible the most accurate history book"

How do these people get elected??

Actually, never mind that. How do these people tie their own shoes???

[Drahthaardogs]

4. Hmmm which Bible?

The King James version is not the same as the Catholic Bible which is not the same as the Orthodox Catholic Bible. There are differences. How do you get to chose which one you teach?

[Critters2]

5. This can be done, but it's tricky. I took a "Bible as Lit" course at my undergrad school.

a state university. It was in the English dept, and I know it was supposed to be a secular course. But several of us ended up complaining to the dept chair about the fact that the required text was the Scofield Bible, and the prof was teaching it from a Pentecostal perspective. The chair ended up taking over the class, and it was a good experience. So, in one course, I've seen the ebst and the worst of this sort of thing.

So, as I say, it can be done, but it takes discipline. I fear that may be lacking in high school teachers in ARkansas.

[Cleita]

6. Actually, this could work as a backfire to the

Christo-fascists. I had classes in both Old and New Testaments in college (required in Catholic college), which actually forced me to read the Bible. It served me in later years where I could argue any Bible thumper into the ground when they tried to BS me with their Christian morality. The more you know the better informed you will be. I didn't stop at the Douay Rheims version, but compared it to my father's King James version, plus I read a lot of the Apocrypha.

[bluestateguy]

8. LIke I said, the teacher could easily be a liberal Christian

Imagine the horror of these Southern Baptist and Pentecostal fundy parents when the find that their child's Bible teacher is a liberal Methodist.

[Rabrrrrrr]

7. It's not at all an accurate history book, but it IS very influential on literature, culture,

and politics.

That part is worth teaching. And many schools do have good classes on teaching about religion and holy books without indoctrination, but I am always leery (sorry folks) when a southern state is talking about it, because it's usually the rightwing America=Jesus assholes who want to sneak in proselytism. Evidenced by the stupid fuck who thinks that the Bible is the most accurate history book.

[Kennah]

9. Is it part of a class on mythology?