I took a class on the Bible as literature. Although I don’t remember specifics, we learned that different writers wrote in certain styles. It was not a “Bible is Fact” class. Indeed many of the contradictions in the Bible are shown to be written by different writers.
However, I am aware that many “Christains” think that it is right to prostletize by deceit.
And this commentary is in GQ because…?
I don’t see a problem either. In high school we had to read some chunks from the Bible, certainly not the whole thing, and it was not an indoctrination session. I also did in a college-level humanities class and again, it was certainly not reading from a literalist perspective.
Whether you are a believer or not, there’s no denying that it’s a damn important book, and a passing familiarity with it can’t be a bad thing.
Welcome aboard, Ratzie!
Like it or not, the Xian bible is an integral part of world culture, and a knowledge of the book is necessary for a study of literature, psychology, sociology and politics. I think study of this book should be encuraged, given with the proviso that it is a book, and does not intrinsically bear truth anymore than does the Koran, the Tao te Ching, or the six o’clock news.
It seems that this is one of those cases where the parent has to stongly supplement the work of the teacher by teaching the student to think critically about the information being received from an authority figure. Without study of such materials, one cannot understand their influence on culture, and without the exercise of such critical faculties, one does not possess the weapons necessary to resist dogma.
<< And this commentary is in GQ because…? >>
Because it started as the factual question of whether it was “illegal” to teach the bible in schools. OK, so the topic has wandered a bit, but it’s rooted here so I’m leavin’ it here.
You know, I’d be worried if this was in, say, the Deep South, but since it’s in Boston, I wouldn’t sweat it. Heck, even the Bible as Literature course in my Catholic high school treated it as just a book written by several different authors.
come on now, if schools - christian or not - can teach the ilead and odyssey as literature, why not the Bible? would you really rather have your kids believeing in a bunch of drunk, fornicating, adulterating, murderous “gods” and other such things than basic morality-based “myths” if that’s what you want to think the Bible is?? i’ve studied the ilead and odyssey and don’t live by them or believe they’re true if that’s what you want to avoid. by the way, i read them to help understand the Bible, so you could probably do it the other way around in a public school.