# Can Bible Literacy Act directions be followed in the classroom? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 3, 2019, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-bible-literacy-act-directions-be-followed-in-the-classroom/828876 "2019-02-03T15:31:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Littleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ccd318/32.png) [@Littleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Littleman)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-bible-literacy-act-directions-be-followed-in-the-classroom/828876/81 "2019-02-10T18:11:10Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > I am not surprised. > > My point is that the Bible as Literature is indeed a valuable class, one many can learn from, and it \*can \*be taught properly. Actually, IMHO it would be better taught in College. > > I dont doubt that it wont always be so, especially in the Deep South. This. Something like this is clearly a college course. The root of the controversy is a captive audience of minors whose parents ultimately have say so on what religious texts they are to learn. College this is basically a non issue. Then it is just that easy, no controversy required. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-bible-literacy-act-directions-be-followed-in-the-classroom/828876/82 "2019-02-10T18:30:29Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > However, there is no reason for the Bible to be prioritized above all the others. Except that’s not what you wrote. “Prioritize above others” != “Prioritize above all others.” We can only read what you write. What you originally wrote is incorrect. This was pointed out the first time you wrote it. And instead of acknowledging that you wrote something incorrect, you repeated yourself, further cementing your grasp on the topic for anyone who can only read the words you chose to write instead of whatever you might be thinking. There are pedagogical reasons to prioritize the bible over other works. It seems you now agree with this, despite having written otherwise at least twice now. ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-bible-literacy-act-directions-be-followed-in-the-classroom/828876/83 "2019-02-10T19:21:27Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > But I dont think you need “a neutral examination of story origins and authorship” in order to understand the bible’s effect on literature and culture. Maybe, but that implies only looking at what the biblical stories shaped, and not what shaped them. If we were, say, looking at Shakespeare, would we not look at his historical influences, would we not need some understanding of, again say, Greek mythology in order to understand various allusions? Shouldn’t analysis of the literature of the biblical creation accounts include discussion of the Sumerian joke about Adam’s rib? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-bible-literacy-act-directions-be-followed-in-the-classroom/828876/84 "2019-02-10T20:48:43Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I didn’t say you couldn’t learn about the Bible in class. I said there is no pedagogical reason to _prioritize_ it over other works. There is no argument that you need a class that only teaches the Bible, rather than a course on influential works in the Western canon, a religion class, something. There’s no reason to have only one text influence everything. > > A unit is not a class. It’s just taking out a chunk of an existing class to discuss a certain topic. Generally, what you describe would be in a Literature class. I had that unit, which lasted a good half a semester. I also remember a unit on Shakespeare. > > What I object to is a class about the Christian Bible, even if purportedly taught as literature. If it’s literature, teach it in a literature class. This is something else. There are classes on just Shakespear and I took a Upper division class in college just on LotR. The bible is at the root of many common sayings and phrases. So it’s perfectly Ok to have a class on the single most influential book in the Western world. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-bible-literacy-act-directions-be-followed-in-the-classroom/828876/85 "2019-02-10T20:54:01Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > What I said is that there is no pedagogical reason to prioritize _the Bible_ over other works. And in case you thought this meant not teaching the Bible at all, I included several situations where the Bible might be prioritized along with other works, pointing out how it could be part of a list of books that are important to the Western literary canon, part of a religious studies course, etc. … However, there is no reason for the Bible to be prioritized above all the others. You can maybe include it in religious works, or something about the important parts of the canon of Western Literature. But there is no reason to put it on a pedestal above the rest, giving it its own class. > > And rather than people contradicting me, everyone seems to agree that this is just about putting Christianity above the others. In fact, they have said it appears to be an attempt to be allowed to have the Ten Commandments displayed in the school again. While they are in Jewish and Islamic scripture, only one religion has made them more important than the rest: Christianity. > … The Bible is without a doubt the most influential book in the Western World. So if LotR can have it own class, and Shakespeare can have its own class- then certainly the bible can. And of course the OT is just as critical to the Jewish faith, and the ten Commandments is in the OT, not the NT. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-bible-literacy-act-directions-be-followed-in-the-classroom/828876/86 "2019-02-10T20:55:51Z")
> [@Apollyon](#): > > Maybe, but that implies only looking at what the biblical stories shaped, and not what shaped them. > > If we were, say, looking at Shakespeare, would we not look at his historical influences, would we not need some understanding of, again say, Greek mythology in order to understand various allusions? > > Shouldn’t analysis of the literature of the biblical creation accounts include discussion of the Sumerian joke about Adam’s rib? Would we need the debate about who wrote Shakespeare? No doubt, some Historical analogs could be included, like perhaps other great flood tales. ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-bible-literacy-act-directions-be-followed-in-the-classroom/828876/87 "2019-02-10T22:23:49Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Would we need the debate about who wrote Shakespeare? Maybe, maybe not. But if common misconception was that it was all written by one chap but there was reason to believe it was actually put together over several hundred years, then yeah, I’d think we’d want to chat about that. > [@](#): > > No doubt, some Historical analogs could be included, like perhaps other great flood tales. And that’s the point at which we’d run afoul of OP’s #2 and we’re back to weeping and wailing. 🙂 All I’m suggesting is that if we’re going to show how _this_ piece of art was inspired by _that_ biblical depiction, then we should also be covering how that biblical story was derived from _those_ older myths. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-bible-literacy-act-directions-be-followed-in-the-classroom/828876.md?page=4)