When God comes to class, curriculum or dangersome?

On the Other Hand, by Slyvia Wolf

I am the daughter of one of the original colonists. I graduated from Palmer High School as did my husband and our four children. I felt it important to write concerning the National Council on Bible Curriculum and the Bible Study for Public High Schools. To date 201 school districts in 31 states have adopted this study for their high schools as an elective with very enthusiastic response from students, teachers and the school districts involved. Several other districts will be coming on in the coming year.

In 1963, the Supreme Court made a ruling, not against the study of the Bible, but against the devotional, religious use of the Bible. Supreme Court Judge Clark stated, "(I)t might be well said that one's education is not complete without a study of comparative religion or the history of religion and its relationship to the advancement of civilization. It certainly may be said that the Bible is worthy of study for its literary and historic qualities. Nothing we have said here indicates that such study of the Bible or of religion, when presented objectively as part of a secular program of education may not be effected consistently with the First Amendment."

Many people do not realize that the Bible may be taught in our public schools. Often these people do not even realize that for the educational welfare of the students, the Bible needs to be taught. As the Congress who passed the First Amendment mandated, "Religion, morality, and knowledge, being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education, shall be forever encouraged."

No school can be considered a school of excellence if its students graduate without having received a basic knowledge of the Bible. The Bible has been the single most influential book in shaping Western culture. An understanding of the Bible opens up the understanding of our culture, our laws, our history and even our speech. American youth need to know their nation's roots. The very first printing of the Bible in the United States was commissioned and paid for by the United States Congress because they felt the Bible was of such primary importance to all of society.

Northrope Frye, one of the most influential literary critics of this century has written, "The Bible forms the lowest stratum in the teaching of literature. It should be taught so early and so thoroughly that it sinks straight to the bottom of the mind, where everything that comes along can settle on it."

This Bible curriculum study is not about other books that might be studied or offending another's religion or doctrine, it is about a foundational document that is necessary for a complete education. This book is about the thorough education of our children in the Mat-Su Borough, for which we spend so much of our tax dollars to accomplish. It is an elective study; no one has to take this course.

The objectives of this program are:

To equip the student with a fundamental understanding of important Biblical contributions to history, law, American community life and culture

To give insight into the worldviews of America's founding fathers and to understand the Biblical influences on their views of human rights

To provide a greater knowledge of Middle-eastern history, geography, religion and politics

To inform students of the importance of religion in world and national history, without imposing the doctrine of any particular religious sect

Since the ban of the Bible in 1963, the SAT scores have plummeted for 19 consecutive years. The U.S. is the world leader in violent crime, number one in divorce and number one in the use of illegal drugs. We as a community face many social ills and offering a study that has irrefutable evidence that this book helps a society, only makes sense. Even Russia has the Bible in its public schools, should we do less?

Sylvia Wolf is a resident of Palmer.