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According to the nonprofit Bible Literacy Project, 98 percent of the country's "best" high school English teachers said students need to know about the Bible to fully understand numerous religious references in Western literature.
"Leading English teachers reported students without Bible knowledge take more time to teach," said Marie Wachlin, the report's author. She called the Bible "the most important single source of all our literature."
The complete works of Shakespeare have more than 1,300 biblical references, says the report, released Tuesday (April 26). "Call me Ishmael," the introductory line of Herman Melville's nautical tale Moby Dick, according to the report, is lost on most students who do not know Ishmael was a famous castaway in the Bible.
The Fairfax, Va.-based Bible Literacy Project is dedicated to research and public education on the academic study of the Bible in public and private schools. In September 2005, it will launch a new textbook for academic study of the Bible in public schools that is being billed as the first of its kind in nearly 30 years. The textbook will aim to respect the views of major faith groups, while endorsing none, organizers say.
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"We believe this research will show the need to include more study of the Bible as literature ... ," said John Templeton, Jr., president of the foundation that funded the report, "and that this will open the door to more freedom to discuss all kinds of ideas in the classroom."
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Is that so, John Templeton, Jr? Well, I happened to look your name up on google. Don't take it personally, it's just that when someone is pushing getting Bibles in classrooms, I tend to think they may have an agenda.
Now, I know you said you're aiming to respect the views of major faith groups (Catholic/Protestant??? or do you mean, Buddhist, Hindu, Taoist, Islam, Judaism as well?) So, I did this search, see, and found your name as the National Chairman of National Bible Week.
In that context, you ended up saying "The Bible is God’s gift to us, His children, as an everlasting means of affirming truth. It is teacher and encourager, an expression of purpose for our very being, and a voice of love."
Now, I know you mean well and all. But something tells me that this is just one more insidious move to push religion on us. If this move to get a bible study program came from a secular foundation with a proven track record of non-doctrinaire actions, I may put a little more faith in it (no pun intended). But as it is, please forgive me if I distrust you, due to your agenda. I still wouldn't appreciate a Bible textbook from a secular institute without appreciation of all other religions, even if it's not "hostile" or doesn't support "one religion over another" as you claim this will do, it still lacks mention and focus of these other groups.
"Leading English teachers reported students without Bible knowledge take more time to teach," said Marie Wachlin, the report's author. She called the Bible "the most important single source of all our literature."
The complete works of Shakespeare have more than 1,300 biblical references, says the report, released Tuesday (April 26). "Call me Ishmael," the introductory line of Herman Melville's nautical tale Moby Dick, according to the report, is lost on most students who do not know Ishmael was a famous castaway in the Bible.
The Fairfax, Va.-based Bible Literacy Project is dedicated to research and public education on the academic study of the Bible in public and private schools. In September 2005, it will launch a new textbook for academic study of the Bible in public schools that is being billed as the first of its kind in nearly 30 years. The textbook will aim to respect the views of major faith groups, while endorsing none, organizers say.
...
"We believe this research will show the need to include more study of the Bible as literature ... ," said John Templeton, Jr., president of the foundation that funded the report, "and that this will open the door to more freedom to discuss all kinds of ideas in the classroom."
--------------------------------------
Is that so, John Templeton, Jr? Well, I happened to look your name up on google. Don't take it personally, it's just that when someone is pushing getting Bibles in classrooms, I tend to think they may have an agenda.
Now, I know you said you're aiming to respect the views of major faith groups (Catholic/Protestant??? or do you mean, Buddhist, Hindu, Taoist, Islam, Judaism as well?) So, I did this search, see, and found your name as the National Chairman of National Bible Week.
In that context, you ended up saying "The Bible is God’s gift to us, His children, as an everlasting means of affirming truth. It is teacher and encourager, an expression of purpose for our very being, and a voice of love."
Now, I know you mean well and all. But something tells me that this is just one more insidious move to push religion on us. If this move to get a bible study program came from a secular foundation with a proven track record of non-doctrinaire actions, I may put a little more faith in it (no pun intended). But as it is, please forgive me if I distrust you, due to your agenda. I still wouldn't appreciate a Bible textbook from a secular institute without appreciation of all other religions, even if it's not "hostile" or doesn't support "one religion over another" as you claim this will do, it still lacks mention and focus of these other groups.
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