Texas public schools required to teach Bible this year

[Terminator]

WHITEHOUSE, TX (KLTV) - The school year is almost here, and if literature of the Bible is not already offered in your child's school, it will be this fall.
Books are a common sight in classrooms around the nation, but the Bible is one book that is not. Come this fall, a Texas law says all public schools must offer information relating to the Bible in their curriculum.
"By the end of the year, what they begin to realize is that it is pervasive. You can't get away from it. The kids came back and were like 'It's everywhere,'" said John Keeling, the social studies chair at Whitehouse High School. Whitehouse already offers a Bible elective. "The purpose of a course like this isn't even really to get kids to believe it per say. It is just to appreciate the profound impact that it has had on our history and on our government," said Keeling.
The law actually passed in 2007, but this will be the first school year it is enforced because the bill says, "The provisions of this act pertaining to a school district do not take effect until the 2009-2010 school year."
This has gained mixed reactions from East Texans. "I think it is a good thing because a lot of kids don't have that experience, and they already want to take prayer out of school as it is-- and you see where our kids are ending up!" said Tyler resident Laura Tucker.
Tyler resident Havis Tatum disagress with Tucker. He said, "I don't want anybody teaching their religious beliefs to my child unless they want to send their child to my house and let me teach them my religious views. There is no difference."
School officials tell us schools haven't enforced this law because of confusion over the bill's wording and lack of state funding.
For now, each school district must find a way to fill the requirement before the seats are filled with students.

[Morris]

I'm rather opposed to this. All fine and good to teach it in the sense of a historical aspect but you had better teach also the Talmud, Koran, etc.

[dadyswat]

I'm rather opposed to this. All fine and good to teach it in the sense of a historical aspect but you had better teach also the Talmud, Koran, etc.

I think all the left coast schools already do they're just not allowed to teach anything to do with the Bible

[Odd]

I think all the left coast schools already do they're just not allowed to teach anything to do with the Bible

Um, guess my first thought is to ask for a source on that.

That's the thought I had when I saw the below quote being floated. (I'm guessing you may see it quoted in reference to this story a lot over the next week) Seems it's accurate in so far as it was attributed to her at, or near, the time, but probably she didn't say it. In that same way I'm dubious that left coast schools are teaching the Talmud and Koran.

"If English was good enough for Jesus Christ, it's good enough for the school children of Texas." -Gov. Miriam "Ma" Ferguson of Texas

[CTR man]

If I am not mistaken there are some public high schools in Utah that are already teaching the Bible along with other christian religious books. Though it is an elective course. The student can choose whether to take the course or not, but it is offered. Many do take the class. But then again, take a look at which christian religious denomination dominates the population of the state of Utah.

[dadyswat]

Just watching the court rulings coming out of Mexifornia , it's just an opinion from the stuff I've read.

[deputysykes]

Sweet. If any Texans don't like it, they can move to Cali.

[tapout]

i can maybe see it as an elective...but no student in public school should be required to take a bible class.

[Wolven]

I'm with the elective option also....I find the study of religions rather interesting...not necessarily from a religious/spritual standpoint but rather cultural/historical.

[Morris]

Looking at religion from a historical aspect is fine. Teaching creation as part of a group of theories of how we were created is fine. But to mandate a religious book (or any book for that matter) in supremacy of others is wrong and immoral.