Bible classes in Public Schools are Anti-Christian

I realize that the title of this post is rather provocative but I aim to show that this is indeed the case, that teaching the Bible and religion classes in public schools is anti-Christian.

This article in today's Atlanta Journal-Constitution unknowingly lays out the case.

Marlene Holland waltzed across her social studies classroom handing out worksheets on the "Three Holy Books," an exercise in identifying quotations from the Torah, New Testament and Quran.

This is the circumstance under which religion will be taught: that each religion is equal. Unfortunately, Christianity doesn't allow for that. Or more specifically, Jesus Christ doesn't allow for that.

"We simply cannot graduate people into the world today who are ignorant about religion," said Charles Haynes, a senior scholar at the First Amendment Center, a Virginia-based group that advocates for improving the teaching of religion in public schools. "You would have thought we would have done more about it, given how important religion is these days. But I think post-9/11, we've woken up to this."

What Charles fails to understand here is that it is not the job of public schools to do this. This job falls squarely on parents and churches. I have long voiced my opposition to prayer in public schools because I know that there is a slim chance that I would agree with the types of prayers said in public schools. And my opposition to teaching the Bible in school is similar.

Interestingly enough, a high school student gets to the heart of the matter.

"I think it'd be intriguing because it would have to be taught objectively," said Anna Goeglein, a Sandy Creek High School senior who wears a jeweled cross on a silver chain around her neck. "It would be interesting to see how they can pull that off."

Bravo Anna! You see the root of the problem here. And the problem is that those promoting the teaching of the Bible in public schools and those in the school system think that somehow the Bible can be taught objectively.

Nothing could be more wrong. This is once again a case of buying into the myth of neutrality. One cannot come at the Bible from an objective perspective because there is NO objective perspective.

Additionally the Bible doesn't allow it. The Bible isn't a religious text. The Bible is God speaking directly to us and demanding that we choose sides. And not just to those who are viewed as having some personal belief. Christianity is different from all other religions in that it doesn't simply involve personal and private belief. It loudly proclaims that it is public truth for all.