Study: Bible classes are slanted

By Sidney Levesque, The Abilene Reporter-News, September 14, 2006

Bible classes taught in Texas public schools, including those in the Big Country, are generally poor in quality and present Christian views as fact, a recent study says.

Some of the classes appear to be more in line with Sunday school than public school and are based on lesson plans taught by local ministers.

The study, ''Reading, Writing and Religion: Teaching the Bible in Texas Public Schools,'' was released Wednesday by the Texas Freedom Network in Austin. The organization's Web site says it is a ''mainstream voice to counter the religious right.''

The report based on the study was written by Mark Chancey, a biblical scholar at Southern Methodist University.

Of the 1,031 Texas school districts contacted for the study, 25 offered or taught a Bible course during the 2005-06 school year. That was down from 33 schools in 2001-02.

''Many schools portray their Bible classes as social studies or literature courses,'' Chancey said in a press release. ''Yet, intentionally or not, most are really courses about the religious beliefs of the teacher or minister leading the class or of those who created the course materials.''

Six area schools were cited in the study - Big Spring, Blanket (Brown County), Coahoma (Howard County), Forsan (Howard County), Millsap (Parker County) and Sweetwater.

The Sweetwater school district offered the class ''Bible in History & Literature'' only once, at an alternative campus last school year. The district dropped the class after special interest groups disagreed with the curriculum, said Superintendent Ronny Beard.

''When we realized that the curriculum might have flaws, we discontinued it immediately,'' he said.

The Blanket school district may be reviewing the curriculum for its Bible class after reading the study's report, said Superintendent Kevy Allred. The class now includes lesson plans about the Bible's views on gambling and alcohol, the report said.

The report applauds schools in San Antonio, Leander and Whiteface for Bible classes that are ''objective, nonsectarian and avoid many of the problems noted in other school districts.''

Leander is near Austin and Whiteface is in the Panhandle.

Other local schools with Bible classes said they have received no complaints about how their courses are taught.

The Howard County Bible Class Board, made up of ministers and community leaders, pays for the Bible class teachers at the Big Spring, Coahoma and Forsan school districts.

Big Spring High School's class, ''Bible History,'' may be the longest ongoing Bible class in a public school in the state. The elective class started in the 1932-33 school year at the request of residents, said Superintendent Michael Downes.

The class is a ''reflection of our local community,'' he said.

''We're not here to baptize or dunk every student who walks in the door,'' said Dr. Bill Welsh, a Church of Christ minister who teaches the class. He also teaches economics and is a certified social studies teacher.

He said the Bible class focuses on history, not doctrine. The Bible is viewed as a literal source, from historical events to how the world was created.

The high school offers three sections of the elective course, which counts toward local graduation, but not state graduation requirements (There are state guidelines for other courses, but not Bible classes). A total of 80 or so students are taking the course, which is taught in a classroom with an entire wall filled with a mural of the ancient world.

The class has a waiting list.

Welsh said he teaches, not preaches, the class. And he avoids biblical texts on controversial subjects like homosexuality.

''My hope is the end result is they read their Bible and start asking questions elsewhere and they become Christians,'' he said. ''That's the hope of the community, too.

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