Would you take a public school bible class?

[badger]

Senate bill passes

I took a religious studies class at OU and it was the most annoying class in the world, JMHO. It was taught by a former (Baptist, I think) preacher who left priesthood, probably because her sermons/lectures were so one-sided... her opinion-sided, I mean.

I get that most classes are lecture classes where the professor stands up there and talks while the Greek kids sleep and the athletic department aides take notes. I get that. However, it made the class 20 times worse that the subject was religion... and if high schools in Oklahoma end up with classes like this, I predict parents aren't gonna stand for it.

[Frozen Sooner]

Yes.

[SicEmBaylor]

I would, but then again I'm used to it. I was required to take them.

[SicEmBaylor]

The World Religions survey class was actually pretty good.

Anyway, as for the bill, I think the bible should be taught in a humanities class and absolutely not in a history class and it should be taught as part of a program on different religions.

HS students absolutely need more perspective when it comes to different religions. College students do too.

[sooner_born_1960]

former (Baptist, I think) preacher who left priesthood, probably because her

There are a lot of contradictions right there.

[SicEmBaylor]

Oh, and the bill hasn't passed anything but a sub-committee. This is a long way from becoming law.

[yermom]

no.

i think the history/origin of the book is interesting, but i've been over the content enough

if you want your kids to know the contents of the Bible, shouldn't you be doing it yourself instead of letting the school give them their interpretations of it? (or at church)

i mean, there is a lot of contradictory stuff in there

[C&CDean]

There are a lot of contradictions right there.

No ****. If it was a she, then she wasn't a Baptist preacher or a priest.

And yes, I'd take one if I needed it for graduation.

Boarder??

[1890MilesToNorman]

I think the bible should be taught in a humanities class and absolutely not in a history class and it should be taught as part of a program on different religions.

The Bible ain't history? Every document ever written is a part of history.

[badger]

I knew that Catholics didn't have female priests, but Baptists too? Shows how much I learned in my religious studies class

[sooner_born_1960]

Baptists don't have priests of any flavor.

[Okla-homey]

Baptists don't have priests of any flavor.

Nor do they ordain wimmen. I bet she was Episcopal (Anglican) because they ordain wimmen and also call them "priest."

[JohnnyMack]

No.

[NormanPride]

This is just a bad idea. We can't even agree on evolution, people.

[MamaMia]

Baptists don't have priests of any flavor.

They're called preacher men.

I wouldn't. Everyones bible is not the same.

[Okla-homey]

And for the record, I think person must have reasonable knowledge of what's in the Bible to be considered well educated since it has such a profound effect on Western thought, mores and culture.

However, I would prefer we insure high school kids can read, cipher, make change, know how many pints in a quart, who we fought in WWII, how many senators there are per state and such before I'd go whole-hog on mandatory "Bible as Literature" course.

[sooner_born_1960]

As to the original question, sure, why not. The instructor is more important than the venue.

[Tulsa_Fireman]

What Homey said.

Raise the bar in educational standards, accept that some children are going to fall short and provide opportunities for training in the trades to make up that gap. Once we're there, then maybe. A big fat maybe. And ONLY in a historical context.

The minute it becomes preaching is where I personally draw the line.

[Chuck Bao]

No, definitely not if I have a choice.

The graduate program at Baylor requires one class in religious studies. I think I took something like history of religious thought or something like that. I don't remember anything that I learned from that course. I was fairly well versed in the Bible already.

Since then, I have read the Bhagavad Gita and Upanishads, the Koran and some Buddhist sutras.

I agree with Homey that it is important to understand Western history or thought in perspective of the Bible. Or maybe more importantly it is to see the hyprocrisy of our culture today and the current mix-bag interpretation.

But, there is no way that I would go along with dropping art classes and music classes and English classes for religious studies in our public schools.

[ouduckhunter]

Years ago, as a student, I wouldn't have taken a bible class on a bet. Now though, I would probably take one because the average kindergartener probably knows more about the bible then I do.