COMMENTARY: Bible Course Elective in Public Schools Is a Good Idea

The Kentucky Senate passed a bill last week to add Bible classes to the curriculum of that state's public schools.

According to the measure, students would be able to take a Bible course as a social studies elective.

Sen. Joe Bowen -- sponsor of the bill -- said that the intention is to acquaint students with a book that has a tremendous impact on American society and Western culture.

Indeed, it is appropriate and important to offer an academic course on the Bible, since it is used so much by American citizens. A brief overview of American education as it relates to religion may be in order here.

The fact is that in Colonial America, schools were run mostly by churches. The primary reason that the first settlers in America began to educate children in schools was so that children could read the Bible.

Developing good moral character was considered as important as learning the three Rs -- reading, 'riting, and 'rithmetic -- in Colonial America. Moreover, school prayer was a natural part of the Pilgrims' school life.

This "religious motive" for America's public schools changed shockingly in 1963, when the US Supreme Court ruled by a vote of 8 to 1 in favor of abolishing school prayer and Bible reading in public schools. The high court ruling involved a case initiated by Madalyn Murray O'Hair, a left wing atheist, who was adamant that prayer in America's public schools was unconstitutional, because it was in violation of the First Amendment.

The First Amendment to the Constitution states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."

In making its decision in the O'Hair case, the Supreme Court asserted, "religious freedom, it has long been recognized that the government must be neutral and, while protecting all, must prefer none and disparage none."

The Supreme Court ruling in the O'Hair case, in effect, favored atheism, at the expense of America's Christian majority! Moreover, it has had a significant impact in making America a land with much looser morals than was the case before 1963, and this immorality is having a negative effect on all sectors of our society.

It will be interesting to see if the Kentucky public schools -- once they add a Bible course as an elective to the curriculum -- will be challenged to the Supreme Court by another atheist. (It won't be O'Hair since she was assassinated in the early 1990s.) The fact that it will be an elective course -- and not required to be taken by any student -- indicates that it will probably be allowed to continue to be taught.

On the other hand, we should not be too optimistic, because the US Supreme Court is noted for making decisions that tend to contradict -- or certainly appear to contradict -- the American democratic process, as well as the values and ideals upon which this great nation was founded.