District prepares to vote on Bible, religion courses

By: JENNIFER KABBANY - Staff Writer | Wednesday, April 4, 2007 11:19 PM PDT ∞

MURRIETA -- After nearly a year of researching and debating the merits of a course that focuses on the Bible, Murrieta school district trustees are poised to vote the matter later this month.

At its office, the Murrieta Valley Unified School District is displaying for public review the version of the Bible to be used for the proposed Bible in Literature course, and the textbook for another proposed course, World Religions, meant to offer students balance and choice.

In January, Trustees Kris Thomasian, Margi Wray and Robin Crist had said they preferred a world religions course, while Trustees Ken Dickson and Paul Diffley had said they wanted a course that articulated how the Bible has influenced western civilization, the arts and heralded literary works.

The compromise informally reached that day by board members was to offer both. It came after dozens of hours of studying the issue by district administrators and high school teachers, who shared their thoughts on the issue during several board workshops over the last year.

"The board and staff have spent a great deal of time investigating the possibilities for this concept," Thomasian, the board's president, said Wednesday. "I am very glad they have done such a thorough job and brought us a great plan."

Parents and community members may make comments or suggestions based on the materials on display before trustees vote on the courses at their April 26 board meeting, district officials said.

The Bible in Literature course is proposed as a one-year high school English class.

The syllabus states that the course would focus on authors' uses of biblical stories as a source for "the artistic expression of the complexities of human thought and experience," as well as delve into the effect bible stories have had on culturally and historically important literature.

The main textbook for the class would be the Bible, and in particular, the authorized King James version with Apocrypha.

Additional supplemental reading materials suggested include works from authors such as Plato, William Shakespeare, Emily Bronte, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Johann Goethe, Alfred Tennyson, Emily Dickenson, T.S. Eliot, Toni Morrison, James Joyce and Virginia Woolf.

The World Religions course is proposed as a semester-long high school elective.

The syllabus states that the course would focus on the major religions across the globe.

"Students will deal with basic questions: What does humankind believe and what does it worship? In what ways? With what understandings of the ethical life? And with what influence on contemporary times and cultures?" the syllabus states. "Rites and rituals, histories and events, orthodox and modern movements will all be examined while looking at each of the sacred texts and the religion's respective scholars."

The proposed textbooks for the course include "Scriptures of the World's Religions" and "Experiencing the World's Religions," both published by McGraw-Hill.

Jeanne Nelson, the district's library coordinator, said teachers from each high school spent a great deal of time researching and developing the syllabuses, including conferring with colleagues.

"I am very impressed with that they came up with," she said.

The Murrieta discussion comes as a national debate on teaching the Bible is heating up. The April 2 cover story of Time magazine blared: "Why We Should Teach The Bible In Public School."

Despite the increasing number of course offerings focusing on the Bible in public schools, it's still rare, with some statistics showing about 8 percent of the nation's schools are offering coverage or study of the Bible or some aspect of the Bible, according to recent news reports.

In 1963, the U.S. Supreme Court banned ceremonial Bible readings in public schools, but allowed "objective" study of the text in a manner divorced from belief.

"The Bible is worthy of study for its literary and historic qualities," the court said.

-- Contact staff writer Jennifer Kabbany at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2625, or jkabbany@californian.com.

BOOKS ON DISPLAY

The Murrieta Valley Unified School District has textbooks on display for proposed new courses for the coming school year, including the Bible in Literature and World Religions courses.

When: 7:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. through April 25 (except for weekends and April 6)

Where: district office, 41870 McAlby Court

Call: (951) 696-1600, Ext. 1027

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Pre-Registration Comments[-]Go to Top

Godly Woman wrote on Apr 4, 2007 11:37 PM:Thats whats wrong with this world, We need GOD in it, he is our creator. GOD loves everyone.............I thank Jesus for everything :)

Not Required wrote on Apr 5, 2007 6:39 AM:I don't personally believe in God, but I also don't see anything wrong with a class like this as long as it's taught properly and does not ever become part of the required curiculum.

Bill wrote on Apr 5, 2007 7:00 AM:The Authorized King James Bible is one of the most beautiful examples of English prose in existence. Any student that was not at least exposed to the King James Bible has been done a great diservice. Go Murrieta!

Jake wrote on Apr 5, 2007 7:29 AM:Sorry, but unless the Koran, the Talmud and other religious texts are taught next to it, then a favortism is shown towards the Bible. Come on, by NOT saying that the other texts would be teached articluates the bias that they have towards one religion. This is a bad idea, badly constructed. Keep religion out of our schools - you want your child to study the Bible, send him/her to a private school.

To Jake wrote on Apr 5, 2007 9:40 AM:The Koran and the Talmud are not English literature. This is America. People speak English here. If you want your children to study the Koran or the Talmud, send them to a private school.

Re: To Jake wrote on Apr 5, 2007 10:23 AM:This isn't Jake, but your argument doesn't work since there are many works of literature studied in our English classrooms every day that we were graced with through other nations & cultures. If you're going to have a course called World Religions then text from all World Religions need to be included. If you only want to include the Bible then you need to title the class appropriately. There is nothing wrong with the public school study of religion, but to isolate and promote cannot and should not be allowed.

Caustic wrote on Apr 5, 2007 10:50 AM:There's no problem adding it to the cirriculm, as long as it's an addition and not replacement all the other classical Fairy Tales.

Gary wrote on Apr 5, 2007 12:33 PM:Why not an English course on the Tora or Koran? When I was in school we were sent to SUNDAY school to learn about the Bible. I believe we had a balance view of things from sources who acted in good faith to their positions. I don't want our students learning English from Christians who have a hidden agenda while pretending to teach English literature

coaster wrote on Apr 5, 2007 12:42 PM:In my opinioin the world religions class sounds fine. The bible class is pushing towards violating the separation of church and state but if it is taught correctly it will probably be legal. They may see a lawsuit either way. I don't think the school disticts on the coast would go for the bible class but the study of world religions is already part of the curriculum.

Teach wrote on Apr 5, 2007 1:09 PM:Acutally, most of our literature is diverse. American literature is an oxymoran-Americans are diverse and come from all over the world. The stories in the Bible have good plots and character development. Hemingway and Dr. Seuss have the same thing as well. Regardless, this isn't about literature, it's about beliefs. I like Caustic's approach, but fairy tales seem to have a better ending then the Bible.

OSIDE MOM wrote on Apr 5, 2007 7:49 PM:It is important to note that the bible was the first mass-printed book for public school instruction. Kids used not only read it, but they used it for spelling, grammar & history. As long as the bible is presented as literature, not just as religious text, it is a great idea. Remember, the class would be an elective. How would a lawsuit hold up against an elective course? It is simply offered...you take it or you don't. BTW, I doubt any Christians would rely on public school teachers to communicate the spiritual aspects of the bible. Come on now, they can barely teach math and that's not even controversial!

Conservative1 wrote on Apr 5, 2007 8:32 PM:As a Catholic, I prefer the Douay-Rheims or the Jerusalem Bible. As a student of English literature, I prefer the King James version. Anyone who professes knowledge of English, but denies the worth of studying the King James Bible for its literary value, possesses a superficial familiarity with the language, at best. No less an authority than the Bard of Stratford upon Avon relied upon it for his inspiration.

Child of God wrote on May 17, 2007 8:31 AM:When all is said and done, when you are alone at home with no one to talk to, you have the Bible to read. Why not start reading and studying it now. Think back, when we were in elementary and high school. When we did read the Bible and say prayer every morning, we did not have the violence that we do in today's society. There was a better morale in the school. More respect.

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