Eight parents of students attending Ector County Independent School District filed a lawsuit against the district last May because a Bible course was being offered. The parents felt that the class promoted biblical beliefs to students, which infringed on one's religious independence. Also, the article stated that the state and national American Civil Liberties Union and the People for the American Way Foundation sued the school district. T. Jeremy Gunn of the ACLU said,"It is unacceptable for government officials to decide which religious beliefs are true and which are not and then use the public school system as a means of proselytizing children."
A professor at a Texas college told me about the guidelines he has to follow for his lectures. He is allowed to teach the history of Muslim, Buddhism, Scientology, Evolution, Hinduism, etc. He is not allowed to teach about Christianity. There is something about Christianity that gets people in an uproar. My argument is that if you are going to teach one, teach all of them. It is not fair to the student's knowledge or Christianity itself. My opinion is that when religions that are not abundant in our culture are taught, one may feel as though they are learning about another's culture; instead of a religion. In our society Christianity is common, therefore one is more prone to getting offended because they feel they are learning about a religion; instead of a culture. This is thier culture, but maybe it is not their religion.
In an effort to bring a pleasant conclusion,the district "will continue to offer a Bible course, it will be a curriculum of its own choosing, it may use portions of any existing resource, and the Bible will be the main textbook for the course", stated Liberty Legal Institute's Hiram Sasser. Also, the course work will be formulated by educators selected by the superintendant. In the end, both sides walked away satisfied.
Bible Class allowed in Odessa school
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