We affirm the Bible's far-reaching impact on religion, culture
and history, and therefore we believe Bible literacy is important to
a well-rounded education.
Public school instruction about the Bible and its many literary
and historical influences has been deemed legal by the courts
provided that classroom lessons are academic, not devotional, and
neither promote nor denigrate religion. We support these guidelines
and encourage public schools to offer elective courses in Bible
Literacy.
At the same time we call upon schools to honor the parent-child
relationship. We firmly believe it's the responsibility of the
the family and the Church to instill faith in the next
generation. Therefore, schools must safeguard parents' rights to
review all curricula, including Bible literacy materials. Schools
must also allow parents to decide whether or not their children
participating in any study of religion. Further, we strongly urge
parents to discuss course content with their children as the school
year progresses.
Focus on the Family does not endorse any particular curriculum
and favors local school board control and discretion regarding
course offerings.
