Bible Literacy Project Seeks to Stop Misrepresentation About its
Textbook
Changes in second printing make criticisms no
longer relevant
The Bible Literacy Project seeks to stop the
spread of misrepresentation and inaccurate reporting about its widely acclaimed student textbook,
The Bible and Its
Influence. Changes made to the second printing of the
textbook in February 2007 have made criticisms publicized by another public-school Bible
curriculum no longer relevant.
Our approach represents the consensus of reasonable people that
students deserve to understand the content of the world's
best-selling book. Our success invariably attracts criticism from
those who believe the Bible should be absent from public life, as
well as those who believe that public schools should teach Sunday
school materials, although the courts have prohibited this practice.
However, the vast majority of Americans and faith leaders realize
that the content of the Bible can be presented in an objective and
non-devotional manner, while also acknowledging the respect the
Bible deserves as sacred text for faith traditions.
When The Bible
and Its Influence was released in late September 2005, the
Bible Literacy Project pledged to improve the text based on comments
from the marketplace, as is standard in the textbook industry.
Through this process, many helpful changes were made in the second
printing released on February 15, 2007. (The 450-page Teacher's
Edition released August 2006 already contained these changes.)
Changes include:
-
Language for the Mayflower Compact now includes a fully
quoted passage from the original document.
-
A rhetorical question about whether "Adam and Eve received a
fair deal" has been removed, because too many people were
failing to note that the textbook directed students to find
their answer from the text of Genesis 3.
-
A philosophical question asking why God allows evil things
to happen has been removed.
-
Renaissance art of Adam and Eve has been replaced with a
more modest image.
Not Endorsed by ACLU; Student Bible Required
Amidst broad national support and wide acclaim, the Bible
Literacy Project (www.bibleliteracy.org) has been misrepresented by
a few individuals who continue to spread falsehoods, which then get recirculated, despite BLP efforts to correct the inaccuracies.
Recent articles have inaccurately stated that the Bible Literacy
Project's new textbook, The Bible and Its Influence,
is endorsed by the American Civil Liberties Union or other similar
groups. "But this is not true," says Bible Literacy Project chairman
Chuck Stetson. "We have not been endorsed by these groups.
Despite the fact that we have provided the correct information to
news entities and authors regarding this matter, this information
continues to appear in print."
"Furthermore, claims are also untrue that we do not use the Bible in
our course," continued Stetson. "In fact, we require the use of
the Bible in our high school elective course -- along with our
student textbook, The Bible and Its Influence, and we encourage
students to use the version of Bible that their family prefers."
"Additionally, one of our key principles of respect for the Bible is
also under attack. We will not undermine the faith of any student,"
explains Stetson. "We are most concerned that we are becoming the
first English speaking generation that is ignorant of Biblical
content and narrative. We need to work for Bible literacy courses to
become more widely available beyond the 8% of public high schools
which now offer these electives."
Widespread Support from Educators and Faith Leaders
Educator Barbara
Blinn, who teaches The Bible and Its Influence in a New
Hampshire public school, says, “When someone first proposed this
course, I voted it down because I didn't want to support what I
thought might be a watered-down presentation of the Bible. But when
I saw the textbook itself, I was thrilled. The Bible and Its
Influence is exactly what it needs to be—respectful of the sacred
text, instructive, visually exciting and engaging. My students have
absolutely loved this course. By the second semester, we had a
waiting list for the course.”
The Bible Literacy
Project produced The Bible and Its Influence -- used
alongside the Bible -- to increase the 8 percent of public high
schools that offer an academic course on the Bible to 80 percent.
The Bible and Its Influence is endorsed by leading
evangelicals Chuck Colson (founder of Prison Fellowship),
Vonette Bright (co-founder of Campus Crusade for Christ), Joe
Stowell (former president of Moody Bible Institute), Dr.
Peter Lillback (president of Westminster Theological Seminary),
Dr. Leland Ryken of Wheaton College, Dr. Tremper Longman of
Westmont College, Dr. Paul Borgman of Gordon College, as well as the
general counsel of the American Jewish Congress and Bishop
Richard Sklba (chairman of the Catholic Biblical Association,)
among many others. Read “What Leaders Say” by clicking
here.
The Bible and
Its Influence is the only academic curriculum on the Bible for
public schools that was produced to satisfy the 1999 consensus
standards published in The Bible and Public Schools: A First
Amendment Guide, published by The First Amendment Center and
endorsed by the National School Boards Association, National
Education Association, the National Association of Evangelicals,
American Jewish Congress, and the Christian Legal Society, among 21
national organizations.
Support from Faith Leaders and Leading Bible Scholars
Evangelical leader Chuck Colson further explains his support of
the new public school textbook, The Bible and Its Influence.
"This high school textbook is not meant to be a substitute for the
teachings of the church, but rather a means of furthering the
foundational knowledge of students -- maybe particularly those who
do not get any teaching in a church -- so that our culture does not
lose its understanding and awareness of the importance of the Bible.
In this respect, the textbook does a very good job and I do not see
how any of its content would work to undermine one's faith."
Rev. Peter Lillback, Ph.D., president of Westminster Theological
Seminary, is one of the 41 scholars who reviewed The Bible and
Its Influence, addresses the accuracy of the textbook. "The
informational content, accuracy, exposition, illustrations, and tone
are all extremely well done, and I congratulate you on a highly
accurate and readable presentation," says Lillback.
The textbook's 40 reviewers
-- scholars representing evangelical,
mainline Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox and Jewish communities -- have
ensured that the material in The Bible and Its Influence
reflects an accurate reporting of the Bible narrative, characters,
and content. "Our textbook aims for a straight forward reporting of
what the Bible says. There is no content in our textbook that is
intended to either promote or undermine faith," said Stetson. "We
encourage people to get a copy and read it for themselves." (at
www.bibleliteracy.org/sales) The textbook has widely
representative endorsements, ranging from Marc Stern, general counsel of the
American Jewish Congress, Bishop Richard Sklba, chair of the
Catholic Biblical Association, and other nationally renowned leaders,
including Chuck Colson, Vonette Bright, Joe Stowell, and many
others.
Textbook Enthusiastically Received by Communities Nationwide
Despite isolated instances of misinformation issued by others,
public schools continue to welcome the introduction of the first
student textbook on the Bible in over 30 years.
As of April 2008, 181 school districts in 39 states and four
foreign countries have successfully implemented our course.
Teachers
continue to sign up for our online teacher training. Local high schools and local school boards can
already choose to incorporate this elective course without input at
the state level or any legislative efforts. (Legislative efforts are
merely helpful to provide state funding in the 22 states that adopt
textbooks at the state level.)
Two Kinds of Critics
"Critics of our textbook fall into two categories," said Stetson.
"The first are those who think that academic study of the Bible in
public schools should not take place at all. Yet the courts have
said that academic study of the Bible is legal as long as it is part
of a secular program of education, and provides knowledge, but does
not promote nor disparage belief."
A Chicago Tribune editorial (May 12, 2005) states "When [public
schools] decline to impart knowledge about such an important subject
[the Bible], they are not doing anything to preserve the separation
of church and state. They are merely failing their students."
"The second category of critics is few individuals in the faith
community who would ideally prefer a sectarian presentation and
devotional teaching of the Bible inside public school classrooms.
But at this time, the courts have held that this is prohibited,"
said Stetson. "Academic study of the Bible does not harm students of
faith, but allows public schools to teach all students about the
Bible while respecting the court interpretation of the First
Amendment."
The value of the Bible Literacy Project's widely acclaimed student
textbook, The Bible and Its Influence, and its university-based
teacher training program, is that it removes the legal risk to
schools that would otherwise leave the content of the course
entirely to the discretion of a teacher using the Bible alone,
explained Stetson. The Bible and Its Influence textbook and the
Bible Literacy Project's teacher training program were created to
give confidence to schools and teachers.
Regarding the two or three individuals who continue to generate
misinformation that slanders the Bible Literacy Project:
Two or three individuals have continued to disseminate aggressive
and misleading press releases intended to harm our product. We
believe these individuals have been presented with a biased and
incomplete presentation about the Bible Literacy Project. It is
likely that these critics have limited knowledge of the leaders of
the Bible Literacy Project, and a limited understanding of the legal
parameters that prevent public school curriculum from promoting the
Christian faith or teachings of the church in public schools. To
date, the Bible Literacy Project has chosen not to return the
criticism in like manner and believed these attacks were not
deserving of our attention. But since they continue unabated with a
clear intent to slander us, we will be determining our need for
greater response in the future.
Our textbook, The Bible and Its Influence, provides an
unparalleled opportunity to increase the 8% of public schools which
offer Bible electives. For those who want an "all or nothing"
approach to a Bible curriculum for public schools, this has the
appearance of wanting to promote church teachings inside the
classroom; and the end result could be to end up with nothing, or
stay stuck at 8%. Some critics appear to want a Sunday School class
approach, but this would limit Bible literacy courses to districts
whose citizens overwhelmingly prefer a sectarian perspective, and
risk a legal challenge. Meanwhile, schools with diverse populations
would continue to fail in educating students about the Bible's
enormous impact on our language and culture. Many schools will not
even consider undertaking academic study of the Bible without a
textbook like ours, which is scholarly, legal, and visually engaging
to students. Our textbook is used alongside the Bible (the version
of the student's preference) and presents the Bible's content in a
straightforward fashion, not as a comparative religion course.
Schools gain further confidence from our university-credited, online
teacher training, as well as from our pro bono legal defense from
the highly respected and undefeated Becket Fund for Religious
Liberties.
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