DAILY PRESS & ARGUS
Howell, Michigan - January 9, 2007
School won’t have Bible as literature class
by Dan Meisler
The Howell Public Schools Board of Education opted against approving an elective class on the Bible as literature on Monday, but the debate at the board meeting would make a good lesson plan on comparative views of religion and education.
People from the statewide chapters of the groups American Atheists, Americans United for the Separation of Church and State and the American Family Association gave their thoughts on whether the Bible has a place in public schools, as did several parents of students in the Howell schools.
Most of the opinions were in favor of the class, despite objections that it violates the separation between church and state.
But when school board member Wendy Day made a motion to approve the curriculum, it died because none of the other six board members would second it, which is needed before a vote can be taken.
Earlier Monday, the Howell Public Schools district announced that the curriculum had been reviewed and rejected by the K12 Social Studies Curriculum Committee.
When asked about her motion dying, Day said, “That’s OK, I expected it.” But she added that she thinks the board should be more active and not wait for a committee of teachers to approve curriculum. “The board should have a more active and responsible role,” she said. The discussion on the Bible class lasted well over an hour. Activist Arlene-Marie of the atheist group started things off with a speech that criticized the developers of the curriculum and the quality of the class itself. Arlene-Marie, who goes by one name, also blasted the idea that America is founded on Christianity, an argument she said is often made in support of Bible classes in public schools. “The truth is, America is the most culturally and religiously diverse nation on earth,” she said. “And an above-average seventh-grader should know that we are governed by a secular document, the U.S. Constitution, which makes no mention of God, Jesus, Christianity or the Bible.”
Gary Glenn of the AFA, a self-described “family-values” group that is supporting a boycott on Ford Motor Co. because it gives benefits to same-sex partners of employees, said the curriculum passes constitutional scrutiny. He brought up the Howell district’s refusal to post the motto “In God We Trust” in the schools; allowing a rainbow diversity flag to be displayed in the high school, which he said promoted homosexuality; and rules on how much religious music is allowed at concerts. “There is clearly an agenda being run on this school board,” he said. He said that 94 percent of the school districts faced with a vote on the curriculum approve it, and added that Howell would be “among the fringe element, frankly,” if it didn’t.
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