Advocacy groups sue to halt Bible classes in schools

Dallas: Two advocacy groups filed a federal lawsuit against a Texas school district on behalf of eight parents who say a Bible course violates their religious liberty.

The American Civil Liberties Union and People for the American Way Foundation sued the Ector County Independent School District on Wednesday, asking the Odessa school system to stop teaching the course.

"Religion is very important in my family and we are very involved in our religious community. But the public schools are no place for religious indoctrination that promotes certain beliefs that not all the kids in the school share," Doug Hildebrand, a Presbyterian deacon who is among the plaintiffs, said in a written statement released by the ACLU.

The Ector school board approved the high school elective in 2005. It teaches the King James version of the sacred text using the Bible as the students’ textbook.

Backers of the National Council include David Barton, who operates a Web site that promotes helping local officials develop policies that reflect Biblical views and encourages Christian involvement in civic affairs.

"There is no question that these Bible electives are constitutional," said Kelly Shackelford, chief counsel for Liberty Legal Institute, a supporter of the program. "The United States Supreme Court has stated more than once that teaching about the Bible is not only constitutional, but essential to a quality education. This lawsuit is a loser."

Critics claim the coursework contains errors, dubious research and blatantly favors a fundamentalist, Protestant view of the Bible.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/05/17/america/NA-GEN-US-Bible-Classes.php

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