A bit more ground-zero style information
http://www.oaoa.com/news/nw041705d.htm
For those not into reading here are the prime sections.
" “These people want to teach the Bible’s influence on literature, which means they are not considering the Bible as literature,” Newman said. “It’s the way the course is designed that would lead me to think it is an advocacy course.”
Elizabeth Ridenour of North Carolina, NCBCPS founder and president, said the coursework is in no way indoctrinating.
“Teachers are not to give any denominational viewpoints,” Ridenour said. “We have not had a complaint.”
Ridenour said the NCBCPS course has been adopted in 296 school districts in the United States, including some in Texas, like the Brady school district.
Tracy Kiesling of Brady, taught the NCBCPS course at Brady High School for a couple of years, but now works to promote the Bible course.
“We’re not about teaching religion — it’s not a place to proselytize,” Kiesling said. “Our focus is to make children aware of how the Bible is a part of our history. How it played in the founding of our nation.”
Kiesling said that 96 percent of U.S. documents are based indirectly (in principle) or directly on Scripture."
"Ridenour said she faces criticism from organizations like the People For the American Way and the American Civil Liberties Union because they don’t want the mention of God in any public forum.
Harvey Madison, with the ACLU in Lubbock, said he is keeping an eye on ECISD’s situation.
“Our experience is that while theoretically a Bible class is possible, it’s almost impossible to pull off,” Madison said.
He said the NCBCPS is using deceptive terms to make it sound as if the ACLU dislikes religion."
"Meagan Matthews, a senior and member of a non-denominational church in Big Spring, said Welsh doesn’t talk about religion. “I’ve even had friends that are not Christians that take this class, and they don’t feel imposed upon,” Matthews said.
Welsh has taught the class for six years. His salary is paid in part by the Howard County Bible Board, a nonprofit group that funds the Bible classes taught in Big Spring, Forsan and Coahoma. Welsh teaches three Bible classes a day in Big Spring."
"Forsan schools dropped the class after one teacher got a little preachy with students, Janca said.
Only recently, the class has been reinstated.
And, at one time the Bible class was administered by the Howard County Ministerial Alliance, however, many ministers didn’t want to be involved in it anymore, he said."