And many legal experts agree. Charles Haynes of the First Amendment Center says the Bible can be taught as literature in public schools without violating the Constitution. The U.S. Supreme Court has consistently upheld the teaching of the Bible as literature as long as it is not used for devotional purposes or indoctrination. But Mike Johnson, an attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund, says the American Civil Liberties Union tries to intervene whenever a school district considers adding the Bible course.

In an interview with WorldNetDaily, Johnson noted that the ACLU and its cohort, People for the American Way, have cited a 1998 court ruling to dispute the constitutionality of the Bible class. However, he says in that case elements had been added to the NCBCPS curriculum that made it illegal.

The actual "Bible as History and Literature" curriculum, offered as written, examines aspects of the Bible that would not be found in a typical Sunday school class, the ADF attorney explains. It includes such information as how the Bible has influenced Western art, history, music, and literature -- including the work of William Shakespeare and other important contributors.

Nevertheless, Johnson says the ACLU and its allies routinely send out letters to school boards trying to discourage them from adopting the Bible class by implying that the NCBCPS curriculum is unconstitutional. "Of course," he adds, "they know it isn't true."

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National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools (http://www.bibleinschools.net/sdm.asp)
Alliance Defense Fund (http://www.telladf.org)

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