State-funded Biblical courses?

After much deliberation, the State Board of Education in Georgia has added two courses to the list of classes funded by the state. The catch? Both classes have a biblical focus. Senate Majority Leader Tommie Williams, a key Republican sponsor of the plan, stated 'It's not just ‘The Good Book, it's a good book.’ This policy is the first in the nation to fund statewide Bible-focused classes. Supporters of the bill argue that the Bible plays an important role in literature and history, and thus, should be explored in the classroom setting. The classes could be instilled into the public school system as early as this coming fall.

The controversy? While the bill does state that the courses will not move towards a form of religious teaching, the guidelines are vague. The courses are outlined to be taught in an “objective and nondevotional manner with no attempt made to indoctrinate students,” the bill states.

Critics of the new legislation claim that while guidelines were stated in the bill, it is impossible to monitor the way in which the courses will be taught. Maggie Garrett of the legislative counsel for the Georgia branch of the American Civil Liberties Union states that a teacher could easily incorporate personal beliefs, or be swayed by the students to turn the class into a non-literature focus.

As the nation’s first state to fund and pass such legislation, the results of the courses are unknown. Will they remain as literature courses? Or will the classes act as a supplement to Sunday school?