Indiana public schools shy away from religion courses
By The Associated Press
12.27.02
INDIANAPOLIS — Perhaps wary of church-state controversies, most public schools in Indiana do not offer courses in religion — even though the law allows it.
"Some say, 'How can you teach the Bible and not teach religion?' My answer is always: 'Very carefully,'" said Ken Knowles, who teaches biblical literature at Carmel High School.
Biblical literature and religion are currently the only two religion courses offered in Indiana public schools. The literature class is more popular, but Carmel is one of only 16 schools that offer it. About 500 students around the state take the course.
Supporters of religion courses say failing to teach students about religion lessens their understanding of the world.
"We are a more diverse society — even in Indiana. The religious landscape of America has changed dramatically. We can stick our heads in the sand or think of these things consciously," David Haberman, a professor of religious studies at Indiana University, told The Indianapolis Star for a story in today's editions.
In a 1962 opinion, Engel v. Vitale, the U.S. Supreme Court banned mandatory, state-sponsored public school prayers. A year later, in Abington School Dist. V. Schempp, the Court held that public schools could not require Bible verses to be read at the beginning of the school day because the government must remain neutral in religious matters.
Preaching from the Bible and teaching about it, however, are two different things, legal experts say.
"As long as it's offered as an elective, and the teacher isn't proselytizing, there's not an issue," said John Krull, executive director of the Indiana Civil Liberties Union.
For almost 30 years, Knowles has taught a course at Carmel in suburban Indianapolis that covers more than half of the Old and New Testaments. He keeps a row of Bibles on his desk so that students can choose from among various versions.
"We look at characters, motives, themes, just like any other literature class," he said. "I'm not in the business of saving souls. My focus is on their knowing the material and understanding it."
"And," he said dryly, "I tell them no amount of prayer will save them on a test."
National figures on the popularity of religion courses were not available, but schools in Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah offer Bible-based electives.
"A good case could be made for the importance of biblical literacy as a part of a good education," said Charles Haynes of the First Amendment Center, who co-wrote a guide on the issue, The Bible and Public Schools.
Topics such as current events, history, art and literature can lose meaning unless students have a grasp of their religious context, Haynes said.
Legal concerns are not the only reasons many public schools do not add religion studies to their list of classes. They also face pressures to cut costs and meet government-mandated standardized test scores.
With the current emphasis on core areas such as reading and math, administrators make those their top priorities, said Lynn Lupold, principal at Lawrence North High School.