My daughter attends a Christian school and is taking an Old Testament class. She is busy memorizing all kinds of things - names, places, events. She is able to recite family trees in the Old Testament. She knows all about the Old Testament covenants. She asked me to help her study tonight for a big test tomorrow. I was amazed at all the stuff she knows. She knows more than I do and she has enjoyed learning it. My prayer is that she wll remember this information for the long term. When I think of the opportunities that she has had in Christian school, I realize how lucky she is. I never had those opportunities as a child. I pray that she will continue to trust the Lord and follow him her entire life.
I have been asked if I think making kids study the Bible as an academic subject turns them off on religion or in their desire to follow Christ. I'd have to say the opposite has happened with our child. She loves learning more about the Lord and she loves studying the Word. She has been fascinated to learn how all the facts in the Old Testament are tying together. There are probably some children who get turned off by having to study all these things. However, for the child who really loves the Lord, this is actually fun and exciting.
So, do I think all schools should have Bible classes? I'm not sure. You should make sure that the Scriptures are taught correctly and you should have a teacher who loves the Lord and can make the Scriptures exciting and fun. They must be taught as absolute truth, not stories. Everything from Genesis to Revelation is there for a reason and it all ties together and it all points you to Christ.
However, the flip side of that argument is that anytime someone is reading the Word of God, it can speak to them -- Even if the teacher is doing a bad job. The Bible can make it's own impact on lives and it doesn't need or depend on us to teach it correctly.
FYI - In 2006, "Georgia became the first state in memory to offer funds for high school electives on the Old and New Testaments using the Bible as the core text. " In these courses, the Bible is being studied as an historical document and literary piece. This is the opposite of the philosophy in our Christian school where the Bible class is required and the Bible is treated as the inspired inerrant Word of God.
So, what do you think? Should Christian schools force kids to study the Bible? What if they don't like it or don't want to study it? Should it be an elective in the public school? If so, how do you determine who can teach it and what they can teach about it?
Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. "
Isaiah 55:11 "so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."
The Case for Teaching The Bible -
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1601845,00.html
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