Kentucky House advances bill authorizing elective Bible literacy courses in public schools

The Kentucky House of Representatives advanced a bill that would allow the state's public schools to offer elective Bible literacy courses.

The House voted 80–14 last week to approve House Bill 128, which would direct the state Board of Education to set policies for local school boards that choose to offer elective social studies courses on the Bible. The measure, which was introduced by Rep. DJ Johnson (R-Owensboro), now goes to the Senate for consideration.

"The Bible, without question, is the single-most impactful literary document that we've had in Western civilization," said Johnson, as reported by Lexington Herald-Leader. "It's affected our cultures, our values, our laws," he added.

Under the legislation, the course would be optional for public school students, and its curriculum would be set by the Kentucky Board of Education. The course is intended to serve historical purposes rather than provide religious instruction. Additionally, districts would be required to stay neutral on Christianity.

The bill stated that the purpose of the course would be to teach students about "biblical content, characters, poetry and narratives that are prerequisites to understanding contemporary society and culture," including literature, art and music.

When Johnson was asked if the courses would be limited to one version of the Bible, he said that students may use whichever text they'd prefer. "I think that would actually generate more interesting conversations," he said.

Some lawmakers argued that the measure would intrude on principles separating church and state and would draw a court challenge.

"According to our Constitution, there are boundaries on where you talk about religion or your faith. And the public school system should be a neutral zone," said Rep. Jim Wayne (D-Louisville).

Some Democrats asserted that teachers could encounter difficulties in avoiding endorsement of Christianity during the instructional period. Rep. Attica Scott (D-Louisville) objected to the legislation because it excluded Islam and other religions.

But Rep. Stan Lee (R-Lexington) contended that the U.S. was founded on Christianity, not on other religions.

Other supporters of the bill said that the course would teach important values to the students.

"You're talking about how to treat our neighbors; you're talking about things that help us be better citizens in a society that for sure, above all things, needs better citizens," said Rep. Chris Fugate (R-Chavies).