From The Trussville Tribune staff reports
ALABAMA — A state senator from North Alabama wants public schools in the state to be allowed to offer three new electives with the Bible at the center.
State Senator Tim Melson (R-Florence) has introduced a bill that would allow public schools to offer elective courses focusing on the study of the Bible in grades six through 12. It would also allow public schools to display artifacts, monuments, symbols and texts related to the study of the Bible, so long as displaying those items was appropriate to the overall educational purpose of the course.
These new classes would be social studies courses with one focused on Hebrew Sciptures of the Old Testament of the Bible, one focused on the New Testament of the Bible, and a third class focused on the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament of the Bible.
According to the bill, the goal of these courses would be to familiarize students with the contents of the Bible, the history of the Bible, the literary style of the Bible and the Bible’s influence on law, history, government, literature, art, music, customs, morals, values and cultures.
The bill also states that any instructor of these courses would not be allowed to endorse, favor, promote, disfavor or show hostility toward any particular religion or nonreligious faith or religious perspective.