Should there be Bible classes in public schools? Starting this fall, Georgia public schools can offer Bible classes. Five other states are considering the idea.

• Author: Williams, Tommie

YES Last year, the Georgia legislature passed a bill that allows the state's public high schools to offer elective courses on the history and literature of the Bible.

The idea is for students to become familiar with the customs and cultures of the places discussed in the Bible. The class will also discuss the languages in which the Old and New Testaments were originally written, and the circumstances of their translations.

These courses will not in any way indoctrinate students in religion, and the classes will be taught in an objective and non-devotional manner. The primary textbook for the courses will be the Bible, although the legislation does not specify which version.

The Middle East is one of the most complicated and important regions in the world, and no book or artifact is more valuable than the Bible for studying the history, geography, anthropology, and archaeology of this critical area. In addition, the Bible is one of the most important primary sources in Western civilization; it's important that students read it.

The Bible can also be a tool in encouraging good behavior. Many of its stories teach timeless life lessons that go beyond particular faiths. The story of David and Goliath might give a student courage to try even when success looks unlikely. The Golden Rule and the Good Samaritan teach students to act compassionately toward their classmates and the world around them.

Students deserve to know this history and literature, and there is no better way of doing so than by teaching them with the Bible itself.

--Senator Tommie Williams

Georgia State Senate

NO As a United Church of Christ minister, I revere the Bible, but I also believe in the separation of church and state.

Americans practice at least 1,500 different faiths, and 20 million Americans do not...