Bible Literacy Program

Michigan is beginning a Bible Literacy program in public high schools. This program presents an academic, non-devotional study of the Bible. The new text has been adopted in 31 states and over 90 school districts already. The program helps students recognize the major stories and characters of the Bible used in our literature, history, public policy, art and music.

A Gallup poll of 1000 teens interviewed in 2004 found that most students could not identify the major stories or characters of the Bible. In 2005 the first of two Bible Literacy reports was released. The report told of interviews with 41 high school English teachers in 10 states. The study found that leading English teachers said students appeared "confused, stumped, and clueless" when Biblical references arose in the literature they read in school. In 2006 a second report interviewed 39 English professors from 34 top universities in the nation. (U.S. News and World Report). These leading professors unanimously agreed that "Regardless of a person’s faith, an educated person needs to know about the Bible."

In 1999 the Bible Literacy Project and the First Amendment Center co-published a set of guidelines (The First Amendment Guide) on how the Bible can be taught fairly and legally in public schools. The First Amendment Guide has been endorsed by 21 prominent national educational, religious, and civil rights organizations.

We need help from teachers, parents, community leaders and others who have a passion for seeing our public school kids get an important part of a complete education - which means basic Bible literacy.

We need people who are willing to work together to help promote Bible literacy and develop strategies for getting the text and curriculum adopted in public schools. We'll be talking with school districts/school boards, PTA chapters and community leaders.

          “The whole Bible was given to us by inspiration from God and is useful (profitable) to teach us what is true and to make
          us realize what is wrong in our lives; it straightens us out and helps us to do right. It is God’s way of making us well
          prepared at every point, fully equipped to do good to everyone."  2 Timothy 3: 16-17

For more information, please contact Joe Weinberg at 784-8328 or jweinberg43@comcast.net.