Idaho passes bill to allow Bible in public school classrooms

A bill that would allow the Bible to be used in the classrooms of public schools has passed the Idaho legislature and now goes on to Gov. C. L. “Butch” Otter for approval.

The voluntary use of the Bible as reference for subjects such as literature, history, music, and world geography would be protected by the bill when it becomes a law. Teachers would be allowed to use biblical texts in their lessons, although the bill states that the Bible cannot be used for scientific subjects.

 Bible

“A lot of teachers are scared to use the Bible,” said Sen. Sheryl Nuxoll, who sponsored the bill.

Public schools are already allowed to reference the Bible as well as other religious texts in the classroom, but this piece of legislation specifically focuses on the Bible and makes it clear that it can be used in public school instruction.

Idahoednews.org notes that no student or teacher would be forced to use the Bible if they did not want to.

Sen. Janie Ward-Engelking, D-Boise, questioned the need for the law, since teachers can already use the Bible anyway.

“Once we start spelling out religious texts,” she said, “we open up the door to spelling out many, many more.”

“That, I guess, could be a possibility,” Nuxoll said. However, she drew a distinction between the Bible and other religious texts, saying the Bible is “embedded” in American culture.

The bill overcame opposition in the House.

Rep. Fred Wood, R-Burley, objected to the taxpayer funds that would be used to defend the legislation in court, saying it could amount to as much as $400,000. “I just want my constituents to know back home, this is not a vote against religion or the Bible or anything else,” he said. “What this is a vote against is needlessly wasting the taxpayers’ dollars.”

Rep. Vito Barbieri, R-Dalton Gardens, said the Bible is different than other religious tracts because it’s “fundamental to the American way of life.”