The Bible is everywhere.

            Whether blatant or subtle, quotes from scripture and biblical allusions are scattered throughout Western culture.

            Time staff writer David Van Biema illustrates some examples of the Bible in pop culture. Dan Brown’s worldwide bestseller The Da Vinci Code is a whole book which is based on the Bible. Van Biema even compares the sibling rivalry between Cain and Abel to “One Tree Hill”’s characters Lucas and Nathan.

            In addition, students encounter biblical references in the classroom but most are unaware of this. Several of Shakespeare’s plays, which are required readings in school, are filled with 1,300 biblical references, yet many students are ignorant to this.

            With the Bible as the best-selling book of all time as well as being the best-selling book of the year every year, it is clearly evident that the Bible has righteously earned its title as the most influential book in the world.

            Yet, as powerful and popular as this book is, biblical illiteracy has plagued the nation. Los Angeles Times staff writer Stephen Prothero stated in his article entitled “We Live in the Land of Biblical Idiots” that “it is not just a religious problem…it is a civic problem with political consequences.” It is ironic how people attempt to have civilized debates about controversial matters such as abortion and capital punishment by using Bible as a reference source yet incorrectly quote it.

What’s appalling is that only one out of three U.S. citizens is able to name the four Gospels, and one out of 10 believe that Joan of Arc was Noah’s wife.

            Considering the astounding statistics and the importance of this influential book, secular teaching of the Bible should be offered at high school in order to create a generation of Americans to grow up as open-minded and well-rounded citizens. However, this creates the fine line between teaching of religion and teaching about religion. 

There are doubts that objective Bible lessons are constitutional, but the Supreme Court has ruled academic courses about religion as constitutional in the 1963 Schempp decision. Justice William Brennan said that “the holding of the Court today plainly does not foreclose teaching about the Holy Scriptures.” In fact, early in March, the Georgia Board of Education gave preliminary approval to two elective Bible courses designed to teach religion.

Other factors such as the reliance and neutrality of a teacher are taken into account. Look at it this way. Science is considered an important subject, so important that students are required to learn a minimal amount. However, science carries controversial topics as well, such as evolution. Science teachers still teach it, but manage to keep it unbiased. The same goes for secular Bible teachings. The contents of it should be offered as a course to minimize ignorance and taught by teachers like Jennifer Kendrick, who teaches in New Braunfels, Texas. She may be a conservative Christian, but she respects constitutional neutrality.

Of course, it will be tough to introduce something that is subject to many opinions, good and bad, but in the end, the power of knowledge will prevail.