By Pat Centner, AFA Journal staff writer
September 2002 – Washington, D.C.’s National Press Club was the setting July 25 for an important announcement that is likely to have far-reaching impact on the students attending our nation’s public schools and, perhaps, the future of America itself.
The National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools (NCBCPS) is a proactive organization based in Greensboro, North Carolina, that is devoted to returning the study of the Bible as an elective course to junior and senior high school classrooms nationwide. Its president, Elizabeth Ridenour, says tremendous progress has been made in this effort, but there have also been threats along the way from organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union and People for the American Way who vehemently oppose even the mention of God’s name in a classroom. During those confrontations, NCBCPS has been assisted primarily by the American Family Association Center for Law and Policy (CLP).
The working relationship between the two entities has flourished, and along with it AFA’s desire to help NCBCPS achieve its goal. As a result, the Washington press conference was the forum through which Steve Crampton, chief counsel for CLP, made public the fact that AFA intends to more actively support the NCBCPS efforts and play an even more prominent role in the future by: 1) providing legal services free of charge to any school districts sued by the ACLU or others like it who attempt to intimidate or block the districts from using the Bible curriculum, and 2) networking and using its various media outlets to increase awareness of the curriculum and the relative ease with which it can be introduced into a school district’s curriculum.
Ridenour expressed appreciation for the attendance and support of several dignitaries at the press conference, including Vietnam War icon General John Singlaub, actress Jane Russell and Notre Dame University law professor Gerard Bradley. As spokespersons for the NCBCPS, they were each given the opportunity to express their support for the Bible curriculum. Other national spokespersons include Dr. D. James Kennedy of Coral Ridge Ministries; Dr. Bill Bright of Campus Crusade; Joyce Meyer of Joyce Meyer Ministries; David Barton of the WallBuilders Ministry; Dr. John Hagee of John Hagee Ministries; actors Chuck Norris and Dean Jones; and Captain Scott O’Grady, USAF, who was shot down over Bosnia and later rescued.
“The Bible curriculum itself is geared toward conveying the content of the Bible in a historical and literary context,” Ridenour said. “It is not our intent to indoctrinate students into a particular religion. Instead, we want to equip them with a fundamental understanding of the influence of the Bible on history, law, and our American culture, and help them gain insight into the thoughts of our country’s Founding Fathers so they can understand the Bible’s influence on those men’s views of human rights.
“Sadly, the rhetoric and misunderstanding these past several years have convinced some school administrators and teachers that it is unconstitutional to teach anything about the Bible in today’s public schools. The fact is, the Supreme Court has ruled that it is constitutional when taught within the proper context. And that is what we do.”
The success rate for putting the Bible curriculum back into schools is impressive. Ninety-two percent of the school districts that have been asked to implement it as an elective class have voted it in. At this writing, it has been placed in 200 school districts in 33 states, with more than 103,000 students having already taken the course for credit.
In Florida, the ACLU has been attempting to block the Bible curriculum’s introduction into the Miami-Dade School District, the nation’s fourth largest. However, NCBCPS has been making Floridians aware of the types of cases the ACLU prosecutes. Apparently, they’ve struck a nerve, because the ACLU has now hired a lobbyist to hinder the Bible course’s introduction into the schools. But the NCBCPS has the United Teachers of Dade Christians for Morality Caucus on its side. They have gathered more than 10,000 signatures on a petition. “The UTD would appreciate help with this campaign from anyone living in the Miami/Dade County area,” comments Ridenour. “They can be contacted at 305-213-7729, or at their Web site, www.utdcfmc.org.
“It’s interesting that the ACLU is opposing our elective Bible course, but they don’t say anything about the mandatory readings on Islam at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill,” Ridenour observes. Recently, two taxpayers who are board members of the Family Policy Network, an AFA affiliate, joined three students in suing the state university. The lawsuit, which was filed by the CLP, asserts that requiring students to read and listen on CD to passages of the Quran, and then discuss how their opinions about the Islamic religion have changed as a result of those actions, violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.
“If this was a mandatory requirement for students to read the Bible,” reflects Steve Crampton, “ACLU lawyers would be parachuting in to file lawsuits. As it is, they are nowhere to be found.”
Ridenour says the Bible curriculum project is snowballing so quickly, it is a challenge to keep up. “But we’re forging ahead, and thrilled to do so. We’re working on a major youth networking project called ‘Youth Revolution.’ We want youth networks around the country to call and link up with us so students can easily download information from our Web site.”
Crampton expressed excitement about the project’s positive momentum, but issued a word of caution as well. “I would like to emphasize that the success of this project depends on ordinary citizens who will come forward and shepherd the curriculum through their school board. It is a fairly easy process. We can’t do it from afar; it has to be implemented by the people who live in a particular school district. We work with them step-by-step along the way. If we don’t have their support, we’re dead in the water.”
Crampton added that as more school boards vote to include the Bible curriculum, the amount of funds needed for defending any potential lawsuits will increase dramatically. “We would deeply appreciate any financial help that our AFA supporters and others can give toward this project. We feel its success is imperative for the tomorrows of our children.” 
To learn how to get the Bible curriculum into your local school district, call 1-888-Bible-Now, or visit www.bibleinschools.net. To help with funding for the project, send your check or money order to American Family Association, P.O. Drawer 2440, Tupelo, MS 38803, along with a note specifying the funds be used for the AFA/Bible Curriculum project.
