FRANKFORT — Teachers in Kentucky can now teach the Christian bible in public schools, according to a local television station. Gov. Matt Bevins signed the “bible literacy” bill into law on Tuesday.
From WDRB.com:
The bill’s sponsor says students need to understand the role the Bible played in American history.
“It really did set the foundation that our founding fathers used to develop documents like the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights,” said Rep. D.J. Johnson (R-Owensboro). “All of those came from principles from the Bible.”
The bill, which easily passed the House and Senate, gives local school boards the option of developing a Bible literacy class as part of their social studies curriculum. The course would be elective, not required.
“The idea that we would not want this to be an option for people in school, that would be crazy. I don’t know why every state would not embrace this, why we as a nation would not embrace this,” Bevin told the crowd.
The state chapter of the ACLU told the television station it will monitor the law closely.
The law goes into effect on Friday, June 30.
