By Victor Skinner
EAGnews.org

WILMINGTON, Del. – A Delaware school district may establish a new class to teach students how the Bible has influenced society, but some are concerned the academic approach to the world’s most popular book could cross  the line separating church and state.

The elective high school bible study class, recently proposed by Cape Henlopen School Board member Sandi Minard, was spawned by parents who want their children to understand the Bible’s impact on western culture and American history, USA Today reports.

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“I’ve heard from people whose kids are not growing up in a religious environment. They’re lacking the understanding of what the Bible is and how it’s influenced our country,” Minard told the news site.

The school board has debated the matter at past meetings and its curriculum committee has concluded the class wouldn’t violate the constitutional separation of church and state.

In fact, the curriculum proposed for the class – created by the Bible Literacy Project with the aim of teaching about the text in a secular way – has been endorsed by numerous religious groups, teachers unions and the national school board association.

“We are very clear on this,” said Sarah Jenislawski, executive director for the BLP, which is comprised of a consortium of religious and education leaders. “We’re not trying to tell students what to believe.”

USA Today reports the academic Bible curriculum, which also employs the text The Bible and its Influence, is used by more than 580 schools in 43 states.

“I think once people understand what we’re trying to do, a lot of the concerns you see go away,” Jenislawski said, adding that the class has been reviewed by dozens of legal and religious experts to ensure it doesn’t violate the Constitution.

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“When people understand that you’re teaching about the Bible but not teaching that people need to conform to any particular religion or religious thought, things become a lot less controversial.”

Regardless, members of the district’s curriculum committee said they wouldn’t support the class. Support from school board members is uncertain, officials told the news site.

“Their main concern was, what teacher would you get to teach such a course? Would it be a teacher who was a religious-leaning person, or a teacher who is not a religious-leaning person?” board president Spencer Brittingham said of the curriculum committee’s objections.

“We’re going to have a little more discussion, then I’ll call for a vote and we’ll see what happens.”

Brittingham told USAToday local residents also seem to be split on the issue.

“We have gotten emails vehemently against this and emails from people who are strongly in support of it,” he said.