Cultural Literacy Begins with Bible Knowledge

The very first of the twenty-three chapters in The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, What Every American Needs to Know is The Bible. Before launching into the alphabetical listing (from Abraham and Isaac to Zion, Mount) of biblical expressions necessary to be known by the culturally literate contemporary American, the authors have this to say about the Bible:

The Bible, the holy book of JUDAISM and CHRISTIANITY, is the most widely known book in the English-speaking world.

No one in the English-speaking world can be considered literate without a basic knowledge of the Bible. [emphasis added] Literate people in INDIA, whose religious traditions are not based on the Bible but whose common language is English, must know about the Bible in order to understand English within their own country. All educated speakers of American English need to understand what is meant when someone describes a contest as being between DAVID and Goliath, or whether a person who has the "wisdom of SOLOMON" is wise or foolish, or whether saying "My cup runneth over" means the person feels fortunate or unfortunate. Those who cannot use or understand such allusions cannot fully participate in literate English.

The Bible is also essential for understanding many of the moral and spiritual values of our CULTURE, whatever our religious beliefs. The story of ABRAHAM and ISAAC concerns our deepest feelings about the relations between parents and children. The story of Job is a major representation in our tradition of being patient during suffering. The PARABLES and sayings of JESUS, such as "Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth," are so often alluded to that they need to be known by Americans of all faiths.

The linguistic and cultural importance of the Bible is a fact that no one denies. Nonetheless, elementary knowledge of the Bible has declined among young people in recent years. [emphasis added]

The Bible is a central book in our culture, just as the KORAN is central in other nations, whose citizens need to know more about the Koran than about the Bible. The logical conclusion is that our schools need to teach more about the Bible than about the Koran, but they have a responsibility to teach about both. Far from being illegal or undesirable, teaching about the Bible is not only consistent with our Constitution, it is essential to our literacy. [emphasis added]

Should we not admit, then, that teaching about the Bible is essential to our children's education? But is it really consistent with our Constitution? Is teaching Bible in our public schools legal?