Bible Takes a Beating in Public Schools
In 1996, James Gierke, a ten-year-old fifth grader at the time, took his elementary school teacher to court. Gierke, a student at Spring Lake Elementary in Omaha, Nebraska, got in trouble for reading his Bible during the times his teacher had designated for free-reading after the classes' school work was completed. Gierke's teacher, Leslie Halbleib, told him to stop reading his Bible and to store the copy in his school locker because reading his Bible in school is against the law. The teacher was supported in his actions by the school's principal who is also named in the legal action. In a similar case earlier in the 1990's, Ken Roberts, a fifth-grade teacher from Denver, was ordered to remove several religious books from his classroom library. The books, The Story of Jesus and The Bible in Pictures, were ordered removed by the school's principal. Books dealing with other non-Christian religions in the 230-volume classroom library were left untouched. In addition, Roberts, who chose to read his own Bible during the class' 15-minute silent reading period, was told to stop this activity as well.
If your teacher or another person in authority told you that you could not legally read the Bible, how would you react? What might you say to try to change that person's mind?
Jesus once talked of "turning the other cheek." Read Matthew 5:39-42 and Luke 6:27-31. Would this reaction be an appropriate way to handle these situations? Why/Why not?
In the early chapters of Acts (Acts 4 and Acts 5), the apostles were brought before the Sanhedrin, and the Sanhedrin - the Jewish local government - told them how to behave. Peter stood up and declared, "we must serve God rather than man!" What would motivate Peter to take such a stand? What might this section of Acts have to say to James Gierke and Ken Roberts?
In both cases above, the people who were told not to read their Bibles went to court to solve the problem. Read 1 Corinthians 6:1-7. Although the section is entitled in the NIV as "Lawsuits Among Believers," Paul seems to be saying that it is rather foolish to expect unbelievers to settle spiritual controversies for you. Is it wise for these believers to go to court to handle these situations? Why/Why not? Can you think of other ways they might try to handle the situation? If the court bans them from reading the Bible in school, would it be right for them to disobey? Why?