This week, on its cover, TIME says that a case can be made that the Bible should be taught in public schools - albeit very carefully.  I have not read the article yet, but have better knowledge, I am sure, than even the fine writers at TIME could pass along.
  Just yesterday I had the privilege of meeting and listening to a young teacher in our local NC public school system.  This young man teaches Bible at a local high school and a ta a middle school.  The students who take his class are certainly not forced to take the class -- it is offered as an elective.  Would you believe that over the course of a year he might have some 400 students take his class?  For the students that are "assigned" his class by the administration, (perhaps the student didn't sign up for enough electives and the admin had to place the student "somewhere") this teacher will even call the parents and let them know that indeed their child is in his class -- so there "will be no problem."  He has yet to have a parent take their child out of his class.
   The state of NC approves the class, seeing the Bible as a work of literature and as an historical document in the life and founding of the US.  They approve the class, but (get this) they will not pay the teacher to teach it.  The funding for this comes from the community.  The teacher is on the payroll of the school, with state benefits, but monthly the school system sends our local "Bible Education Foundation" a bill for reimbursement.  I know, this is astounding to me. 
   The teacher cannot give an invitation for the students to receive Christ, obviously.  He does not make an issue of his "personal beliefs" but he is aware that the Bible is God's Word, inspired by the Holy Spirit of God, as a students read it and study it - even in an "academic" way, tremendous things can happen.
  "The word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit . . ." (Hebrews 4:12)
   As a final thought in his talk yesterday, this teacher -- in a public school, a Christian man, teaching the Bible to high school and middle school students, who want to learn it -- said that the biggest negative has not come from ACLU-types, but actually from CHURCHES!  In my opinion, for silly and sad reasons which I do not have time to go into -- but they are not of the state/church separation variety -- but more of the "Which version of the Bible is taught?"
   I pray for this warrior for Christ on the front line.