Legislature funds `objective' Bible courses

Georgia's General Assembly on Monday passed a bill to fund elective Bible courses in public high schools.

The bill, which now goes to Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue for his signature, would fund separate high school courses on the Old and New Testaments in the context of history and literature.

The bill states that the classes should be taught "in an objective and non-devotional manner, with no attempt made to indoctrinate students as to either the truth or falsity [of the works]."

Federal courts have ruled that public school Bible courses do not violate the 1st Amendment church-state separation as long as the courses are objective and don't promote religion; some schools do have them.

Charles Haynes, a senior scholar with the 1st Amendment Center in Washington, said this was the first time to his knowledge that a legislature had approved such a course on a statewide basis.