Transcript [00:00] we're continuing with education Texas is [00:03] allowing Bible teachings in public grade [00:05] schools the state's Boards of Education [00:07] passed the measure in a split decision [00:09] it applies to kindergarten through fifth [00:10] grade and here from more on this is Troy [00:13] Miller he's the president and CEO of the [00:15] National Religious broadcasters Troy [00:17] thanks for joining us in the studio [00:18] thanks for having me today yes so how [00:20] will these Bible based lessons help [00:23] students as they get an education that's [00:25] supposed to prepare them for work and [00:26] for life so first of all they you have [00:30] to understand that what this is going to [00:31] do for students give them a lot of the [00:33] context behind some of the principles [00:35] that our country was founded upon so a [00:37] lot of our country the founding fathers [00:39] they really relied heavily on the Old [00:42] Testament and New Testament scriptures [00:44] to come up with some of the principles [00:45] that that we believe as a society [00:47] that're here and so this teaching this [00:49] education is is really designed so that [00:52] students can understand where where did [00:54] that originate where did it come from [00:56] how did we get these ideas so that [00:58] that's that's really what's behind it [01:00] all that's interesting and I want to um [01:02] delve a little bit deeper on that it [01:03] sounds like a lot of it well as in if [01:06] you could tell us a little bit more and [01:07] how it will be incorporated it sounds [01:09] like history is certainly part of it um [01:11] and the reason I'm asking is because of [01:13] the tension this is creating um CR [01:15] critics for instance say it might [01:17] alienate kids with other Faith [01:19] backgrounds but supporters also said [01:21] that it might enrich the lessons so how [01:24] do you see this happening and how is it [01:26] being implemented yeah I really see it [01:28] as the ladder that it's going to enrich [01:29] the lessons again because it's going to [01:32] again it's going to help students [01:34] understand today where where did these [01:35] principles come from we find so many [01:37] negative things in society today about a [01:40] about a lot of the founding principles [01:42] that our country is on so this is going [01:43] to help where that came from on the [01:45] negative side as you said they look at [01:47] this well look at teachings today [01:49] there's a lot of secular teaching that [01:51] Christian students have had to set [01:52] through and and and listen to and and [01:55] and be sort of indoctrinated on and this [01:57] is not about these are not Evangel istic [02:00] lessons these are not doctrinal lessons [02:02] these are not trying to push one [02:04] religion over another religion they're [02:07] trying to give that understanding of [02:09] where this this base of thinking came [02:13] from and so that's I think the [02:14] difference from what they might receive [02:16] in let's say a supplemental program on [02:18] the Bible or what they would get at [02:19] their church or in their youth study [02:22] well and this isn't the first time that [02:23] states led by Republicans have [02:25] introduced these religious or Christian [02:28] teachings for example Louisiana in that [02:30] law back in June their legislature said [02:33] that schools have to display the Ten [02:34] Commandments and that was eventually [02:37] struck down after there was a lawsuit [02:39] and a judge said it's unconstitutional [02:40] but the state is appealing but now are [02:42] there any concerns over separation of [02:44] church and state involved in this well I [02:47] I always like to flip that on there [02:49] there are concerns over over the [02:51] separation of state and Church not [02:52] church and state there was never really [02:54] meant to be a separation of church and [02:56] state Church wasn't meant to stay out of [02:58] or behind the state was meant to stay [03:00] out of the church and so I don't think [03:02] there's really any because again these [03:04] are not Evangelistic lessons these are [03:06] not taking a position on one religion is [03:09] better than another religion they're [03:10] just taking the position of here's the [03:12] founding principles here's where they [03:14] came from here were the old testate uh [03:16] teachings that the Jewish uh religious [03:19] rabbis and and looked at and how [03:22] leadership should go how a country [03:24] should function what's the importance of [03:26] freedom what's the importance of [03:28] conscience of your own conscience [03:29] following your conscience so that's [03:31] going to give that foundation in those [03:33] backgrounds another thing that you would [03:34] look at the Bible has been taught as a [03:36] literary tool so the Bible contains both [03:39] the Old Testament New Testament [03:40] scriptures a number of different poses [03:42] you know there are letters there are [03:44] poetry there are songs so so students [03:47] have been taught that for a long time I [03:50] see your point I think it's a lot of [03:51] historical context and just morals as [03:54] well so but what about you know let's [03:56] say students with parents especially [03:58] that are not of Christian background and [04:01] maybe parents that do not want their [04:03] children to be taught another religion [04:06] basically will they or should they have [04:08] a say in this well I think they they as [04:11] in a lot of subjects we've always pushed [04:13] that students should have parents should [04:15] have the final say in things so students [04:18] um for example we've asked that [04:21] Christian students can opt out of [04:22] certain teaching and certain programs [04:24] and I think that should also be the case [04:26] here if there are parents who feel [04:27] really strongly about this then then [04:29] their their kids should be able to opt [04:31] out of this program but again I I think [04:34] it's really being overblown in the fact [04:36] that this is not about religious [04:38] teaching it's much more in a moral [04:41] context or in a historical context it's [04:44] not if you look at any of the lessons [04:46] they're not really trying to say [04:48] Christianity is better than any other [04:50] religion or here's why Christianity is [04:52] true it's not an apologetic for [04:54] Christianity it's just framing [04:57] Christianity and the importance the role [04:59] it plays in us in our society and the [05:01] role it has played in the founding of [05:03] this country well the golden rule is one [05:06] of the lessons that's Incorporated in [05:08] this and you can imagine that would [05:09] benefit anyone from any faith I mean [05:11] that's just common sense do unto others [05:13] as you would have them do unto you so [05:15] Troy in your view what is the biggest [05:17] advantage of this type of lesson plan [05:19] well first of all I I don't think [05:21] anybody would disagree with us that we [05:22] have a moral crisis in the country today [05:24] we have a moral failure you look at at [05:26] the amount of of crime that has incre PR [05:30] if you look at the direction that the [05:31] society is going um we have failed and [05:35] we used to teach these moral lessons and [05:37] values in school systems for hundreds of [05:39] years in this country and then we pulled [05:41] it out because of this fear uh of of we [05:44] were favoring one uh uh thought over [05:47] another thought and so I think as we [05:49] look at the country today I think we [05:50] could all benefit from that idea of [05:52] these moral under pendings and foundings [05:54] we have because Society look Society is [05:56] better as you put the Golden Rule H how [05:58] could that hurt Society Society is [06:00] better when we respect one another and [06:03] we treat one another how we would like [06:05] to be treated ourselves I don't know how [06:07] anybody could be against that or how you [06:08] could be against you should not murder [06:10] you should not steal you should not take [06:12] your neighbor things all of those things [06:14] are these moral underage you should tell [06:16] the truth these are these are are are [06:18] things that we find in the Old and New [06:21] Testament scriptures so now that it is [06:24] allowed uh the blue bonnet curriculum it [06:26] is of course an optional curriculum but [06:28] there is an incentive with that I think [06:30] it's up it could be $60 per student so [06:33] how do you see this play out do you see [06:34] it widely implemented also because of [06:36] this incentive well I think we would [06:38] hope that it would be widely implemented [06:40] and I think it's because one it's just [06:42] beneficial to the school than the [06:43] students uh set set the uh uh dollars [06:46] aside for a second again I think the [06:49] beneficial uh benefits behind it are the [06:51] are the main reason I think it'll be [06:53] implemented but too you look at Common [06:55] Core when Common Core came in common [06:56] core had a similar structure you know [06:58] for schools taught it for schools that [07:00] used the testing they got extra points [07:02] those points went towards the grants [07:04] that the government did so this is a [07:06] common practice by the education [07:07] department that's not anything new well [07:10] Troy Miller president and CEO of the [07:12] National Religious broadcasters thanks [07:14] for joining us well thanks for having me [07:15] today thank you
