The following release, posted today at www.christianpost.com, points out the importance of biblical literacy to being generally well-educated.
Biblical literacy gives students educational advantages but most American teens lack basic knowledge of the Bible
Biblical literacy gives students educational advantages but most American teens lack basic knowledge of the Bible, according to surveys presented at the National Press Club last month.
Marie Wachlin, The John Templeton Foundation, George Gallup Jr. of the Gallup Poll, and Chuck Stetson, chairman of the Biblical Literacy Project each submitted reports. Wachlin’s report revealed that American teenagers are “clueless” when it comes to the Bible, thus, hindering their education, stated an article by Associated Baptist Press reporter Ken Camp.
Ninety-eight percent of high-school English teachers in the survey believe biblical literacy gives students educational advantages. Templeton’s report agreed with Wachlin’s, stating that American citizens need a basic understanding of the Bible as an influence on Western civilization.
He cited the speeches by Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin and Martin Luther King Jr. as examples of public discourse that requires Biblical knowledge. But most students lack even a basic knowledge of the Bible.
According to Wachlin, terms, such as the “Ten Commandments,” “Garden of Eden,” “Golden Rule,” “Good Samaritan” and 68 other terms are “the common currency of our language.”
In fact, the surveyed English teachers “overwhelmingly” agreed Western literature is steeped in biblical references, which means that Biblical illiteracy limits understanding, classroom discussion and even what literature teachers can teach.
In addition, Stetson’s report pointed out that students who lack knowledge of the Bible will be disadvantaged on major standardized tests.