Boots n’ Bibles – Editorial writer calls for more courses on variety of religious traditions
The Christian Bible has numerous books – 66 in standard Protestant versions, 73 in Roman Catholic copies and 78 in Eastern Orthodox editions. In this editorial, reporter Ryan Stanley calls for more and differing studies of religion to be added to the course offerings as he touches on Texas traditionalism. “Prosper is changing, and so should its classes,” Stanley said. “A more diverse curriculum appeals to an ever changing population.”
February 7, 2019
The world has thousands of religions. They range from tribal to global. Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism have the largest followings. However, we only teach the history of one, Christianity. The Old and New Testament are taught as part of an elective course offered by the Social Studies Department. The class is secular and teaches history as told by stories in the Bible.
Of course, it makes sense to teach the history of Christianity. It is the world’s most followed religion. However, the Bible should not be the only holy book historically taught. The history of other world religions should be offered.
The student body is no longer oriented around a small town. In fact, the New and Old Testament class consists of a diverse group. There are students from across America and the globe. Students are interested in learning their religious history and the background of others. The Bible isn’t the only holy book. Islam has the Quran, Judaism has the Torah, and Buddhism and Hinduism have their own sacred texts. The stories of these religions recount thousands of years of history.
Conversely, others do not want classes teaching the history of differing religions. Christianity represents the majority, however, the demographics are changing, and the minority religions in North Texas are changing traditional conservative values. This “small town” has an annual growth rate of 13 percent. As of Jan. 1, 2018, the population of Prosper was 22,650. In 1998, Frisco resembled Prosper with a population of 25,298. Now, just more than 20 years later, Frisco has an estimated population of 183,173. Prosper is changing, and so should its classes. A more diverse curriculum appeals to an ever-changing population.
As the student body grows, there also becomes a need for teachers to take on new classes. In fact, certain teachers are open to instructing a new class centered around a differing world religion. In addition, if enough students show interest in a class teaching the history of Islam, Judaism, Hinduism and/or Buddhism, a change would be more likely to happen.
With willing teachers, an accepting student body, and a curriculum change, traditionalism can be booted out of Texas.
