The issue of biblical literacy has been bothering me since it came to the forefront of the news media earlier this spring. I’ve attempted to piece together some thoughts about the issue that have been simmering in my mind for a few weeks now.

Who are the people concerned that the bible needs to be taught in the public school system? Simple logic would dictate that it would be a group with a vested interest - someone like Evangelical Christians. Has any group other than Evangelical Christians asked for biblical literacy to be taught? I can’t imagine that other faith groups or unbelievers of any stripe would have asked for this. Why would Evangelical Christians, who are supposedly already well versed in the teachings of the bible, want to promote teaching biblical literacy? Do they really think that their real agenda is not blatantly obvious?

There is only one reason why Evangelical Christians want the bible taught in public schools. They want to convert as many unbelievers to Christianity as possible. That’s all. Their newfound public concern for the lack of Biblical literacy is a mere smokescreen for religious proselytization. One of the basic tenets of Evangelical Christianity is to proselytize. They might not call it proselytizing, but that’s what it is. Read it in the mission statements of the various Evangelical churches which are generally based upon the Great Commission. Here’s one example from the Southern Baptist Convention - Missions Work:

XI. Evangelism and Missions

It is the duty and privilege of every follower of Christ and of every church of the Lord Jesus Christ to endeavor to make disciples of all nations. The new birth of man's spirit by God's Holy Spirit means the birth of love for others. Missionary effort on the part of all rests thus upon a spiritual necessity of the regenerate life, and is expressly and repeatedly commanded in the teachings of Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ has commanded the preaching of the gospel to all nations. It is the duty of every child of God to seek constantly to win the lost to Christ by verbal witness undergirded by a Christian lifestyle, and by other methods in harmony with the gospel of Christ.

Another from the Pentecostal Assemblies of God - Our Mission & Vision:

WE COMMIT OURSELVES TO HIM…IN EVANGELISM

1. We commit ourselves to a renewed passion for evangelism. We are asking God to birth in us new compassion for those who are perishing without Christ. Every member and every ministry of this Fellowship must be compelled by the lostness of humanity. We will reach out to the oppressed and wounded–to all who are marching blindly to everlasting death, numbed by the immorality, materialism and rampant decay of our society. With God's help, we will reach every home and every culture in our communities with an adequate witness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We will use every effective, biblical, outreach method the Holy Spirit gives us to bring people to salvation and transformation through the love and lordship of Jesus Christ.

These two examples are enough to clearly show that Evangelical Christians are duty bound to attempt to convert others to the Christian faith. Not satisfied with the means they currently have at their disposal to proselytize, they want access to the captive audience of the public school system. They must salivate when thinking of all those young, fresh, open minds in which to plant the seeds of Christianity.

As I previously stated in a comment to the post Time Magazine: The Case For Teaching "The" Bible?, Evangelical Christians tried unsuccessfully to slip Intelligent Design into the public school science curriculum. The Dover, Pennsylvania court ruling effectively quashed that. So now they see biblical literacy as another way to sneak Christian teaching in through the back door of the public school system. I see it as one more step down the road to Christian theocracy - a major one at that.

Edited post title May 16/07