TALLAHASSEE -- ''Why is it hard for a non-Christian to understand things about God?''
That's one of the questions asked in exams given in a couple of Florida high schools that teach Bible history. It's also an example cited by the People for the American Way Foundation as proof that the Bible classes are being used to preach religion, rather than teach history.
The group's report, issued at a news conference here Thursday, is based on a yearlong study that People for the American Way undertook after successfully suing the Lee County School Board two years ago over a Bible history class.
It's the first study of its kind that the group has done.
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Ralph Neas, president of the People for the American Way Foundation, uses a graphic to illustrate the kind of material allegedly used at Levy County's Williston High School in a biblical history class while he commented during a news conference Thursday in Tallahassee. Neas called for an end to biblical history classes statewide, saying they're being used to preach religion rather than teach history.
The Associated Press
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After reviewing records from all 14 Florida school districts that had elective Bible history classes in some of their high schools over the past three years, the organization concluded that all 14 districts violate the constitutional requirement that history of the Bible be taught in a secular, objective way.
Instead, the classes are used to teach the Bible as historical fact, and to promote a Christian viewpoint -- and usually a minority Christian perspective, according to People for the American Way, a non-profit national group with headquarters in Washington.
Some 2,600 students have taken the classes over the three years in the 14 districts. Several local officials said they've had no complaints from students or parents, and defended the classes as based on the course description provided by the Florida Department of Education.
Paul Johnson, Levy schools superintendent, said the district would review the allegations by People for the American Way.
''I've had no complaints from parents or students,'' he said, adding that as far as he knew, the class has been taught in a secular, objective manner.
But Ralph Neas, president of People for the American Way, said he was shocked by the class plans, exams and other curricula material. He called them ''clear and convincing evidence that the United State Constitution is being consistently ignored.''
''Public tax dollars are being used to pay for classes that amount to religious indoctrination,'' Neas said.
He cited the test question about the difficulty that non-Christians face in understanding God. Another question he cited asked who Jesus called the father of the Jews. The answer: The devil.
The Rev. John Powers, pastor of the First United Methodist Church in Oviedo, said he supported the report and would have problems with children from his church being in the Bible classes.
''My read of this study is that these 14 school districts are teaching largely a narrow fundamentalist view of the Bible,'' Powers said.
A spokeswoman for Florida Education Commissioner Tom Gallagher said his office hadn't received the report. ''Florida law permits the objective study of the Bible and religion,'' Karen Chandler said, adding that any complaints would be looked into and the state would work with local officials.
Neas and Lisa Versaci, Florida director of People for the American Way, said they hoped to persuade state and local officials to stop the classes. Versaci said that a lawsuit would be a last resort in their efforts to stop the classes.
After the news conference, People for the American Way delivered letters and reports to Gov. Jeb Bush and Gallagher, and mailed letters to the superintendents of the 14 school districts.
Richard Mancini, acting superintendent in Santa Rosa County, said that the class teachers are trusted to handle the material professionally.
In Hillsborough County, an administrator in charge of social studies in the district's high schools defended the classes, saying they followed the guidelines established in the group's court challenge in Lee County two years ago.
''We're teaching the history of the Bible, not the Bible as history,'' said Kathy Taylor.
