We had Bible as Literature in my high school when I was there. Very popular class, as it counted towards either an English elective or a humanities elective. It met two or three days a week for a semester.

You would think the only good mormon boy in my graduating class of 525+ would have taken it...

Nah... I knew of the reputation of the teacher, and that it was taught in a kind of mocking tone at times towards anything spiritual.

And, besides I had something better... early morning seminary 5 days a week throughout the whole school year.

I don't think teaching the Bible from a historical or literary standpoint should be banned anymore than teaching philosophy in high school. But, I also do not know how a teacher or school can honestly give the scripture due dilligence if it avoids any religious flavoring.

I think it's just fine to teach the Bible and its main principles as part of a course on world religions, if other main religions are included in the study.

I oppose teaching the Bible as a course in and of itself, because then the state can dictate the objectives, methods, and measurements of the subject, and that's a step toward the state defining religious belief, and that's a bad thing.

I wouldn't mind it as a broad, generic history of religions or as an elective. I know in my state college that had some classes on it but I never took them. I have seen in the media some public schools go out of their way to almost indoctrinate kids into Islam while totally ignoring Judaism and Christianity. I think kids today do need a good understanding of the 4 major world religions in order to help them understand what is going on, warts and all.