The Bible as Textbook and Model for Society

What Jerry Locke (letter, Jan. 14) and probably many others may not know is that in the 1800s and early 1900s the Bible was used in public schools as a textbook. That was also when prayer was common and creation was taught -- and not the fallacy of evolution. That was OK with our founding fathers and just about everyone then, and it is only because of those who would have us live in a secular society that our country is in the state it is in today. Organizations like the ACLU -- and what they are doing -- are what’s dragging this country to the very depths of debauchery that the founding fathers were trying to avoid. If only more people would live by the teachings of Jesus Christ, this country would be a lot better off.

John Ziegler

Ventura

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Once again The Times shows its bias by printing only letters that put down religion and the Bible. The Bible was not written for Christians alone, but for all of mankind. Its language is more elegant than Shakespeare’s and its philosophy is more eloquent than Socrates’. There is not a better book on ethics and morality. If humans were to embrace true Christian values, even if they weren’t followers of Christ, the world would experience utopia. Life would be based on altruism rather than greed, and there would be no more hunger or poverty. Jesus taught that we should worship God and love each other. Is that such a bad lesson to learn in public schools?

Science teaches that the origin of life began as a fortuitous accident. The Bible teaches that man was created in the image of God. When I consider the complexities of life and the intricacies of the human mind and body, the Bible sounds much more rational to me.

Lionel De Leon

Garden Grove