The question arises whether religion should be taught in school, whether it should be banned, or whether some middle position is preferred.

My view is that all schools should teach about religion, but they should not preach religion. That still leaves the questions (a) how to tell the difference (b) which religions to teach about, and what to teach about them (c) whether some children should not attend.

I happen to believe that, living in a secular society such as ours, the Bible is still an important piece of literature and one should have some familiarity with it. I would prefer to see it taught as a piece of ancient human literature, translated multiple times, and related to many other ancient works (such as those of the Jewish faith). I would strongly prefer it not be taught as a belief system.

I would not deprive my children of the opportunity to learn about it, just because I didn’t agree with the views it puts forward. They can integrate all kinds of teachings, and I get lots of chances to put my case for a broader view.

Parents have the opportunity to help their children understand what they are hearing, and that the Bible has good bits and bad bits. What does “spilled his seed on the ground” mean, teacher?

Only those intending to bring up their children in a specific religion should have any grounds for keeping their children out of such classes, and this should be discouraged.