If you want to teach the Bible at a public school, it has to be done objectively, as literature, and geared toward students who can understand that distinction. Anything that suggests the book is factual crosses the line — and that happens all too often.

Which is why it’s especially disturbing to learn that several elementary schools teach Bible classes in North Carolina’s Rowan-Salisbury School System.

But maybe that’s not a problem.

Until you learn that the classes are sponsored by religious groups:

Local churches fund the bible teachers through nonprofit groups set up specifically to promote bible classes.

Oh. And the teachers present Creationism as a fact:

… including teaching a 7-day creation, giving students examples of “God’s plan” that “clearly” showed the universe was created with a purpose, and supposed examples of the bible predicting scientific discoveries, among other inappropriate teachings inculcating biblical beliefs.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation not only sent a letter explaining these problems to the District superintendent, but they also filed an open records request to figure out what exactly is in the syllabi and what material is used.

“It is appalling that the District would take away from instructional time to indoctrinate children in Christian dogma,” [attorney Patrick] Elliott said, calling on Rowan-Salisbury School System to put an immediate moratorium on the elementary school bible classes involving “young, impressionable elementary school students.” Elliott wrote that the district’s ill-advised decision to offer elementary bible classes calls into question the legitimacy of the bible classes also being taught in the middle schools and high school. FFRF is asking the district to thoroughly investigate all such classes.

You would think that Christians eager to get the Bible in public schools would do everything in their power to make sure it’s being taught in a legally sound way. If this situation pans out as FFRF suspects, you have to wonder if it’s the result of complete incompetence or if it was purposely planned this way from the beginning.

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