Public schools give credit for religious class

It boggles the mind, it does.

Why would public schools in a country that purportedly has separation of church and state give students credit for off-campus Bible classes? In South Carolina, they do just that under a law that just passed in 2006.

I'm not saying if the Bible class itself is good or bad, because I'm not in a position to judge this. I am saying the state's policy that allows public schools to give students credit for it, as if it's one of their elective classes, is likely unconstitutional. (I know I'm going to get attacked by the Pat Robertson types for saying so, but I get assailed by them daily anyway, so I'm used to it.)

At best, this policy treads a dangerously thin line where government sponsorship of religion is concerned. Off-campus Bible class is legal - but public schools awarding credit for it probably is not. The Supreme Court has held that programs like this are legal, but only if they're not taxpayer-sponsored.

Another question: Are the released-time Bible education committees that South Carolina school districts have hired by the district, or are they funded privately? If it's the former, that clearly is an unconstitutional breach of church-state separation.

I know there are some individuals who hide behind religion to cloak their misdeeds, so when it looks like the government might be sponsoring religion, I get a little wary.

(Source: http://www.charlotte.com/280/v-print/story/539215.html)