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Notes -
Texas's new required school reading list includes stories from the Bible
Texas is the first state to establish such a list, as others generally give wide latitude to school districts and boards to select their own texts.
There are fourteen stories, listed in order of grade level: Jonah and the Whale (Jonah 1:1-5, 10-17, 2:10), David and Goliath (excerpt from The Children's Book of Heroes), Daniel and the Lion's Den (Children's Adapted Version), The Necessity of Humility (Luke 14:7-11), Moses (Exodus 3, 14), Do Not Be Anxious (Matthew 6:25-34), The Shepherd's Psalm (Psalms 23), Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12), To Everything There is a Season (Ecclesiastes 3), Lamentations 3, The Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32), Job (Job 1-7, 11, 14, 19, 28, 38-42), Adam and Eve (Genesis 2-3), The Definition of Love (1 Corinthians 13).
They also select a variety of translations: the New International Reader's Version, which is for a third-grade reading level, the English Standard Version, the King James Version, and the Jewish Publication Society. The ESV/KJV have their own history as evangelical texts; this is why there are so many parochial Catholic schools, though it's doubtful whether modern Catholics (who make up ~22% of Texas's population) care as much.
Teaching Biblical stories as cultural or historical texts does not violate the 1st amendment. Certainly the Bible is the most influential book in Western thought and has relevance to any serious study of literature and history. That being said, certain passages err on the side of theology and perhaps should be avoided outside of a comparative religion course. And some atheists will be disappointed that the more controversial passages have been excluded.
In my high school in a blue district of a blue state we read Genesis chapter one. The King James Bible was a major influence on the written English language and is suitable for study in an English class. Which I understand is different than mandating teaching exclusively Christian theology.
Since you mention teaching Christian theology...
My high school American history teacher, when we were talking about the Puritans settling Massachusetts, spent most of one class period spelling out Puritan theology and how these historical Puritans applied it in their lives. He got it absolutely accurate, in such detail that I left that class convinced he was a Christian himself! But, some time later (after I was no longer taking his class), I found out that he's an atheist! That increased my respect for him in one way: he understood very well how important Christian doctrine was to American history.
One of the strongest signs of intelligence is the ability to present views you reject in a way that resonates with actual adherents of the view.
A person's background and prior experiences tend to colour their entire outlook, and for a large contingent of reddit atheists, it's pure trauma and resentment. Most will struggle (and make no conscious effort) to separate their emotions from their reading of religious tradition.
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