Ken King said:
Religion has and does play a part in our world and our history.
Duh! How long did it take for you to figure that out? The issue is not the teaching of the History of Religion. The issue is classes on the Bible. How do you teach a class about the Bible with out taking cognizance of the duty which we owe to our Creator?
Back in the day, the only thing the Protestants could agree on for the common schools was the reading of non-controversial passages from the King James Bible with no comment. When the Catholics began to attend the common schools all hell broke loose because the Catholics objected to the use of the King James Bible.
Presented below are the Cincinnati School Board's reasons for prohibiting "religious instruction, and the reading of religious books, including the Holy Bible...in the Common Schools of Cincinnati..."
Why The Cincinnati Board of Education Prohibited the Reading of the Holy Bible in the
Common Schools of Cincinnati in 1869
And said defendants further answering, say that the citizens of Cincinnati, who are taxed for the support of the schools under the management of said Board of Education, and all of whom are equally entitled to the benefits thereof by having their children instructed therein, are very much divided in opinion and practice upon matters connected with religious belief, worship and education; that a considerable number thereof are Israelites who reject the Christian religion altogether, and believe only in the inspired truth of what is known as the Old Testament, and this only in the original Hebrew tongue, and such other religious truths and worship as are perpetuated in their body by tradition; that also, that many of said citizens do not believe the writings embraced in the Bible to be entitled to be considered as containing an authoritative declaration of religious truth; a still greater number of said citizens together with their children are members of the Roman Catholic Church, and conscientiously believe in its doctrines, faith and forms of worship, and that by said church the version of the scriptures referred to in the petition, is taught and believed to be incorrect as a translation and incomplete by reason of its omission of a part of the books held by such church to be an integral portion of the inspired canon; and furthermore, that the scriptures ought not to be read indiscriminately, in as much as said church has divine authority as the only infallible teacher and interpreter of the same, and that the reading of the same without note or comment, and without being properly expounded by the only authorized teachers and interpreters thereof, is not only not beneficial to the children in said schools, but likely to lead to the adoption of dangerous errors, irreligious faith, practice and worship, and that by reason thereof the practice of reading the King James' version of the Bible, commonly and only received as inspired and true by the Protestant religious sects, in the presence and hearing of Roman Catholic children, is regarded by the members of the Roman Catholic Church as contrary to their rights of conscience, and that such practice as heretofore pursued has had the necessary effect to prevent the attendance of large numbers of children of those who are members of said church, who, in consequence thereof have erected, and now maintain, separate schools at their own expense, in which there are enrolled and taught a number, about two-thirds of the number of those who are enrolled and taught in the schools under the management of said Board of Education; that also there are other religious sects and denominations and bodies of citizens who either do not regard the Bible as the authoritative source of religious truth, or who regard themselves as possessed of the only true sense thereof; that furthermore, a large number of persons in this community who are ready and qualified to act-as teachers in said public schools object to the reading of the Bible in the version in use (or, indeed, in any version without note or comment) on conscientious grounds, and are thereby precluded from employment as teachers in said schools; that in consideration of these facts said Board of Education has concluded that it was not possible for it to take upon itself any instruction in religion, and that it is neither right nor expedient to continue in use in said public schools the reading of any version of the Bible as a religious exercise, or any other religious exercise whatever, and therefore has passed the resolutions now complained of by the plaintiffs.
The 1869 School Board resolution that prompted the law suit read:
"Resolved, That religious instruction, and the reading of religious books, including the Holy Bible, are prohibited in the Common Schools of Cincinnati, it being the true object and intent of this rule to allow the children of the parents of all sects and opinions, in matters of faith and worship, to enjoy alike the benefit of the Common School fund. "Resolved, That so much of the regulations on the course of study and text books in the Intermediate and District Schools (page 213, Annual Report), as reads as follows: 'The opening exercises in every department shall commence by reading a portion of the Bible by or under the direction of the teacher, and appropriate singing by the pupils, be repealed."
WE'RE PAYING FOR KIDS TO LEARN SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE INTERESTED IN! 
