Encountering Biblical Stories in the Korean High School English Textbook

FUTURE LESSON IDEAS, COME AT ME
I was flipping through the English textbook this morning - soaking up and sifting through the content for ideas on how to integrate the material with my style of teaching -  when I came across this reading section. Go on, read it.

A snapshot of the page. I would include publication information here, but it's all in Korean. 

TRIPPING OVER A BIBLICAL STORY
From the very first sentence, I recognized it as the story of King Solomon in the Bible and of how he demonstrated his great God-given wisdom in the case of two women fighting over one baby (Click here for the fascinating story in I Kings 3:16-28).

ALL SORTS OF RESPONSES
At first, I was shocked to see a biblical story (notwithstanding its very watered-down quality) included in a school curriculum. I re-read it again, and scrutinized the page it was on to see if there was anything identifying it to the Bible or to Christianity. (I know some people who would be immediately outraged to discover the same, so my first reaction was defense: NOBODY IS DOING NOTHING TO NO ONE, and I can prove it (and, yes, I'm aware of the multiple negation here - *ahem* it's just for effect ;)).

ALL SORTS OF QUESTIONS

A closer but still low-quality shot of the image on the textbook

Is this particular unit on "World Religions," for instance? Hmm, no, not really. Well, then, is the theme about generally-awesome rulers throughout time? No? What about women's rights? Social justice?

There was nothing about the passage that identified it to its original source - (the picture depicting, well, "two women...[and] a wise king" does not count).

I experienced a moment of confused curiosity - wondering about all sorts of things, including but not limited to: Is the publisher Christian? Or was this passage snuck in or fought for by a contributor? Is the textbook industry just generally apathetic? How many Korean students recognize this reading exercise as originating from a holy text? What do Korean parents think about it? Has any parent or other "concerned individuals" sued any company or school district for this (like some adults very likely might in the U.S. public schools)? Can the Bible be approached as literature? What does paraphrasing a Biblical account like the one of Solomon's "court ruling" do to both the source and the receiver? Why is this so important to me?!...Also, can I teach on this?

WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE, THIS IS THE QUESTION THAT STANDS 
Or, perhaps a better question might be: How can I incorporate my spiritual ambassadorship with my cultural ambassadorship while teaching English in a public high school in Korea? The two don't have to be mutually exclusive.

The aforementioned discovery took me off guard, thus the shock and the confused curiosities, but then - with all of those initial feelings going still unresolved - this discovery slowly gave way to excitement. Ideas for future lessons and, perhaps even units, exploded all over the mental landscape of my brain.

CHALLENGING MYSELF AS A TEACHER
I glanced at the passage again. I could do that. I could (re)tell a story, and create a lesson based on it. And I could do it in a way that is fun, engaging, and educational!

THE BIBLE & ITS VERY REAL LITERARY IMPACT
As an English major, I have studied the Bible as Literature, and, now as an English teacher, I can see myself teaching English to non-native speakers using the Bible as Literature. After all, apart from those who believe it to be the "inspired Word of God," the Bible is, undeniably, a masterpiece of storytelling that has affected billions of life throughout history.

I have absolutely no idea how to go about this, or how this will pan out, but I am an educator - have long known I am - and will do my best not to shortchange my students' education in the name of political correctness.

DON'T MISREAD MY INTENTIONS
...nor my considerations. I am not confusing my role as a teacher with that of a pastor. I am not going to use my authority as a teacher to convert anyone at school, etc., etc.

THE BIBLE & ITS VERY REAL HISTORICAL IMPACT
I am merely considering the various roles I now find myself juggling, and thinking through my next steps. In light of this, I must necessarily acknowledge that no other book has influenced Western literature and history like the Bible has - and I want to consider this little detail as I think about how to teach my students most honestly and most fruitfully about the West in general and the U.S. in particular.

MY QUESTIONS FOR YOU
I just shared my own reactions to encountering a biblical story in a public school textbook. What are your thoughts, (if any)? If you had come across it, would you have recognized the story in the reading exercise as one originating from a religious text? Should it or should it not matter?

What do you think of my main question, as far as how to marry my dual ambassadorship as a Christian and as a U.S. citizen? How could I fine-tune this question to better serve my students and my assignment here in Korea while also representing my faith with confidence? Share your thoughts in the comment box below.