What the article fails to mention is these passages supplement and contextualize a primary text.

The tower of Babel, along with Prometheus, help illustrate the themes in Frankenstein.

There is value in reading the Bible as a work of historically relevant literature. I'm not sure if this curriculum is doing that, but its not doing indoctrination either. And if they are, I think it helps demystify the book and place in a time and place relevant to some people through the time.

I would take a bigger issue with seventh grader having to read A Wrinkle in Time as a primary text. It's a good book, but it is a very Christian book.