Mandatory: Bible In Every Oklahoma Classroom, Used As Teaching Resource
[guest post by Dana]
On the heels of Louisiana mandating that the Ten Commandments be posted in every public classroom and after Oklahoma’s Supreme Court said *no to a publicly funded religious charter school, Oklahoma’s school superintendent announced today that the Bible will now be in every public classroom and used as a teaching resource:
At a State Board of Education meeting, Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters said the Bible is “one of the most foundational documents used for the Constitution and the birth of our country.”
“It’s crystal clear to us that in the Oklahoma academic standards under Title 70 on multiple occasions, the Bible is a necessary historical document to teach our kids about the history of this country, to have a complete understanding of Western civilization, to have an understanding of the basis of our legal system,” Walters said.
Every classroom in the state must have a Bible and all teachers must teach from the Bible in the classroom, Walters said. . .
Oklahoma’s directive “is in alignment with the educational standards approved on or about May 2019, with which all districts must comply,” according to a news release.
“The Bible is an indispensable historical and cultural touchstone,” Walters said in the release. “Without basic knowledge of it, Oklahoma students are unable to properly contextualize the foundation of our nation.
This is not merely an educational directive but a crucial step in ensuring our students grasp the core values and historical context of our country.”
*Walters’ reaction the Oklahoma Supreme Court decision re publicly funded religious charter schools:
Walters called the ruling “one of the worst” decisions the state Supreme Court has made and pledged to “fight back.”
“What the court did was rule against the parents of Oklahoma who have demanded more choices for their kids. We have a great opportunity to make sure that parents have the most options of any parents in the country here in Oklahoma, by giving them the ability to go to a public school, charter schools, private schools, this would have been the most unique charter school in the country,” Walters said.
Along with the civil liberty violations, this opens the door for any crackpot teacher to espouse their own belief system, no matter how much of an outlier it might be. Proselytizing to minors in a public school classroom will be very problematic, and it will happen. Moreover, what happens to kids who tell said teachers that they reject Christ and Christianity? This too will surely happen (especially in upper grades). Will there be some sort of subtle or even blatant retaliation for their rebellion?? In a very Red and very Christian state like Oklahoma, this whole idea will open a can of worms when enacted.
—Dana
Hello.
Dana (ffb9c9) — 6/27/2024 @ 11:50 amMeanwhile, a Texas school district removes 676 books, including The Diary of Anne Frank, Maus, The Fixer, and other Jewish-themed books.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 6/27/2024 @ 12:11 pmWe have all gone insane.
Heinlein’s “Year of the Jackpot” is next.
Brrrr.
Simon Jester (c8876d) — 6/27/2024 @ 12:12 pmAnd by “Christian” you mean “one of several mostly indistinguishable Protestant sects” ranging from strident to very strident.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 6/27/2024 @ 12:57 pmBrrrr.
Actually, “Brrr” isn’t what happened.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 6/27/2024 @ 12:58 pmIn response, California mandates “Das Kapital” in every classroom.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 6/27/2024 @ 1:01 pmSimon,
I was thinking more like “The Sound of His Wings”
Kevin M (a9545f) — 6/27/2024 @ 1:03 pmEstablishmentarianism. Although in America it’s more accurately called antidisestablishmentarianism after 1791 (the ratification of the First Amendment).
Religions have always yearned for secular authority and a share of the tax base. It may be jackleg revivalists in the corn pone states right now but many of them have done it, and most them successfully, across the world and throughout history.
nk (bb1548) — 6/27/2024 @ 1:35 pmIf you imply wanted to make the Bible Z(or several versions) available, you o=would mandate that it added to the school library in sufficient numbers to meet demand. They would need to periodically replaced, as the Bible is the most frequently unreturned or stolen books in the library. Close to it used to be the works of Isaac Asimov.
Or maybe that’s wrong:
https://www.quora.com/Is-it-true-that-the-Bible-is-the-most-stolen-book-in-the-world
It could be it is the “Guinness Book of World Records” (2022 web page)
https://pantagraph.com/print-specific/pantagraph/rail-item/flick-fact-the-library-books-that-get-stolen-the-most/article_b5d45944-65e2-11ed-8ff4-d37fb2782de7.html
Sammy FInkelman (e4ef09) — 6/27/2024 @ 2:00 pmNot even the very religious state of Utah does this. What Utah does have are Mormon “seminaries” (don’t think of the Catholic type), which are owned by the church and built on land adjacent to public secondary schools. The schools will allow students a period during the day in which they can go to the seminary for religious instruction. It’s all voluntary. The non-Mormon students need not ever set foot in the seminary. This is much more reasonable.
If the superintendent of schools in Oklahoma thinks this will stand he is a fool. However, I suspect he knows it won’t last; he just wanted the opportunity to posture.
norcal (6299be) — 6/27/2024 @ 2:14 pmMandates like required Ten Commandments and required Bibles in public spaces don’t sit right with me.
Paul Montagu (804263) — 6/27/2024 @ 3:04 pmWhich version of the Bible is mandated?
Time123 (79e93d) — 6/27/2024 @ 3:46 pm> what happens to kids who tell said teachers that they reject Christ and Christianity?
I’m reasonably certain that the intent of the Superintendent is that they be punished for it, and that they either learn to belief or at least learn to hide their heresy.
aphrael (1797ab) — 6/27/2024 @ 5:06 pmHow does that matter?
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 6/28/2024 @ 4:20 amHow does that matter?
I could verge on sacrilege by snarking that in the Trump version the Seventh Commandment reads “Thou shalt not omit adultery” but I won’t.
I will, instead, point out that after yesterday’s Supreme Court decision in Snyder v. United States, it is no longer a crime under federal law for the Superintendent to ask for (yes, ask for) and receive a “gratuity” (some captious persons might call that a kickback, but not our SCOTUS) from the supplier of the Bibles as long as it is done after the fact — that is after the contract has been awarded but not before.
nk (9157fa) — 6/28/2024 @ 5:23 amAre they required to post the Ten Commandments using the original Hebrew characters?
John Boddie (dcf99c) — 6/29/2024 @ 8:29 amAre they required to post the Ten Commandments using the original Hebrew characters?
Images of the tablets would be best.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 6/29/2024 @ 8:36 amit is no longer a crime under federal law for the Superintendent to ask for … a “gratuity”
Because the federal law does not extend to regulating states and their officers in this regard. A nod to federalism. STATE laws may exist that make this illegal, and if it a problem in OK, then maybe they should pass a law.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 6/29/2024 @ 8:39 amit is no longer a crime under federal law for the Superintendent to ask for … a “gratuity”
And what the court said was that it never WAS a law.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 6/29/2024 @ 8:40 amHow about an eternally burning bush?
Rip Murdock (4b4c41) — 6/29/2024 @ 9:19 amAlso, did G-d use Hebrew?
Kevin M (a9545f) — 6/29/2024 @ 10:12 am