Key Points

• Oklahoma orders schools to teach Bible immediately 
• Ryan Walters argues the Bible’s historical and cultural significance saying its inclusion is important for understanding the nation’s foundations
• It’s faced widespread backlash from civil rights groups and advocates for the separation of church and state
• Oklahoma’s move comes after a recent law in Louisiana stated that public schools must display the Ten Commandments on posters

Oklahoma orders schools to teach Bible immediately 

Oklahoma’s top education official, Ryan Walters, has mandated the inclusion of the Bible in lessons for public school students aged 11-18, sparking a new cultural debate over religion in education. Walters, a Republican and former history teacher, emphasised the Bible’s historical and cultural significance, asserting that its inclusion is essential for understanding the nation’s foundations. It comes after a recent law in Louisiana stated that public schools must display the Ten Commandments on posters. 

Walters, elected in 2022 on a platform opposing “woke ideology,” insists that knowledge of the Bible is crucial for contextualising American history. However, the mandate has faced strong opposition from civil rights groups and advocates for the separation of church and state. Rachel Laser of Americans United for Separation of Church and State condemned the move as an imposition of Christian beliefs, labelling it “textbook Christian Nationalism.”

Critics argue that public schools should not serve as religious institutions and warn of the potential violation of the First Amendment, which ensures freedom of religion. The Interfaith Alliance described the directive as “blatant religious coercion,” stressing that true religious freedom prohibits any one religion from dominating public education.

The controversy in Oklahoma mirrors recent developments in Louisiana, where the mandate to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms has already led to legal challenges. Civil rights groups have sued the state, arguing that such displays violate constitutional protections and pressure students to conform to a specific religious viewpoint.

Ryan Walters says the Bible will be taught in public schools in Oklahoma because it's "one of the most foundational documents used for the Constitution." No, it wasn't. https://t.co/d8SScZBaGF https://t.co/uT1WJjPgKN pic.twitter.com/sd6WX9vSt4

— Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) June 27, 2024

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