An Oklahoma education leader has warned public schools within the state that they must teach lessons from the Bible — or else they should “go to California.”
This latest statement comes after conservative states in the U.S. have increasingly pushed aspects of the Christian religion in public school classrooms, prompting critics to claim that this violates their Constitutional rights.
Teaching From the Bible in Oklahoma Public Schools
A few weeks ago, a directive was issued to Oklahoma public schools that they must begin teaching Bible lessons in classes.
This mandate orders teachers to integrate the Christian Bible into history lessons, as well as when discussions about the founding fathers arise. The Bible must also be invoked when teaching about human rights and U.S. law.
Teaching U.S. History With the Bible
The initiative has also asked teachers to discuss the Bible’s influence on U.S. history, as well as Western culture as a whole.
Finally, each public school classroom has been mandated to have a Bible to be used for teaching and instructional purposes.
Supporters Applaud This Mandate
Supporters of this initiative have applauded what some Oklahoma leaders are doing to require the Bible to be taught in public school classrooms.
According to these supporters, the Bible should be taught to students, as they believe it is a part of U.S. history.
Oklahoma School Districts Fight Back
However, many Oklahoma parents — and various faith leaders — have criticized this mandate, as they believe it violates their Constitutional rights.
At least 8 Oklahoma school districts have also fought back against this initiative, as they have stated that they oppose this mandate and will not be changing their teaching plans or guidelines to follow it.
Attacking “Woke” Administrators
Oklahoma’s Superintendent of Public Instruction, Ryan Walters, has shot back against these school districts and their rejection of this mandate.
“I’m going to tell these woke administrators, if they’re going to break the law and not teach it, they can go to California,” he said. “Here in Oklahoma schools, we’re going to make sure that history is taught.”
Walters Pushes for Bible Lessons in Public Schools
Walters further explained why he was pushing for teachers to teach from the Bible in classrooms, as he believes that it all has to do with American history.
“We want our kids here in Oklahoma to understand American history better than any in the country, and we’re laying out a roadmap for every state to follow,” he said.
Walters Defends Mandate
Walters has also insinuated that he was only elected to his position because parents asked him to bring the Bible back into public schools.
He explained, “When I ran three years ago, they were crystal clear. Why in the world are we not teaching our kids that our rights came from God? Why in the world are we not referencing all these unbelievable moments in American history where the Bible was cited? It is absolutely part of our history.”
Oklahoma Parents Fight Back
Walters’ statements, as well as his push to ensure the Bible is taught in public schools, have caused outrage and concern from many Oklahoma parents.
This has caused many public schools to reach out to parents and ensure them that they will not be changing their curriculum or following this mandate.
A Growing Trend in the United States
Oklahoma isn’t alone in pushing for the Bible to be more prevalent in public school classrooms. Around the country, many conservative, Republican-led states have done the same.
Most notably, Louisiana recently passed a law that requires the Ten Commandments to be posted in every single classroom in the state.
A Violation of the Constitution
These laws and mandates have caused many Americans to claim that pushing for religion in public schools violates their Constitutional rights, particularly their First Amendment rights.
Many Christian leaders within these states have also fought against these moves, as they don’t believe it is the government’s right to teach religion. Instead, they believe religion should be expressed in places of worship — not in public schools.
Religious Freedom in Oklahoma
Oklahoma Representative Cyndi Munson has stated that this mandate will not impact public schools, and Walters had no right to try to implement this initiative.
“This is nothing more than an attempt to strip Oklahomans of their religious freedom. The state superintendent can say this Bible mandate is not for religious purposes all he wants, but his unlawful, unfunded mandate and clear disregard for the legislative process says otherwise,” she said.
