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Oklahoma Schools Now Require a Bible in Every Classroom
- Milton Quintanilla Crosswalk Headlines Contributor
- Updated Jul 01, 2024
Oklahoma’s Department of Education announced on Thursday that schools in the state must begin teaching from the Bible and have a copy in the classroom. According to Premier Christian News, Ryan Walters, Oklahoma’s superintendent of public instruction, announced the order at Thursday’s Department of Education board meeting.
“Every teacher, every classroom in the state will have a Bible in the classroom, and will be teaching from the Bible in the classroom to ensure that this historical understanding is there for every student in the state of Oklahoma,” he said.
Walters added that special attention will be given to the Ten Commandments.
He called the Bible one of the “foundational documents of ... Western civilization” and that prominent historical figures, including civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., referred to the text.
According to the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment, states are prohibited from sponsoring or establishing any particular religion. Meanwhile, the Oklahoma Constitution states that any public school and spending of public funds must be nonsectarian and not benefit “any sect, church, denomination, or system of religion.”
That part of the state of the constitution was made two days before Walter’s announcement when the Oklahoma Supreme Court struck down an effort invoking Walter’s and his attempt to create the first taxpayer-funded religious charter school in America.
In response to Walter’s, Oklahoma’s main labor union argued that his Bible order was unconstitutional and that school districts, according to state law, have the right to decide which books are accessible in the classroom.
“Teaching about the historical context of religion (and the Bible) is permissible; however, teaching religious doctrine is not permissible,” the Oklahoma Education Association said in a statement. “Public schools cannot indoctrinate students with a particular religious belief or religious curriculum.”
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