The Oklahoma Department of Education announced Thursday that schools in the state will begin using the Bible in instruction and will require Bibles in classrooms. according to Premier Christian NewsOklahoma Public Schools Chancellor Ryan Walters announced the order at a Department of Education board meeting Thursday.
“There will be a Bible in every teacher’s hand, in every classroom in the state, Bible-based lessons in the classroom, and historical understanding for every student in the state of Oklahoma,” he said.
Walters added that special attention will be paid to the Ten Commandments.
He called the Bible one of the “foundational documents of Western civilization” and said prominent historical figures, including civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., have referenced it.
The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibits states from sponsoring or establishing any religion, but the Oklahoma Constitution states that public schools and public expenditures are non-sectarian and “shall not benefit any sect, church, denomination, or religious organization.”
That section of the constitution was enacted two days before Walter’s announcement, when the Oklahoma Supreme Court rejected Walter’s attempt to create the first taxpayer-funded religious charter school in the nation.
In response to Walter’s lawsuit, Oklahoma’s major labor unions argued that his Bible mandate was unconstitutional and that state law gives school districts the right to decide what books can be read in classrooms.
“It is permissible to teach the historical background of religion (and the Bible), but not to teach religious doctrine.“ The Oklahoma Education Association said in a statement: “Public schools cannot indoctrinate students with any particular religious beliefs or religious curriculum.”
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