A Christian petition with thousands of signatures has been created rejecting a rule that the Republican superintendent of Oklahoma’s public schools established that mandates the teaching of the Bible.
Oklahoma State Department issued a memo to public school superintendents in June stating that schools would have to “integrate the Bible, which contains the Ten Commandments, as an instructional support into the curriculum across specified grade levels.”
According to superintendent Ryan Walters, whose conservative approach to education has drawn national attention, the Bible is an “indispensable historical and cultural touchstone.” However, many argue that the new requirement blurs the lines between church and state, given that the First Amendment guarantees Americans the freedom to practice their religion.
As of Friday afternoon, Faithful America’s Christian organization had amassed over 15,000 signatures on a petition representing a “blatant disregard of America’s commitment to religious freedom for all” and the greater good.
According to the group, Walters is “an anti-LGBTQ culture who has called teachers’ union a ‘terrorist organization, threatened teachers over atheism, bans school districts from practicing racial justice.”
“This activist group is as misinformed as they are left-wing,” he wrote. “Basic understanding of the Bible in its historical and cultural context is absolutely essential in understanding our nation and its founding. That instruction was the norm in American education until the left stepped in and removed it. People of all faiths understand this.”
Walters defended the rule, arguing that, without the fundamental knowledge of the Bible, students are “unable to properly contextualize the foundation of our , which is why Oklahoma educational standards provide for its instruction.”
He stated, “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.”
His announcement followed the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruling that publicly funded religious schools are unconstitutional, halting a plan to open the country’s first publicly funded religious charter school.
Walters responded to the ruling that “The words’ separation of church and state’ do not appear in our Constitution, and it is outrageous that the Oklahoma Supreme Court misunderstood key cases involving the First Amendment and sanctioned discrimination against Christians based solely on their faith.”
Republicans have also attempted to implement rules in other states mandating students to learn about the Bible in classrooms. Gov Jeff Landry of Louisiana has signed a bill mandating the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every classroom. Republicans in Texas have suggested that Bible lessons be taught in public schools.
