Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters is defending his decision to issue a directive that calls for the inclusion of the Bible in public school classrooms.
Recently, Walters garnered national attention when he announced that he was changing public school social studies standards to make the Bible more of a focal point in the curriculum.
In an interview with The Christian Post on Thursday, Walters defended his directive, explaining that “it is of the utmost importance that our kids get a full understanding of American history.”
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“Obviously, that includes the most read book in American history, the most purchased book in American history, the most cited book in the 17th and 18th centuries, the Bible,” Walters said.
“We’re not going to allow left-wing extremists and the teachers union to keep the Bible from schools in its historical context. So, we’re very proud to be the first state to put the Bible back into classrooms and make sure that our kids understand its impact in American history.”
Although the Bible had technically been part of the public school history curriculum already, Walters told CP that, because of complaints from secular progressive groups, “we’ve seen the Bible virtually removed from all classrooms across the country, and here in the state of Oklahoma.”
“The Bible was not being used prominently in its historical role in our schools. We heard that time and time again,” he continued. “We made clear with the directive; this is not an ask. They will teach from the Bible, they will reference the Bible, they will make sure that that historical context is included when it’s appropriate.”
According to Walters, public schools in Oklahoma will receive “additional guidance here in the next couple of weeks” in preparation for the start of the school year this coming fall.
Additionally, the state is working on revising the current standards for the following school year, in an effort to “include more direct application of the Bible in our history classes,” he explained.
David Barton of the conservative Christian group Wallbuilders, who is known for making controversial claims about American history, sits on the committee overseeing the rewrites.
“We have our guidance to make sure the Bible is being taught in the classrooms as currently written in state law and our current academic standards, but we are rewriting the standards for the following year,” Walters said.
“So, we’re doing guidance now under our current standards, but we are currently rewriting them in a process that’s been going on for about six months now that will be for the following year.”
Walters’ efforts have garnered their share of criticism from assorted groups, among them the Washington, D.C.-based Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United, told CP via emailed comments that she considered Walters’ direction to be an “unconstitutional effort to indoctrinate and religiously coerce public school students.”
“Public schools are not Sunday schools. Ryan Walters has repeatedly made clear that he is incapable of distinguishing the difference,” she stated. “Ryan Walters is on a crusade to abuse the power of his public office and impose his religious beliefs on everyone else’s children in Oklahoma.”
“As a former history teacher, Walters should know that our country is rooted in the promise of church-state separation, which protects families’ and students’ religious freedom and prevents the government from interfering with religion and religious doctrine.”
Laser believed that while public schools “can teach about religion,” including “the books religions revere,” such as the Bible, they cannot “preach it as truth” or “indoctrinate children into a religion.”
“Even the most well-intentioned Bible classes often go astray,” Laser continued. “Study after study shows that when public schools teach the Bible, they fail to meet constitutional requirements and end up religiously coercing students.”
“Families whose religious freedom has been violated often have no choice but to challenge them in court. A long line of court decisions makes clear that strict constitutional requirements apply to teaching the Bible in public school classrooms.”
Laser also told CP that her organization was “monitoring how Walters and schools attempt to implement this policy and are ready to respond as needed when school starts back up in the fall.”
“We think the Constitution — our country’s founding document — is a more appropriate focal point for public schools. It’s an entirely secular document that made America the first country to establish the separation of religion and government as the shield that protects religious freedom for everyone,” she added.
“The records from the Constitutional Convention show the Bible was almost never invoked. The Ten Commandments were never cited. Students and educators in Oklahoma deserve to learn the real facts about our country’s founding and values.”
When asked about concerns that his directive might be unconstitutional, Walters maintained that “it is an absurd position that the Left has taken that the most read and the most purchased book in American history should not be utilized in history curriculum.”
“To not have the Bible prominently part of a historical curriculum, of this historical context in American history, is unacceptable,” he said. “We want our kids to know more about American history than any other kid and that includes understanding the role that the Bible plays in our history.”
