US state introduces Bible lessons in schools
The US state of Louisiana will display the Ten Commandments in every public classroom, while Oklahoma is taking it a step further. Bible instruction is to be introduced there. Civil rights activists are suing for religious freedom.
Religious legislators in the US state of Oklahoma have ordered Bible instruction in public schools. "Every teacher, every classroom in the state will have a Bible in the classroom and teach from it," said the highest education official in Oklahoma, Ryan Walters, at a press conference. A notice about the new rule will be sent to all school districts.
"The Bible is a necessary historical document to teach our children about the history of this country, to have a complete understanding of western civilization, and to understand the foundations of our legal system," said the Republican. Previously, Walters had already advocated for prayer hours in public schools.
Oklahoma is part of the religiously conservative "Bible Belt" in the southeastern USA. This step is another attempt by ultra-religious Republicans to bring Christianity back into state institutions. It comes only a week after the similarly Republican-governed neighboring state of Louisiana passed a law requiring public schools to display the Ten Commandments in all classrooms.
"Public schools are not Sunday schools"
It is still unclear whether this step in Oklahoma is constitutional. The first amendment to the US Constitution prohibits the establishment of a state religion or the favoritism of one religion over another. If the Bible instruction in public schools were to limit itself to the Bible as planned, it would constitute a clear constitutional violation.
Civil rights activists are already suing against the new legislation in Louisiana and have announced that they will also sue against the new regulation in Oklahoma to protect religious freedom. "Public schools are not Sunday schools," said a spokeswoman. While schools should certainly discuss religion within the context of religious instruction, they should not limit themselves to a single religion or force students to practice it.
The Republicans in Oklahoma, following the lead of their neighboring state, are pushing for Christianity's integration in state institutions, a move that potentially violates the USA's Constitution, given its prohibition of establishing a state religion or favoring one over another. This controversial decision to introduce Bible instruction in public classrooms has sparked a lawsuit from civil rights activists, who argue that "public schools are not Sunday schools."
