The Texas Board of Education just narrowly voted 8-7 to teach the Holy Bible in elementary schools across the state - and everything from the Sermon on the Mount to the story of Moses to passages from the Book of Genesis are in the recently approved lesson plans and coursework.
The vote set off a firestorm of controversy all across the state, with critics swarming school board meetings and decrying the new lesson plans as thinly-veiled proselytizing, but advocates argue that a thorough understanding of Christian theology is necessary to understand the history and legal framework of the United States.
Did public school just get one step closer to Sunday school?
Education or Indoctrination?
The state-developed curriculum was the subject of much scrutiny and debate for months ahead of its November 22 passage. Scores of parents and the state’s largest teacher’s union both objected to the Bible-based curriculum, which will inject Christianity into thousands of classrooms across the state and be taught to children as young as five years old.
Advocates of the curriculum say that the history of this country and the Christian faith are inextricably intertwined, and that a thorough understanding of Christian theology is necessary to understand the legal framework the United States was built upon.
"The [religious] materials will… allow our students to better understand the connection of history, art, community, literature, and religion on pivotal events like the signing of the U.S. Constitution, the Civil Rights Movement, and the American Revolution," said Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a proponent of the new faith-based education standards.
But critics say that inserting Jesus into the classroom is just Christian nationalism barely masquerading as education.
"The curriculum targets the youngest, most impressionable elementary students, starting by introducing kindergartners to Jesus," argued Freedom From Religion Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. "Religious instruction is the purview of parents, not proselytizing school boards. This is a shameful ruse by Christian nationalists in Texas who see the schools as a mission field."
A Lesson of Their Own
Texas may also be laying a lesson plan of their own for other states on how to bring Christianity to the classroom. The solution? Money.
Louisiana lawmakers recently passed a bill requiring the Ten Commandments in every single public school classroom across the state, and Oklahoma education head Ryan Walters is similarly putting Bibles in classrooms across the state. And President-elect Trump even said one of his top education priorities is bringing prayer back to schools.
Though the curriculum is by no means mandatory for schools to teach, there is a financial incentive for districts to do so. It’s no secret that many public schools are woefully underfunded, and the additional funding promised by teaching Christianity - upwards of $40 per student - will be a difficult carrot for schools to ignore.
The curriculum is planned to go into effect at the beginning of the next school year, in August 2025. But it seems almost certain that it will experience legal challenges between now and then.
What do you make of putting the Bible in schools - and offering a financial incentive to do so? Does Jesus belong in the classroom, and to what extent? Do advocates of the new curriculum have a point that we can’t divorce the history of the United States and the Christian faith… or is this just Christian nationalism at work?
26 comments
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Parson Golden
There, that’s a priority. Texas schools rank 30th out of 50, Sixth highest rate of bullying, Eighth highest dropout rate, 91% of Texas public school students are attending inadequately funded schools. But go ahead and add state sponsored religion to the mix. That’ll help.
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Dylan Tuatha Le Danaan
School is for schooling, science, math, literature, and skills. Religion should be kept at home and at Sunday school. Not all people are the same religion, and forcing the tenants of one group's religion is not only indoctrination but child abuse. This country was founded not only on freedom of religion but freedom from religion. The unfortunate fact that a certain cult hides the plainly written words of the founding fathers makes their actions even more illegal. The America of our founding fathers seems to be lost, in the glorification of greed, ignorance, and false doctrines.
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Reverend Paula Copp
There’s a song from the ‘60’s that embodies the situation in which we find ourselves… “it’s the end of the world as we know it…”
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Tecla Caryl Loup
Except I don't feel so fine....
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Colleen McAllister
No. The Bible needs to be taught in Church. It hold not be taught in public schools and certainly not to 5 year olds.
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Ipsissima: Leonora
It's my opinion that if one religious book is mandated into the classroom, then all religious books - including the Compendium Ipsissima - should be. That way children can be taught how to compare and contrast many different religious beliefs and philosophies, and make their own choice as to which one(s) they might want to practise or investigate further.
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Rev. Russ Macomber
I agree. Please just make it in a language that the children can understand and have a adult that is non-biased available to answer any questions that they may have.
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KJ Palmer
I agree with this, the country was not founded in Christianity, it was supposed to be founded on the idea of freedom of religion. If they want to teach about one religion, they should teach about them all, along with the critical thinking skills to decide for themselves what they believe, if they believe any of them at all.
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Dr. Zerpersande, NSC
Separation of church and State. You don’t ‘teach’ a religion. A course in comparative religion might fly. Have the course presented as a series of videos by Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Neil deGrasse-Tyson, Ricky Gervais, Bill Burr, and Jim Jeffries.
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Brien
Well, it's the zealots time now. If you don't want your child to be indoctrinated, then homeschool them. Over 50% of this nation that I used to take pride in has decided they would rather have a convicted felon as president than anyone else. What happens now can't be stopped. There will only be zealots rule now. After everything this country has been through, for the first time in my life I am ashamed of it.
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Dr. Zerpersande, NSC
I had the same awakening when I lived through the Viet Nam era and Watergate. Gave up on the US when I expatriated 35 years ao.
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Phlan-Michelle Anne Phillipa Purss
NO Abrahamic Religion's should be anywhere near a public school. It's just to dangerous. Especially due to the risks involved including and not limited to Child SA. To wit Religion is the MAIN perpetrators are these days. Also I'm a strong Anti-Religion in Public School campaigner. Looking at what the American Religious Right says about the LGBTIQ+ & TRANS Communities are saying about these communities right now and the past. Is basically a weekly report how some Far Right Person being arrested for the very things they're accusing the for mentioned groups for doing. I feel so lucky to not being American or from America, as an open and proud Trans Lady. I fear and worry about the Trans Community in the USA over the next 4+ years as Thumper and his goon squad are going to be putting these loves through Hell and are going to be totally and directly the reason why the Unaliveings rates in the USA is going to spike through the roof over there. Here today in my country when street preaching. One of the main comments is No I'm not interested in an organisation that allows and supports the Abuse of Children, LGBTIQ People and the elderly. Thanks bye. Anyway how can you seriously support an Organisation that persecute LGBTIQ People and be out there actively doing the very things that's their accusing the for mentioned group for and some high flying members of this group are being Arrested for. I find it interesting that the amount being brought before the court is astronomical and ask myself who's the biggest perpetrators in America. Straight away your mind goes to people involved in religious organisations. Also they seem to be also some of the most out spoken against LGBTIQ People. To an outside observer like myself. It's like these sick individuals are worried that LGBTIQ People, are going to take away their Prey away. Sick yes.
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Minister Jonathan James Warner
I feel all religious book(s) should be in school. Starting from elementary to high school.
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oy_gevalt
Why?
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Danny D. Maynard
Are those Sunday schools and church schoolings not enough?
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Tecla Caryl Loup
How about the Kama Sutra?
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Nicholas J Page
I have previously said that it's ok to have The Bible in schools as long as it is not forced onto any pupils and let them decide if they want to study religion
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Reverend Paula Copp
For a class on comparative religions, bibles AND other religious texts are fine, but it is antithetical to everything the founding fathers created to put in one religion over all others. That smacks of state sanctioned religion, which is NOT Constitutional!
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The ACLU will step in and tell Trump that, while he may be the future president of the United States, he is not the king. He may WANT to being prayer back to schools (or his constituency may) but we have LAWS about things like that.
I hate to burst any bubble…but trump has never met a law he didn’t break.
The One True God who is the Creator of all things is King 👑 of all kings and God has placed Trump in the White House once again for a reason.
You're kidding, right?
How do you know that God put Trump in? Maybe it was Lucifer.
Then you worship a horrible God, JJW!
Have you accepted Donald Trump as your personal Lord and Savior?
People with this mindset put Trump in office.