Oklahoma Purchases More Than 500 Bibles for Classrooms

Contact Your Elected Officials
The Epoch Times Header

State Superintendent Ryan Walters considers the initiative as a push for academic excellence, while critics say it violates the stateโ€™s Constitution.

Oklahomaโ€™s top education official said Friday that the state purchased more than 500 Bibles for AP government classes as a step toward providing the religious text in every state classroom.

State Superintendent Ryan Walters said providing Bibles in Oklahomaโ€™s classrooms would provide critical historical, cultural, and literary context for U.S. students and put the state on a path toward improved academic excellence.

โ€œI will take every step possible to ensure Oklahoma students have the resources they need to fully understand American history,โ€ he said in a Nov. 14 statement. โ€œWe are not going to change our history, and the Bible is a major part of that.โ€

While announcing his Bible program, Walters said that the Bible, along with the U.S. Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the Bill of Rights, are foundational documents in U.S. history.

โ€œOur kids have to understand the role the Bible played in influencing American history,โ€ he said. โ€œItโ€™s very clear that the radical left has driven the Bible out of the classroom, which leads to a lack of understanding of American history.โ€

The Bible purchases are part of a larger effort to provide Bibles and patriotic materials, including the Pledge of Allegiance and U.S. founding documents, to every classroom in Oklahoma.

This broader initiative has drawn legal challenges, with opponents arguing it violates the Oklahoma Constitutionโ€™s prohibition on public funding for religious purposes and favors one religion over others by using a Protestant version of the Bible.

A lawsuit filed by civil rights organizations, including the ACLU of Oklahoma and the Freedom From Religion Foundation, which advocates for atheists, agnostics, and nontheists, seeks to block the mandate. The plaintiffs also allege Walters and the state Board of Education lack authority to enforce such a requirement.

New Office of Religious Liberty and Patriotism

Separately, Walters announced on Nov. 12 the creation of a new Office of Religious Liberty and Patriotism at the stateโ€™s Department of Education.

Walters said the office would protect teachersโ€™ and studentsโ€™ constitutional rights, citing a case in Skiatook, a city where Bible quotes were removed from a classroom under legal threat.

Byย Caden Pearson

Read Full Article on TheEpochTimes.com

The Epoch Times
The Epoch Timeshttps://www.theepochtimes.com/
Tired of biased news? The Epoch Times is truthful, factual news that other media outlets don't report. No spin. No agenda. Just honest journalism like it used to be.

Understanding the Trump/Musk Feud

The passion Trump and Musk exhibit over the OBBB is not contrived or for show. Each is addressing the problem from completely different approaches.

Whoโ€™s Your Mamdani?

Former state assemblyman Mamdani, a failed rapper, has repackaged himself as a "democrat socialist." In laymen's terms he's a Socialist. Way to go Democrats!

The Latest Trouble In Russian-Azerbaijani Relations Might Be Part Of A Turkish-US Powerplay

Could trouble in Russian-Azerbaijani relations be part of a Turkish-US powerplay, which Trump could have agreed to with Erdogan and Aliyev?

How The Big Beautiful Bill Will Keep Louisiana’s Energy Industry Strong

Renewable or not, our federal govt should not be rigging the deck against any energy sources, especially nuclear power that is both clean and consistent.

On Declaring War, Congress De Facto Amended the Constitution

Congress has de facto amended the Constitution by 55 years of refusing to debate matters of war and peace.

Senate Passes Megabill With Vance Casting Tie-Breaker

The U.S. Senate passed its version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act after a โ€œvote-a-ramaโ€ that began the previous day and continued through the night.

Judge Rejects Appleโ€™s Request to Dismiss Monopoly Lawsuit

A federal court rejected Appleโ€™s motion to dismiss a Department of Justice (DOJ)ย  lawsuit accusing the company of monopoly and anticompetitive conduct.

RFK Jr. Says Officials โ€˜Revolutionizing the Vaccine Injury Compensation Programโ€™

Federal officials are working on revamping the program providing compensation for people who suffer injuries from vaccines, Health Sec RFK Jr. said.

DOJ Sues LA Over Sanctuary City Policies: 4 Things to Know

DOJ filed a lawsuit against Los Angeles over what it said are โ€œsanctuary cityโ€ policies that shield illegal immigrants from deportation efforts.

Investors Shrug Off Prospects of Higher Tariffs as US Stocks Post Record High

Wall Street shrugged off the prospects of higher U.S. tariff rates as stocks registered all-time highs to finish the raucous second quarter.

Federal Reserve โ€˜Should Be Ashamedโ€™ for Not Lowering Interest Rates, Trump Says

President Donald Trump said Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and his colleagues โ€œshould be ashamedโ€ for not lowering interest rates.

Trump Signs Executive Order to Lift Sanctions on Syria

President Trump signed an EO on June 30 to lift most sanctions on Syria, giving the Middle-Eastern country an opportunity to develop economically.

Canada-US Trade Talks Will End Until โ€˜Certain Taxesโ€™ Are Dropped, Trump Stresses

Trade discussions between Canada and the United States will end โ€œuntil such time as they drop certain taxes,โ€ U.S. President Trump said in an interview.
spot_img

Related Articles