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BREAKING NEWS
Oklahoma’s state superintendent directed all public schools to teach the Bible, including the Ten Commandments.

Thursday, June 27, 2024 4:13 PM ET
The directive from Ryan Walters is the latest in a conservative push testing the boundaries between religious instruction and public education.

Oklahoma’s state superintendent on Thursday directed all public schools to teach the Bible, including the Ten Commandments, in the latest conservative push testing the boundaries between religious instruction and public education.

The superintendent, Ryan Walters, who is a Republican, described the Bible as an “indispensable historical and cultural touchstone” and said it must be taught in certain grade levels.

Oklahoma had also sought to be the first state to authorize a religious charter school, which would have funneled taxpayer dollars to an online Catholic school slated to open in August. The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled against the school this week, but the decision is likely to be appealed.

Mr. Walters, a former history teacher who served in the cabinet of Gov. Kevin Stitt before being elected state superintendent in 2022, has emerged as a lightning rod of conservative politics in Oklahoma and an unapologetic culture warrior in education. He has battled over the teaching of race and gender identity, fought against “woke ideology” in public schools and at times targeted school districts and individual teachers.

In his announcement on Thursday, Mr. Walters called the Bible “a necessary historical document to teach our kids about the history of this country, to have a complete understanding of Western civilization, to have an understanding of the basis of our legal system.”

It was not immediately clear what the instruction would entail, or which grade levels would be included. In a memo to school district leaders, Mr. Walters cited fifth through 12th grades as an example. He also said that the state might supply teaching materials for the Bible to “ensure uniformity in delivery.”

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I have less of an issue with this than the posting of the 10 Commandments. The Bible is critical to the teaching of western civilization and culture. It should be taught in the right context with some allowance for kids to opt.

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BREAKING NEWS
He also said that the state might supply teaching materials for the Bible to “ensure uniformity in delivery.”

I’m sure this will take a historical and cultural approach to the Bible rather than a Christian theological perspective.

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I have less of an issue with this than the posting of the 10 Commandments. The Bible is critical to the teaching of western civilization and culture. It should be taught in the right context with some allowance for kids to opt.

I think teaching the Bible (or Koran, etc.) as part of a religious studies or history class would be perfectly fine. I’m pretty sure that’s not what they have in mind. I’m going to guess they’re going more for Sunday school style teaching than history 101 style.

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What does “it should be taught” mean?

General information about the contents, Old Testament vs New Testament, how it’s believed to be documented in a historical context, and how it has been used to shape western culture?

Or taught as an accurate representation of the true god and religion that kids should follow?

If it’s the former, should historical books of other religions be similarly kept in classrooms and taught about?

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Of course, this discussion is irrelevant. These are the same people who liked to fear-monger about Islam and Sharia Law, now doing the same to trigger the libs and excite the evangelical community.

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I have less of an issue with this than the posting of the 10 Commandments. The Bible is critical to the teaching of western civilization and culture. **It should be taught in the right context **with some allowance for kids to opt.

**Yes, I’m sure this will happen. **

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What does “it should be taught” mean?

General information about the contents, Old Testament vs New Testament, how it’s believed to be documented in a historical context, and how it has been used to shape western culture?

Or taught as an accurate representation of the true god and religion that kids should follow?

If it’s the former, should historical books of other religions be similarly kept in classrooms and taught about?

——

Of course, this discussion is irrelevant. These are the same people who liked to fear-monger about Islam and Sharia Law, now doing the same to trigger the libs and excite the evangelical community.
Exactly right. I think teachers can share stores from the Bible with elementary school kids along with Aesop’s Fables or traditional native American stories. You can even leverage those stores to each basic moral as is done with other folk lore. But there is a firm line between that and teaching the Bible as truth. What they say is the former, but I can understand the concern that they would try to push the later.

In high school you can get into the history of Christianity and then go into Islam. You have have to know the bible to get all of the references toward it in western literature.

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BREAKING NEWS
He also said that the state might supply teaching materials for the Bible to “ensure uniformity in delivery.”

I’m sure this will take a historical and cultural approach to the Bible rather than a Christian theological perspective.

The Christian Bible is nothing more that a work of fiction to teach people what those in charge at the time wanted them to do. It has no historical value. To claim otherwise is just BS.

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What percentage of evangelicals have read it cover to cover on their own? Most I have met have been spoonfed tidbits for life with zero full context.

I’ve read it cover to cover twice.

They might not actually like the long term outcome should folks with a brain read it thru.

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What percentage of evangelicals have read it cover to cover on their own? Most I have met have been spoonfed tidbits for life with zero full context.

I’ve read it cover to cover twice.

They might not actually like the long term outcome should folks with a brain read it thru.

They should force middle schoolers to read it cover to cover. Years later we would watch the attendance at churchs plummet in the state.

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I have less of an issue with this than the posting of the 10 Commandments. The Bible is critical to the teaching of western civilization and culture. It should be taught in the right context with some allowance for kids to opt.

Can you give us an example of what you mean? Certainly religions have had huge influence on culture and history, and you can’t do a good job with those subjects without also mentioning the role(s) that religion played. But, what historical events require a detailed understanding of the specific text of one or more religions?

Singling out the text of one religion (I realize there is more than one Christian Bible) is inherently fraught. One would need a rather compelling story of why that specific text is essential to the understanding of history. Otherwise, we’re just promoting the majority religion which, of course, is exactly the goal here.

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Is it the Catholic version or the Protestant version?

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Is it the Catholic version or the Protestant version?

Definitely not Catholic.

Oklahoma’s religious profile varies markedly from national norms. The state’s residents identify themselves as Southern Baptist almost seven times more often than other Americans, but Churches of Christ, Methodist, Pentecostal, and Holiness groups are also much more common in Oklahoma than elsewhere.

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Is it the Catholic version or the Protestant version?

Or the Satanic one?

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BREAKING NEWS
He also said that the state might supply teaching materials for the Bible to “ensure uniformity in delivery.”

I’m sure this will take a historical and cultural approach to the Bible rather than a Christian theological perspective.

The Christian Bible is nothing more that a work of fiction to teach people what those in charge at the time wanted them to do. It has no historical value. To claim otherwise is just BS.

Really? Many wars have been fought rooted in this book and others like it. It definitely has a key place in history.

My daughter learned about the Bible, the Koran and major world religions at a very high level in elementary school. I think it’s important knowledge to understand history.

Even if you don’t agree with how many view it- it’s hard not to see it as having a very important place in history.

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BREAKING NEWS
He also said that the state might supply teaching materials for the Bible to “ensure uniformity in delivery.”

I’m sure this will take a historical and cultural approach to the Bible rather than a Christian theological perspective.

I feel that most fundamentalist Christians can barely read Merican. They think Babylon is a town in north Texas.

They simply are not prepared to analyze a complex translated, edited and retranslated book- of ancient myths, lore and laws.

Here’s the way it will go:

“My pastor says his Bible says this.”

“Oh, yeah. Well my pastor says that his Bible says that.”

These numb nuts are gonna need a bunch of libtards scholars to explain the Bible to them.

Or they will just end up fighting with each other.

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BREAKING NEWS
He also said that the state might supply teaching materials for the Bible to “ensure uniformity in delivery.”

I’m sure this will take a historical and cultural approach to the Bible rather than a Christian theological perspective.

It has no historical value.

So you’re basically ignorant of Western history. Noted

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So you’re basically ignorant of Western history. Noted

The Bible doesn’t have a ton of Western history in it.

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In his announcement on Thursday, Mr. Walters called the Bible “a necessary historical document to teach our kids about the history of this country, to have a complete understanding of Western civilization, to have an understanding of the basis of our legal system.”

Forgive me as it’s been a long time since I’ve read the Bible.
Could someone point me to the chapters about US history and the US legal system?

Perhaps there is a new edition that’s been released recently?

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