The state of Oklahoma is now requiring schools to teach the Bible, including the Ten Commandments, in grades five through 12.
Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters made the announcement in a memo to all school districts on Thursday, NBC News reported.
“This directive is in alignment with the educational standards approved on about May 2019, with which all districts must comply,” the document read:
The Bible is one of the most historically significant books and a cornerstone of Western civilization, along with the Ten Commandments. They will be referenced as an appropriate study of history, civilization, ethics, comparative religion, or the like, as well as for their substantial influence on our nation’s founders and the foundational principles of our Constitution. This is not merely an educational directive but a crucial step in ensuring our students grasp the core values and historical context of our country.
Additionally, the State Department of Education may supply teaching materials for the Bible, as permissible, to ensure uniformity in delivery.
In a video posted Thursday, Walters said the Bible is connected to many of the nation’s historical events. He also referenced the fact that Martin Luther King, Jr. “used it as a tremendous impetus for the Civil Rights movement”:
In December, a West Virginia high school began integrating a Bible study program after a Christian student spoke to the principal about the idea, Breitbart News reported.
The Bible study was optional for students and guest speakers were required to fill out a volunteer form in order to speak during the morning meetings.
More recently, a bill signed into law requires a poster-sized copy of the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every public school classroom in Louisiana, Breitbart News reported June 19.
“Louisiana is the first state to successfully pass legislation requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms, including state-funded universities, since the Supreme Court voted 5-4 to banish the tenets from America’s classrooms in 1980,” the outlet said.
“Efforts to restore the commandments to public schools are active in other states, including Texas, Oklahoma, and Utah, although none so far have been successful,” it concluded.
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