Oklahoma's Newest Decision Requiring Public School Teachers To Teach From The Bible Is Going Viral, And People Are Losing Their Minds

    "A public school teacher isn’t qualified to teach the Bible any more than a priest is qualified to teach geometry."

    Michaela Bramwell
    by Michaela Bramwell

    BuzzFeed Staff

    Last week, Oklahoma's Republican-elected superintendent went viral for requiring the Bible be incorporated into lessons for all 5th–12th-grade classrooms.

    Keegan-Michael Key stands in a classroom leaning on a desk, teaching a lesson on vertebrate anatomy with detailed notes on a chalkboard in a scene from a comedy skit
    Key & Peele via YouTube / Via youtube.com

    The state of Oklahoma currently ranks 49th in education.

    In a now-viral video, Superintendent Ryan Walters stated: "We will be issuing a memo today that every school district will adhere to, which is that every teacher and every classroom in the state will have a Bible in the classroom and will be teaching from the Bible in the classroom."

    Oklahoma kids will learn that the Bible and the Ten Commandments are foundational for western civilization. The left is upset, but one cannot rewrite history. pic.twitter.com/iZKhv9tKoc

    — Superintendent Ryan Walters (@RyanWaltersSupt) June 27, 2024
    @RyanWaltersSupt
    Walters described the Bible as a "necessary historical document" and called the separation of church and state a "myth" in a recent interview.

    Here's the official memo:

    Memo to Oklahoma Superintendents from Ryan Walters about implementing foundational texts in the curriculum, effective June 27, 2024
    NBC News / Via documentcloud.org

    Walters recently said that President Trump inspired the Bible requirement, highlighting Trump's support and appointment of Supreme Court justices who are "originalists." "We’re very proud to be the first state to do that, and we’re proud to be leading the effort to put the Bible back in schools," Walters told US News. 

    Walters has also insinuated that any teacher who refuses to follow the new requirement could have their teaching license revoked.

    A man sits at a desk with books, a water bottle, and documents in front of him, speaking at a meeting. Two American flags and an Oklahoma flag are behind him
    @RyanWaltersSupt / Via x.com

    "Any teacher that would knowingly, willfully disobey the law and disobey our standards — there are repercussions for that,” Walters told NBC News. "So we deal with that on a case-by-case basis, but yes, teachers have to teach Oklahoma Academic Standards, and this is absolutely going to be part of them."

    Now, Walters is facing major backlash online, with many arguing that his requirement goes against a foundational principle in America: the separation between church and state.

    @kemywemy2

    The Freedom From Religion Foundation has vowed to fight the requirement in court:

    We will take action to stop Oklahoma state Superintendent Ryan Walters from forcing the bible and the Ten Commandments into Oklahoma’s public schools. https://t.co/vrpb19OXjN

    — FFRF (@FFRF) June 27, 2024
    @FFRF

    One teacher wrote that the Bible has "zero place in my 8th grade math classroom."

    I’m a teacher who owns a Bible and reads from it almost daily

    Fact: that Bible has zero place in my 8th grade math classroom

    Oklahoma is going to water down their education with this nonsense. But they’re also weakening the Bible, a great book that doesn’t need this silly trick

    — Jay Wamsted (@JayWamsted) June 28, 2024
    @JayWamsted

    This user agreed, arguing that a teacher isn't "qualified" to teach the Bible.

    A public school teacher isn’t qualified to teach the Bible any more than a priest is qualified to teach geometry.

    Religion has no place in public schools.

    — KD 📚🌎🌊🇺🇸 (@kdnerak33) June 29, 2024
    @kdnerak33

    This user called out Oklahoma's 49th place education ranking:

    @mutabi

    I'd like to know what you think about Oklahoma's newest Bible requirement in schools. Let us know in the comments below or via this anonymous Google form. Your response may be featured in an upcoming BuzzFeed post!

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