Several school districts say they will not – as of now – amend curricula following superintendent’s order
As a new school year looms in Oklahoma, some educators in the state are pushing back against a new state order to incorporate the Bible into their lesson plans.
In late June, Oklahoma’s Republican state education superintendent, Ryan Walters, ordered public schools in the state to immediately incorporate the Bible and the Ten Commandments into their curricula, following the passage that month of a law in Louisiana with a similar mandate – and which was quickly challenged on constitutional grounds.
Walters appeared at a state education board meeting and called the Bible “one of the most foundational documents used for the constitution and the birth of our country”, though the US’s founders explicitly called for a substantial separation between church and state. And he said that the Bible was a “necessary historical document to teach our kids about the history of this country, to have a complete understanding of western civilization, to have an understanding of the basis of our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”.
Walters’ policy and remarks not only reignited the conversation about keeping state and church affairs separate. They also drew criticism from civil rights groups and Democratic lawmakers who argued that the order violated federal rights to freely exercise one’s religious faith as well as a constitutional prohibition against the establishment of a state religion.
Hmmm yes, the 10 commandments are so relevant to laws in the US. Let’s go through them.
I am the LORD your God; you shall not have strange gods before me.
- explicitly allowed freedom of religion
You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
- explicitly allowed freedom of speech
Remember to keep holy the LORD’s Day.
- nope
Honor your father and mother.
- don’t have to, in fact the state will remove children from parents without honoring their wishes
You shall not kill.
- not really ground breaking stuff
You shall not commit adultery.
- shitty but not illegal
You shall not steal.
- wow, amazing
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
- good rule but seems like “don’t lie maliciously” covers more.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
- seems appropriate to teach to elementary kids
You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.
- coveting our neighbors goods is like 50% of the US economy. And also the basis of manifest destiny.
Might as well have made “Treat others the way you want to be treated” state mandated curriculum, that’s more relevant than the 10 commandments.
Not a single one of those commandments apply to U.S. law universally.
Not even “thou shalt not kill” (thanks to the Castle Doctrine and stand-your-ground laws) and “thou shalt not steal” (thanks to civil asset forfeiture).
So even for those two, which are the only two which our laws reflect, there are extenuating circumstances.
Might as well have made “Treat others the way you want to be treated” state mandated curriculum, that’s more relevant than the 10 commandments.
And some version of that ethic of reciprocity has appeared in pretty much every civilization throughout known history.
It’s far from exclusive to the Christian religion.
