Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters issued this memo today requiring teachers in all schools to keep a Bible in their classroom and teach from it as a historical document. (Via KOCO 5 News)
You know, we could probably knocked about 25% of the caseloads off over overtaxed legal system if we just stopped letting Republicans do blatantly unconstitutional bullcrap for no reason other than they think it will upset a liberal.
My mom was an English teacher who taught the Bible as literature, in a unit with Dante & Shakespeare. But how is that supposed to apply in a math classroom?
Like Genesis 19:33-36: "And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger" Oh wait, ban that book.
Uniformity in delivery, huh. There are some great books available by religion scholars that break down the development of "God" as written in the Bible (which even mentions El at least once) - kids could learn a hell of alot about critical thinking from the Bible when taught by someone rational.
Eagerly awaiting comment from Oklahoma schools advisor Chaya Raichik, who is supposedly helping them to decide what books should be used in the classroom.
"After Pharaoh agreed to release the Israelites, God mind-controlled Pharaoh to change his mind. And God reacted to God's interference by unleashing frogs on Egypt.
Now remember that there is no homework due on Monday because we are legally required to kill you if you do homework on Sunday/"
Welcome class.
Today we're going to contrast and compare the Bible and the Constitution with particular attention to the fact that neither document references the other as regards the foundations of our country.
I mean, if I were /required/ to teach about the Bible in school, I definitely would, but I'm pretty sure Ryan here would not be pleased with the accurate story of the Bible that would be presented (as opposed to his rose-tinted-glasses interpretation of it).
If Ryan Walters ever picked up a Bible & started reading it from Genesis 1 verse 1 he would know before he was halfway through the book of Genesis it's not a historical document. My favorite question is where did all the other people come from that populated the cities & married Adam & Eve's sons?
Somebody needs to flat pur ask these idiots why they're trying to turn America into Iran?
Separation of church and state was to keep religion OUT of schools and politics, to avoid endless religious wars like Europe had.
To be fair it doesn't state how the Bible will be used in teaching. Having never been taugth it myself (and living in another country) I have learned to appreciate the importance of it on history later. But I suspect Mr. Walters will object to, for instance, using it to define hypocrisy?
Really fun replies here but this is actual lawfare. Most of us don’t have the means or fortitude to legally challenge this and have to wait for deeper pockets to hire the SPLC or ACLU or a union etc to bring a lawsuit. More flooding the zone with shite by Rs and they benefit every time.
Please yes, teach kids the earth is only 5328 years old, or that it’s okay to stone people to death for doing yard work on the Sabbath. No way that doesn’t backfire.
I teach history and this would be a hard no-go. It doesn’t contain most of world history, nor does it contain entirely factual statements. I use it as any other religious text in class: a way to explain the social climates of the time/region.
The End.
The serious answer to this is teaching about the various discrepancies between Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John and about the apocrypha and how political religion is using differences between KJV, Catholic, Oriental, and other versions of the Bible.
Then you whip out the Koran. Praise Allah.
Really, now. A teacher could have a bit of fun with that. I mean, fuck it - if that's where things are in that bumfuck location, non-thumpers aren't going to be there long anyway.
Start with the 'historical document' excerpts about killing your sons and daughters.
King James? New International? Revised Standard? Cottonpatch? Holman Christian Standard? Common English? Contemporary English? Living? Legacy Standard? World English? Lexham? New English?
🙄
Why is he describing the ten commandments as separate from the bible? I guess Christian nationalism doesn't require knowledge of Christianity any more, never mind the Constitution
If it's taught honestly as a historical document, fine.
Let's discuss the multiple repetitive stories about Moses.
Let's talk about the similarities to pre-Christian traditions of the flood.
I say use the Oxford Study Version
(My B.A. is in religious studies)
Okay.
Well, if he's going to insist on using a Bible as a historical document, then we can start with all the points where claims made there are contradicted by evidence from other sources.
Trolling as Education Policy.
(Also, as a history teacher I don't think they want us to teach any lessons the historiocity of the bible. The opportunities for malicious compliance are endless.)
Time to be super-literal.
Use the Bible as a teaching tool to acquaint students with archaic food laws, contradictions, etc.
Encourage essays on why the Bible is not considered a reliable historical text.
Play "telephone" with verses, to demonstrate how ideas are not always accurately transmitted.
I'm not sure my math or physics classes would've found it useful, but the KJV would've been an excellent source for 8th grade grammar for diagramming sentences and learning to use singular "they". And the parts about treating immigrants are certainly useful in civics classes today.
Ok class today’s lesson is on the Jubilee, in which all debts were forgiven after 7 years.
Next week, how rich people suck ass and can’t get into heaven.
The Heritage Foundation's been telling extreme Christians 15+ yrs to join every School Board and City Hall and they did. It's why Christian Nationalists are suddenly so powerful and Project 2025 ready. Dems ignored the threat of local politics and Separation of Church and State is being destroyed.
“Okay class, let’s kick off the day by reading Matthew 6:5-8. ‘When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men but when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your father who is unseen.’”
I mean I can point out this is all unconstitutional but also just... the Bible is full of historical misinformation. Like just a quite example of many: we know from geological data that a global flood never happened so everything related to Noah is 100% bullshit.
The Bible was incredibly important in our nation's foundation; yet few people know that General Washington didn't just CROSS the Delaware River, he PARTED it, being guided by what Moses did with the Red Sea.
Were I an OK teacher, my immediate reaction would be to order a copy of every "holy book" of every religion I could think of, and shelve them all together.
Today’s lesson is that you can be stoned to death if you wear 2 types of cloth and how your dad can sell your sister into slavery. Also, those two crops your dad planted in the same field side by side, welp, bye bye Daddio.
If I were a teacher in OK I would have, along with the Quran and holy scriptures from all the other major religions, R Crumb’s Book of Genesis. I learned so much from that rendition.
I'd only teach the bad stuff and wait and see how long it would take for me to get reprimanded.
"You said to use it as a teaching instrument."
"WE ONLY MEANT THE GOOD STUFF LIKE WATER INTO WINE!"
"Are you saying I should teach my students to distill their own alcohol? 'Cause I'll do it."