Oklahoma mandates Bible and Ten Commandments in school curriculum

In a controversial move, Oklahoma's State Superintendent, Ryan Walters, has mandated that all public schools in the state teach the Bible, including the Ten Commandments. Walters justified this directive by calling the Bible a "necessary historical document" essential for understanding the history of the country and Western civilization. This decision is part of a broader conservative movement aiming to instill Christian values in public education, sparking debates over the separation of religion and state in schools. The directive in Oklahoma follows a similar law in Louisiana requiring public classrooms to display the Ten Commandments, reflecting a trend among conservatives, particularly Catholics and evangelicals, to assert their Christian beliefs in educational settings. Critics, such as the Interfaith Alliance, have condemned the move as religious coercion and a violation of religious freedom, arguing that public schools should remain neutral in matters of faith to respect diverse beliefs. The Oklahoma Supreme Court recently blocked an attempt to establish the first publicly funded religious charter school in the country, emphasizing the need for nonsectarianism in public education. The court's decision highlighted the importance of ensuring that charter schools, as public institutions, do not promote specific religious ideologies, as seen in the case of St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, which aimed to evangelize the Catholic faith through state sponsorship. Superintendent Walters expressed determination to provide diverse educational options for parents in Oklahoma, including public, charter, and private schools, while facing opposition to religious influence in public education. The ongoing debate underscores the complex intersection of religion, education, and constitutional principles in shaping the future of America's school system, with stakeholders advocating for a balance between academic freedom and religious neutrality.