foundational

CHRISTIAN BREAKING NEWS: Oklahoma Orders All Schools in the State to Teach the Bible which Includes the Ten Commandments Effective Immediately [#OklahomaState #RyanWalters #OklaSDE #RyanWaltersSupt #OklahomaStateDepartmentOfEduction]

https://x.com/RyanWaltersSupt/status/1806365533605929163
Source: Superintendent Ryan Walters X Account, @RyanWaltersSupt

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.

RYAN WALTERS
STATE SUPERINTENDENT of PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
OKLAHOMA STATE DEPARTMENT of EDUCATION

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 27, 2024
Contact: Dan Isett 405-570-9203

Walters Requires Bible be Taught in Oklahoma Classrooms
Teaching Will Incorporate the Bible as an Instructional Support

Oklahoma City, Okla – In a memorandum to Oklahoma school superintendents, State Superintendent Ryan Walters announced the implementation of foundational texts in curriculum. Effective immediately, all Oklahoma schools are required to incorporate the Bible, which includes the Ten Commandments, as an instructional support into the curriculum across specified grade levels. This directive is in alignment with the educational standards approved on or about May 2019, with which all districts must comply.

“The Bible is an indispensable historical and cultural touchstone,” said Walters. “Without basic knowledge of it, Oklahoma students are unable to properly contextualize the foundation of our nation which is why Oklahoma educational standards provide for its instruction. 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.”

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.

Additionally, the State Department of Education may supply teaching materials for the Bible, as permissible, to ensure uniformity in delivery.
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2500 NORTH LINCOLN BOULEVARD, OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73105-4599
PHONE: (405) 521-4885 • SDE.OK.GOV • RYAN.WALTERS @SDE.OK.GOV

Oklahoma’s Department of Education ordered every teacher in the state to have a Bible in their classroom and to teach from it, in an announcement on Thursday that challenges U.S. Supreme Court rulings that have found state sponsorship of religion to be unconstitutional.

Ryan Walters, Oklahoma’s superintendent of public instruction, announced the order with immediate effect at Thursday’s Department of Education board meeting, in which he said special attention will be afforded to the Ten Commandments.

Both the Hebrew and Christian Bible include the Jewish prophet Moses receiving the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai, while only the Christian Bible includes the New Testament. Walters, who is Christian, did not stipulate which version teachers must use to comply with his order, and his spokesperson declined to answer questions.

The Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment has been interpreted to prohibit the state from sponsoring or establishing any particular religion. The Oklahoma Constitution goes further, stipulating that any public school and spending of public funds must be nonsectarian, and not benefit “any sect, church, denomination, or system of religion.”

That part of the state constitution was cited two days before Walters’ announcement, when the Oklahoma Supreme Court struck down an effort in which Walters was involved to create the first taxpayer-funded religious charter school in the U.S.

The main teachers’ labor union in Oklahoma said Walters’ Bible order was unconstitutional and that state law said school districts have the right to decide which books are available in their classrooms.

NEWS SOURCE & LINKS:
Reuters

Oklahoma Orders All Schools in the State to TEACH THE BIBLE WHICH INCLUDES THE TEN COMMANDMENTS… | Christian Breaking News!