Bible in Public Schools
Why I'm opposed.
In Oklahoma these past few weeks, the state Superintendent of public schools, Ryan Walters (who shares a name with a childhood friend of mine but does not share philosophies!) mandated that every classroom and every teacher have a Bible and teach from it. Walters went on to say 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. 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.”
This means that Spanish class, Calculus, gym class, all need to have a Bible and reference it. As a Christian and as a pastor who loves the Bible, I should jump for joy right? I should be grateful for the courageous leadership of Walters and embrace the new frontiers for Bible education, right?
I do not jump for joy and I do not support this idea.
Why, as a follower of Jesus, a pastor, a theologian, and pseudo Bible scholar, would I oppose teaching Christian scripture in public schools?
It violates students’ freedom of religion
We believe that everyone in the United States has the freedom to choose what to believe, what religion to practice, and how to practice that. Just recently I saw the Plymouth rock, where the Mayflower (theoretically) landed as pilgrims sought religious freedom. From whom? OTHER CHRISTIANS. They wanted freedom from the church of England, now we call it Anglican. But part of the DNA of our country is that everyone should be free to practice and believe as they see fit. This is also an essential Baptist concept as well.
It violates teachers’ freedom of religion
Oklahoma is already struggling for teachers. Oklahoma pays them poorly and is currently ranked 49th in education (thank God for Mississippi, amen?). What happens if a teacher is Muslim, or Buddhist, or atheist? Should they have to teach the Bible? Absolutely not. That’s not their book. Nor is it their job. Not only do citizens have freedom of religion, but teachers are citizens and deserve it as well. And beyond that, what if the teacher is a Christian but not “the right kind” of Christian? Would Presbyterian parents want a Baptist teacher teaching their kids the Bible? Would Baptist kids want a Catholic teacher? Who decides on what version, what interpretation of difficult passages? What if they just stick in Judges and tell kids that is a prescriptive book for life and happiness?
Teachers will not do as good of a job teaching it, and that is unfair to them
This is not a slight on teachers. I could not teach calculus. Or Espanol. Why not? Because I’m not trained to do so. Our teachers are trained to teach their subjects, not a holy book that takes seminary and Greek and Hebrew and other advanced courses to interpret and work with. Can every Christian understand the Bible? To be sure. But can every Christian TEACH it? Not necessarily. And SHOULD every Christian teach it? Definitely not. I don’t want my kids learning the Bible from a Buddhist social studies teacher. I want them learning social studies from that person. I believe it is my job and my church’s job to help instruct my kids on scripture. I believe it is lazy and shirking responsibility to farm that out to public schools.
It will not benefit the kingdom, it will only harm it
People do not respond well to being coerced. They react against it. In the history of Christianity, the kingdom has never benefited from trying to force people to believe. This situation will be no different. If I had to bet, I would bet that if this mandate is followed, it will lead more students to reject the Christian faith than to follow it. It will lead to resentment from teachers, resignation, and likely many leaving the profession. And it will harm churches and the kingdom of God. God calls people through grace and goodness, this mandate does the opposite of that.
My opinion is that this is a performative act by a superintendent that is not actually trying to improve the lives of the people he serves. I do not believe this will increase biblical literacy in Oklahoma, but decrease it. Mandating Biblical instruction will harm the Church, not help it.
James literally has a warning - "Let not too many become teachers among you . . ."
Amen to that. You said everything I would have if I were even half as good as you at being clear and precise.