Oklahoma official mandates Bibles in public school classrooms

It was just last week when Republican officials in Louisiana approved a policy mandating Ten Commandments displays in every public classroom in the state. The U.S. Supreme Court had already struck down a nearly identical policy in 1980, but GOP policymakers in the state decided to give government-sponsored religious promotion another try anyway.

A week later, a controversial figure in Oklahoma effectively told Louisiana, “Anything you can do, I can do worse.” NBC News reported:

Waters’ memo added, “Immediate and strict compliance is expected.”

To be sure, this new policy is brazenly unconstitutional, but it’s not out of character for Oklahoma’s top education official. Over the last couple of years, Waters has cultivated a reputation as a right-wing Christian nationalist — even some Republicans have expressed discomfort with his radicalism — prompting discussion among Democratic legislators about possible impeachment proceedings.

Indeed, last summer, Walters not only argued that he wanted Bibles in public schools, he also expressed public indifference to court rulings related to the separation of church and state.

This week’s unilateral declaration, in other words, was very much on-brand for the state’s superintendent of public instruction.

Obviously, for those who take religious liberty seriously, Walters’ culture war crusade is exceedingly difficult to defend, but he’s not doing his ostensible allies any favors either.

In case this isn’t obvious, people of faith in Oklahoma shouldn’t even want public school teachers to give Bible-based instruction in classrooms. What if educators interpret Scripture differently from your family and church? What if the teachers aren’t Christians? What if instructors feel inclined to draw children’s attention to Biblical controversies or contradictions that you’d prefer schools stay out of?

In theory, Walters might be tempted to start dictating how public school teachers start utilizing the Bible in their lesson plans, highlighting the parts of the holy book he likes best, though that would only exacerbate the legal controversy.

This isn’t a question pitting Scriptural adherents against atheists; it’s a question pitting those who believe it’s the job of government officials and politicians to interfere in religious promotion against those who believe such matters are better left to families and houses of worship.

As for the idea that the Ten Commandments had “substantial influence on our nation’s founders and the foundational principles of our Constitution,” the historical record says otherwise. In fact, a degree of common sense is in order.

Not only does the Constitution make no reference to Christianity or the Decalogue, but the Ten Commandments themselves include provisions related to false gods, graven images, taking the Lord’s name in vain, and honoring Sabbaths and parents. How much of this is reflected in the Constitution? None of it.

Either Walters and his cohorts are completely wrong about history, or the nation’s founders tried to incorporate the Ten Commandments into the Constitution and were incredibly bad at it.