Tag: Oklahoma news

States That Allow Bible in the Classroom

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Elementary students and teacher sitting and reading books in a classroom reading corner

Texas public schools will now require students to read Bible passages and stories as part of the latest conservative push to expand the role of religion in public education—a move bound to escalate wrangling over the separation of church and state doctrine derived from the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment.

The Texas State Board of Education, which is controlled by Republicans, approved a reading list on Friday that would mean millions of public school children must read excerpts from the Book of Job and New Testament passages, alongside traditional literary works like Charles Dickens. The list will be phased in beginning in the 2030-31 school year.

The decision places Texas at the center of an ongoing national debate over religion in public schools. While no state requires devotional Bible study in public school classrooms, four states—Texas, Utah, Louisiana and Oklahoma—have adopted or proposed policies that significantly expand the Bible’s presence in schools.

Texas

Texas approved a required statewide reading list that includes Bible passages ranging from the story of Jonah to selections from Genesis, Psalms and Lamentations. Supporters say the Bible is being taught as an essential work of literature and history rather than as religious doctrine. Critics, however, contend the curriculum gives Christianity preferential treatment over other religions and reduces local educators’ ability to choose instructional materials. “This is unique,” Antero Garcia, president of the National Council of Teachers of English and a Stanford University professor, told the Associated Press.

“I don’t know of any other state with a mandatory reading list that includes religious texts.” The vote builds on earlier Texas initiatives, including the Bluebonnet Learning curriculum, which offers districts financial incentives to adopt reading lessons containing biblical references, and a 2025 law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every public school classroom. Another 2025 law, SB 11, allows school districts to adopt a voluntary period for prayer and reading religious texts, including the Bible.

Utah

Utah lawmakers approved legislation requiring selected Bible passages to be incorporated into public school social studies standards beginning with the 2028-29 school year. The law directs educators to use the Bible when teaching subjects such as American history, civics and Western civilization, while emphasizing that instruction should be academic rather than devotional. Supporters argue the Bible is foundational to understanding Western history, while opponents say the law risks favoring Christianity in public education.

Louisiana

Louisiana took a different approach by requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every public school classroom. The law does not require students to read the Bible or participate in Bible study, but supporters have argued the displays reflect the historical foundations of American law. The measure remains the subject of ongoing constitutional litigation.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma drew national attention in 2024 after then-state Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters directed public schools to incorporate the Bible into instruction for grades five through 12. Walters said the Bible was an “indispensable historical and cultural touchstone” for understanding the nation’s founding documents and history. The directive prompted multiple lawsuits, and subsequent state leaders declined to continue enforcing the policy, leaving Oklahoma without a statewide Bible mandate.

What Does the Supreme Court Say About Teaching the Bible in School?

The U.S. Supreme Court has long distinguished between teaching religion and teaching about religion. In Abington School District v. Schempp (1963), the court struck down school-sponsored Bible readings but also emphasized that objective instruction about the Bible’s role in history, civilization, ethics and literature is constitutionally permissible. Justice Tom Clark wrote that “the Bible is worthy of study for its literary and historic qualities,” adding that such study, “when presented objectively as part of a secular program of education,” is consistent with the First Amendment. That distinction remains central to current legal debates. States defending Bible-related curriculum changes argue they are teaching the Bible for its historical and literary significance rather than promoting religious belief. Civil liberties organizations counter that some recent policies cross the constitutional line by advancing Christianity over other faiths.

What Are Released-Time Bible Programs?

Released-time programs allow public school students, with parental permission, to leave campus during the school day to receive religious instruction from private organizations. The classes are voluntary, privately funded and conducted off school property. The practice was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in Zorach v. Clauson (1952), which found that schools may accommodate religious instruction provided they do not sponsor or fund it. More than a dozen states now require school districts to accommodate released-time religious instruction if requested, and organizations such as LifeWise Academy have rapidly expanded Bible education programs under those laws.

Why It Matters The Texas vote represents the most expansive effort yet to make biblical texts a required part of public school instruction and is likely to intensify legal challenges over the separation of church and state. Whether other states follow Texas could shape the next chapter of the national debate over religion’s place in public education—and potentially invite another review by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Source: Map Shows States That Allow Bible in the Classroom – Newsweek

Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
James 1:12

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Tornado roars through Enid, Oklahoma, destroys homes, forces Air Force base to close

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chopped down trees in middle of green suburban settlement

A powerful tornado in Oklahoma on Thursday ripped roofs off buildings, destroyed homes, knocked down power poles and forced an Air Force base to close. The confirmed tornado moved across parts of Enid, a city of about 50,000 people in Garfield County near the state’s northern border, according to the National Weather Service. Videos posted online show a rapidly rotating column of air touching down, along with totaled homes.

There were no immediate reports of fatalities and only minor injuries hours after the tornado passed through, according to the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities were going door-to-door in some neighborhoods to check on residents. Overnight, the office said on social media that its phone lines were down because of tornado damage and told residents to call 911 if they had an emergency.

Source: Tornado roars through Enid, Oklahoma, destroys homes, forces Air Force base to close – CBS News

I spread out my hands to You; My soul longs for You like a thirsty land.
Psalm 143:6

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Oklahoma Advances Bill To Turn Dead Humans Into Actual Fertilizer 🤢

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bag of garden soil

The Oklahoma State House on Tuesday passed a bipartisan bill that would make it legal to use the decomposed and ground-up remains of human corpses as soil fertilizer in the state. The legislation, HB 3660, seeks to include so-called “natural organic reduction” (NOR), a common euphemism for human composting, “as a form of cremation” under state law. Oklahoma’s lower chamber passed the bill 59-37, with both Republicans and Democrats voting in favor, prompting a harsh rebuke from one of the GOP lawmakers who opposes the legislation.

Source: Oklahoma Advances Bill To Turn Dead Humans Into Actual Fertilizer | CDN

For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:7-8