O-o-o-klahoma!

Oklahoma is famous for several things:

The first Rogers and Hammerstein Broadway hit

Excellent college football

Land so desolate that Andrew Jackson stuck the relocated Indians with it

Oklahoma is not famous for its public educational system. The Sooner State ranks 49th of 50 in student scores and (not coincidentally) in teacher salary. That will surely change now that its Republican-dominated legislature mandated that schools “are required to incorporate the Bible, which includes the Ten Commandments,” into curriculum for fifth through 12th grades, effective immediately.

Oklahoma’s State Educational Superintendent stated, “The Bible is a necessary historical document to teach our kids about the history of this country, to have a complete understanding of Western civilization, to have an understanding of the basis of our legal system — and is frankly one of the most foundational documents used for the Constitution and the birth of our country,”

So Bible study will teach Oklahoma 5th graders about “the history of this country” (presumably the USA) which won’t be founded until 1776 years later? Kids need to know about “smiting the Amelikites” and Elijah being drawn into heaven on a chariot of fire to have a complete understanding of Western civilization? How did all that fun stuff in Leviticus about how if your brother dies you are obligated to marry his widow and stoning adulterers to death somehow get lost in “the basis of our legal system”?

If the Bible is”one of the foundational documents used for the Constitution”, why is it never mentioned? Could that be because the very first freedom in the first amendment reads, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion”?

Adding Bible Study to Oklahoma’s public school curriculum means less time for “ readin’, writing’, or ‘ritmetic “. Oklahoma will rank 50 of 50 yet.

By Ed Dufton