TULSA, Okla. (KTUL) — “Oklahoma I’m very proud we’re going to be the first state to ensure that our kids understand the historical context of the Bible,” said Ryan Walters.
No stranger to controversy, State Superintendent Walters stirred up one of biblical proportions with a requirement that the Bible be taught in all Oklahoma public schools. Why?
“So that our kids can understand the impact that the Bible has had on our founders, on people throughout our history,” he said.
Backlash swarmed faster than the plague of locusts on Egypt.
“Ryan Walters is on a Christian Nationalist crusade,” said Rachel Laser of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
“It is false facts to say that this country is based on the Bible. The constitution, the constitutional convention barely mention the Bible, the Ten Commandments didn’t come up, and the constitution puts the power in the people not in a deity,” she said.
“Left wing activists, they can get mad about it. They want to rewrite history and lie to our kids. They want to indoctrinate about this nation’s history. The reality is we’re going to get back to teaching fact and part of that fact is an understanding of the role the Bible played,” said Walters.
“Immediately I knew that this is unconstitutional,” said Adam Soltani, Executive Director of the Oklahoma chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
“What if Muslims proposed that they wanted to teach the Qur’an? I doubt people would be thrilled with that idea and we wouldn’t propose that because we love the ideals of religious freedom as outlined in the Constitution that protect everyone from government overreach into that area of our life,” he said.
Backlash also came from Tulsa Mayoral candidate and State Rep. Monroe Nichols, “The latest action from Ryan Walters is not just an attack on the separation of church and state, it is worse. It’s an example of an unpopular, unprepared and failed leader trying to use God as a political cover.” Walter’s reaction?
“He’s completely irrelevant. He’s a Democrat that doesn’t share Oklahoma values, that has no role in leadership in the state. And so he’s trying to be relevant by taking a shot at me and guess what, Oklahomans reject him, they reject his values of pushing porn in school and pushing ideology in school and they want our kids to know our history,” he said.
And on the Tulsa school board, support from member E’lena Ashley…
“I think it is the best historic document to be taught in our schools. What a wonderful, wonderful day it is to actually have it being taught in Tulsa public schools,” she said.
We also reached out to board member John Croisant who told us, “I won’t comment on the Bible being taught in schools, but I hope that Mr. Walters starts focusing on the millions in lost funding that the OSDE has lost under his watch, rather than trying to get attention in the media.”
“John just doesn’t have a clue, hadn’t had a clue for a long time. So John needs to focus on getting Tulsa public schools back on track,” said Walters.
Fire and brimstone, and that’s just today. And you don’t need to read Revelations to figure out what’s coming next.
“We are looking at legal remedies to block this type of requirement,” said Soltani.