Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters issued this memo today requiring teachers in all schools to keep a Bible in their classroom and teach from it as a historical document. (Via KOCO 5 News)
The stupid part is that if they stopped gatekeeping and started actually embracing every one of God's children they wouldn't have to do the hard sell, but for some reason want to tell billions of people that Christianity isn't for them and complain nobody wants to go to church anymore.
Morons.
Oh, I'd fucking LOVE to teach the Bible as a historical document. I'd introduce them to the documentary hypothesis, and inform them that the Torah as a recognizable written document -- and monotheism itself for that matter -- didn't come from Moses but appeared only in Exilic times.
I took "Bible as Literature" during undergrad and it was eye opening. I was already questioning a lot; it solidified a bunch of positions. I'm glad I took it.
Gonna hold my breath waiting for the professional free speech warriors to even lightly criticize this government-mandated religious speech, aaaand whoops I’m dead
A historical document? Ok. If you want 3rd graders to hear how for 2000 years the Christian religion has been used to justify untold suffering, you got it.
alternately, cherry pick all the verses about whited sepulchres and do not be as the hypocrites do but go pray in your closet and so on and so on. use Liberation Theology to interpret the verses.
