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CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM MARCHES ON WITH ‘BIBLE-INFUSED’ TEXAS
CURRICULUM  
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Jessica Corbett
November 22, 2024
Common Dreams
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_ "What we're seeing here in Texas with these lessons is a larger
national push to promote the idea that American identity and Christian
identity are woven together, are one in the same," said one professor.
_

A boy reads at a desk in an elementary school. , Fly View
Productions/Getty Images

 

Parents, teachers, and other critics of Christian nationalism were
outraged by a Texas board's Friday vote to approve a "Bible-infused
[[link removed]]"
curriculum for elementary school students—part of a broader
right-wing push to force Christianity into public education.

"They chose politics over what's best for students, promoting an
evangelical Christian religious perspective and undermining the
freedom of families to direct the religious education of their own
children," declared
[[link removed]] the Texas
Freedom Network, accusing the State Board of Education (SBOE) of
ignoring warnings from religious studies experts, national media
attention, and overwhelming negative feedback from the people they're
elected to serve."

Like a preliminary vote Tuesday, eight of the SBOE's 15 members voted
to approve Bluebonnet Learning
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instructional materials proposed by the Texas Education Agency. Three
Republicans joined all four Democrats in opposing the curriculum. The
deciding vote in favor of it was cast by Leslie Recine, a Republican
recently appointed by GOP Gov. Greg Abbott to temporarily fill a
vacant seat.

"In a state as diverse as Texas, home to millions of people from
countless faiths and beliefs, the Texas Republicans on the State Board
of Education voted to incorporate Biblical teachings into the state
curriculum—completely undermining religious freedom," said
[[link removed]] Texas
Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa in a statement after the
final vote.

"This move has ultimately violated parents' rights to guide their
children's faith while presenting teachers with additional needless
challenges," Hinojosa argued. "Our public schools should be focused on
equipping students with the education and skills they need to succeed
beyond grade school whether it's pursuing a higher education or
entering the workforce. The teaching of religious doctrine should stay
in our places of worship where it belongs."

Although the curriculum isn't required, _The Texas Tribune_reported
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"the state will offer an incentive of $60 per student to districts
that adopt the lessons, which could appeal to some as schools struggle
financially after several years without a significant raise in state
funding."

"Christian nationalists have bought their way into every governing
body of the state, including the SBOE. And they will not stop with
inserting Biblical content in English textbooks."

Bluebonnet Learning features lessons from Christianity in reading and
language arts materials for kindergarten through fifth grade.

"This curriculum is not age-appropriate or subject matter appropriate
in the way that it presents these Bible stories," Amanda Tyler,
executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious
Liberty, told
[[link removed]]_The
Associated Press_. Children who would read the material, she said,
"are simply too young to tell the difference between what is a faith
claim and what is a matter of fact."

Zeph Capo, president of the Texas arm of the American Federation of
Teachers, urged districts "to resist the dollars dangled before them
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refuse to use Bluebonnet Learning materials," arguing that they
violate the code of ethics
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the state's educators and "the separation of church and state by
infusing lessons with Bible-based references more appropriate for
Sunday Schools than public schools."

"Moreover, they are assaults on the academic freedom of our classrooms
and the sanctity of the teaching profession," he said
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a Friday statement. "We have a duty as teachers to make our teaching
and learning materials accessible and inclusive of all students in our
classrooms. These prescriptive materials cannot meet all learners in
all contexts; in fact, they make no effort to do so."

"Perhaps what's most insulting about today's vote is that these
materials are not just inappropriate—they're bad at what they
proclaim to do. Instructional experts have expressed deep concerns
about the age-appropriateness of the materials and whether they will
be effective reading instruction," Capo continued. "In short, this is
a push coming from idealogues
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rather than anyone with expertise in educational best practices."

Noting the current "moment of profound political division," the union
leader added that the vote "is the latest evidence that Christian
nationalists have bought their way into every governing body of the
state, including the SBOE. And they will not stop with inserting
Biblical content in English textbooks. We can anticipate what will
come next, whether that's the erasure of contributions of marginalized
populations in social studies or the minimalization of climate change
in science."

The curriculum push coincides with an SBOE effort to restrict library
materials. The ACLU of Texas said
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that "the same politicians censoring what students can read now want
to impose state-sponsored religion onto our public schools."

The _Tribune_reported
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that "10 members on the board responsible for determining what Texas'
5.5 million public schoolchildren learn in the classroom voted to call
on the Texas Legislature, which convenes in January, to pass a state
law granting them authority to determine what books are appropriate
for school-age children."

This week - while the public worked to oppose the Christian
Nationalist supported Bible infused K-5 curriculum- the SBOE decided
now would be a great time to plot to take on the role of State Library
Book Censor. 🆒 [link removed]

— TX Freedom to Read Project (@TXFreedomRead) November 22, 2024
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Earlier this week, Mark Chancey, a religious studies professor at
Southern Methodist University, told
[[link removed]] _Fox
4_ that he supports teaching religion in public schools, but in a
fair and unbiased way, and he doesn't agree with the state proposal.

"I think it would be unfortunate to approve these lessons in their
current form," he said. "Public schools should reflect the religious
diversity of our state. And when teaching about religion, not
privilege one religious tradition over others."

"What we're seeing here in Texas with these lessons is a larger
national push to promote the idea that American identity and Christian
identity are woven together, are one in the same," Chancey pointed
out.

For example, in Oklahoma, Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan
Walters has set out to put Bibles—specifically, a pricey
one peddled [[link removed]] by U.S.
President-elect Donald Trump—in every classroom in the state. In a
recent appearance on _CNN_, Walters said
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"President Trump has a clear mandate. He wants prayer back in school.
He wants radical leftism out of the classroom, wants our kids to be
patriotic, wants parents back in charge with school choice."

Meanwhile, in Louisiana, state lawmakers passed legislation requiring
every public school classroom to display, in large font, a Protestant
version of the Ten Commandments. Earlier this month, a
judge prohibited
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of that requirement, which was on track to take effect in January.

At the federal level, Trump—who is set to return to the White House
in January—has advocated for dismantling the U.S. Department of
Education. For now, he has named Linda McMahon, a former wrestling
executive accused
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sexual abuse of children, as his pick for education secretary.

_JESSICA CORBETT is a senior editor and staff writer for Common
Dreams._

_Another World is Possible._

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