Legal rights groups urge school leaders not to adopt Texas’ Bible-infused curriculum

The Texas Tribune, By Jaden Edison, on January 30, 2025

https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/30/texas-aclu-bible-bluebonnet-curriculum/#:~:text=The%20American%20Civil%20Liberties%20Union,Learning%2C%20would%20%22unlawfully%20impose%20a 

The Texas State Board of Education’s recent adoption of the Blue Bonnet curriculum, a Bible-infused educational program, has sparked legal concerns and pushback from civil rights groups. Critics argue that the curriculum heavily integrates Christian ideology, downplays significant historical events like slavery and civil rights struggles, and promotes religious favoritism in public education. Supporters, on the other hand, defend it as a necessary inclusion to properly teach students about history and the influence of Christianity. Adding fuel to the controversy, the state is offering schools $60 per student to implement the curriculum, raising concerns about whether this amounts to coercion. Legal organizations are warning school districts of potential constitutional violations, particularly regarding the separation of church and state. Texas now joins other states like Louisiana and Oklahoma in pushing religiously motivated education policies, with legal battles looming on the horizon. The broader issue at play is where the line should be drawn between education and indoctrination. If a curriculum truly aimed to educate about religious diversity, it would include perspectives from multiple faiths, rather than elevating Christianity above all others. Yet, attempts to introduce other religious viewpoints often meet resistance. A recent Supreme Court ruling weakened the “Lemon Test,” a key standard for determining church-state separation, further blurring the legal boundaries. The concern now is that similar religiously motivated educational policies could spread unchecked, challenging secular principles in public education. This push for Christian-centric education also exposes the hypocrisy in religious privilege. If proponents argue that the majority should dictate educational content in a democracy, then why aren’t non-Christian perspectives equally considered? While groups like the Satanic Temple and some Jewish organizations have challenged such policies in court, these efforts often receive less attention. The core issue remains: why does Christianity receive special treatment while other faiths and secular viewpoints are marginalized? With legal battles ahead, the role of religion in public schools may soon face even greater scrutiny.

The Non-Prophets, Episode 24.07.3 featuring Cynthia McDonald, Helen Greene, Eli Slack and Kelley Laughlin

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-non-prophets--3254964/support.