Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters issued a memo on Thursday requiring the Bible to be taught in public schools for grades 5 through 12.
“The Bible is a necessary historical document,” Walters said in an announcement, “to teach our kids about the history of this country, to have a complete understanding of Western civilization, to have an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.”
He went on to mention how several key documents, such as the Federalist Papers, and figures in America’s history, such as Martin Luther King Jr., reference and build arguments upon the Bible. “It is essential that our kids have an understanding of the Bible and its historical context,” he said.
