What some call the attempted ‘Christianization’ of students, a small Oklahoma public school district posted posters of Bible quotes in their classrooms, until forced to remove them.
Passages such as John 3:16 and Daniel 3:18 were reportedly being prominently featured in some classrooms.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), whose goal is to promote the United State’s constitutional principle of separation of state and church, agreed with one resident of Skiatook, Oklahoma that these posters were in violation.
“The district violates the Constitution when it allows schools to display religious symbols or messages,” FFRF Staff Attorney Chris Line wrote to Skiatook Superintendent Missy Bush.
In a win for the students, particularly nonreligious and non-Christian members of the community, and the constitution, the school district apparently decided not to fight the issue and it took the posters and signs down without complaint.
However, Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters reportedly plans to post the Ten Commandments inside classrooms across the state. Oklahoma officials like Walters in particular, thinks it's important that kids have some exposure to biblical teachings.
“This is a war for the souls of our kids,” he declared shortly after his election last year. “I will do all I can to fight to get that nonsense out of schools and to put God back in schools,” he said.
The FFRF and other detractors believe religious teaching should be in the home or the church, not in a taxpayer and government funded public school.
About the writer: Matthew Woodruff is an Independent Journalist and Author who believes in Freely Accessible, Honest and Open Reporting.
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