Oklahoma’s State Education Superintendent Ryan Walters has mandated teaching the Bible as part of the U.S. history curriculum. The Superintendent wants his students to
“grasp the core values and historical context of our country”.
Oklahoma State Supereintendent Ryan Walters
He’s right… but not in the way he and other authoritarian Republicans think. Slavery has had a tremendous invidious impact on U.S. history. How could U.S. slaveholders morally justify owning another human being? It’s in the Bible. Slavery is referenced in Genesis, Exodus, Deuteronomy, Leviticus, and Ephesians- the Old Testament and the New Testament.
Frederick Douglass once said
“(I) … hate the corrupt, slave-holding, women-whipping, cradle-plundering, partial and hypocritical Christianity of this land. Indeed, I can see no reason but the most deceitful one for calling the religion of this land Christianity…”
Frederick Douglass
Now, Mr. Superintendent, explain to your students why we believe in the separation of church and state.
Sources
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/biblical-slavery/
https://answersingenesis.org/bible-history/the-bible-and-slavery/
https://time.com/5171819/christianity-slavery-book-excerpt/
https://time.com/5171819/christianity-slavery-book-excerpt/
https://abcnews.go.com/US/oklahoma-state-superintendent-releases-guidance-controversial-bible-teachings/story?id=112263129
Thanks and a tip of the hat to Leon Brooks for the image.
