Texas is expected to vote this week on making Bible reading mandatory in public schools. A final vote on the matter by the Texas State Board of Education is set for Friday.
Critics of the proposal believe it violates the separation of church and state and supports Christianity above other religions, while supporters argue the proposal educates students on the nation’s founding and history.
“We need to focus on what our nation was founded on and not apologize for that,” Susan Perez, founder of Citizens for Education Reform, told the education board this week, as reported by the Associated Press. “It is the truth and we should not be afraid.”
Preliminary approval for the Bible passages was given in April. Bible passages to be taught to students include the Golden Rule to kindergartners, the Parable of the Prodigal Son to first graders, the Road to Damascus to third graders, do not fear from Matthew 6:25-34 to sixth graders, the love chapter from 1 Corinthians as well as Jonah and Psalm 23 to seventh graders, and the Beatitudes from Matthew 5 to eighth graders. Students are also expected to learn about David and Goliath, the Tower of Babel, To Everything There is a Season from Ecclesiastes, and the Book of Job.
“There are other states, many other states, who have recommended reading lists,” Republican member Keven Ellis, who proposed the revised list, said earlier this year. “To my knowledge, there is not one that will have a required reading list as robust as this, that will be common for every student across the state.”
