The rural Oklahoma town of Caddo has received pushback for trying to incorporate the Bible into public schools. Despite the strong presence of Christian parishes and conservative voters, many community members resist the idea of introducing biblical teachings in the classroom.

Many of the supporters of the Bible’s inclusion have cited the historical importance of the Scriptures. Indeed, the Bible and its teachings are deeply integrated into American history and were vital to early settlers and influential in shaping the nation’s culture. 

Some are suspicious of the greater purpose of the Bible mandate. Stacey Woolley, president of the Tulsa school board, believes the mandate intends to have a court case reach the Supreme Court. Ryan Walters, the Republican state superintendent who started this mandate, is sure that his law will survive because of the Supreme Court Justices appointed by former President Trump.

This case seems to be part of a larger conservative movement challenging the separation between Church and State. This summer, Louisiana passed a law to require all classrooms to display the Ten Commandments. The enforcement of this law is still pending due to an ongoing lawsuit.

However, many are still concerned about the possibility of the Bible’s usage in public schools. What is most surprising in this debate is the number of Christians of Caddo who are concerned about the use of the Bible as part of the public school curriculum. 

Since conservative Christians have been at the forefront of the movement to include religion in public school education, it was generally assumed that conservative Christians would support a mandate that includes their faith. However, they are skeptical of how it can be included in classrooms due to varying denominations and differing interpretations of the Bible. 

Although the Bible’s influence in American history is evident, the people of Caddo prove that it is best to keep the Bible out of public schools. 

From a constitutional standpoint, The Establishment Clause of the First Amendment denies the possibility for the government to establish a state religion. This is meant to prevent secular individuals from being forced into practicing a faith. 

The Supreme Court case of the School District of Abington Township, Pennsylvania v. Schempp further cements this separation. The court case over Bible readings upholds that using the Bible for religious practice is unconstitutional although using the Bible for academic lessons is permitted.

Nevertheless, the requirement to include the Bible in every classroom and to have it used by every teacher is pushing the boundaries of this ruling. Including the Bible in public school classrooms would result in just that — nonpracticing individuals being compelled into faith-based lessons. 

The only way to fairly require the Bible in all classrooms would be to include readings from every possible faith system. As this is impossible, the school does not have the right to force religious texts in all classes. 

Even if all the students are Christian, there are too many denominations and interpretations of the Bible to account for properly. Oklahoma alone is home to eight denominations of Christianity, each with varying traditions and ideological differences. 

As many of the people of Caddo have resolved, it is best to keep the Church in charge of teaching the Bible and the classrooms focused on teaching reading, writing and arithmetic.