ICYMI: Official Religion in Oklahoma, Louisiana, Florida, and Beyond

Last week, Oklahoma’s state school superintendent ordered public schools in the state to teach the Bible.

Republican Ryan Walters said the Bible is an “a necessary historical document” to understand Western civilization and the U.S. legal system. 

Oklahoma also wants to directly fund a Catholic charter school, St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School. The state supreme court said no to that project, but an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court is just around the corner. From the FAQ page of St. Isidore of Seville:

“Online prayer services, scripture study through Lectio Devina, Visio Divina, the rosary, theology classes, study of the saints, virtue development, and service to family and community will round out the catechetical formation and sacramental life of our students. …

“Our program, while uniquely Catholic, will meet or exceed the secular requirements of the state charter agreement as well as graduation requirements for high school students.”

Sure—that sounds like a worthy cause for Oklahoma tax dollars. Several other states now fund religious schools less directly, with voucher systems based on “parental choice. ” 

Meanwhile, Louisiana now requires the Ten Commandments to be displayed in all classrooms. U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson thinks that’s “a positive thing.”

The Ten Commandments posters must include “three paragraphs about the religious text’s influential role in American history.”  The version of the Ten Commandments specified by the law is one used by (some) Protestants, not by Catholics, who are the largest religious group in Louisiana. 

Those three paragraphs will not include the words of President John Adams that, “The government of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion,“ or of President James Madison (“the Father of the Constitution”) that “religion is essentially distinct from civil Government, and exempt from its cognizance; that a connexion between them is injurious to both …” 

In case this causes you any distress: Louisiana passed another law allowing public schools to hire chaplains as mental health professionals and counsellors.

Finally: Florida. You heard about “stop woke” and orders forbidding teaching about the actual history of slavery and racism in the United States. Now Florida wants to go farther. Charles J. (Chuck) Cooper represented the State of Florida, arguing before the 11^th Circuit Court of Appeals. Inside Higher Ed reports:

“The judge posed a hypothetical about how much the state could limit classroom teaching if the judges were to accept Cooper’s arguments: ‘Could a legislature prohibit professors from saying anything negative about a current gubernatorial administration?’

“Cooper replied: ‘I think, your honor, yes, because in the classroom the professor’s speech is the government’s speech and the government can restrict professors on a content-wide basis and restrict them from offering viewpoints.’”