Ryan Walters, the state superintendent of U.S. state of Oklahoma has directed public schools to teach Bible lessons, including the Ten Commandments in classrooms, the New York Times reported.
According to Mr Walters, who is a member of the Republican Party known for its conservative views and pro-Christian policies, the Bible is an “indispensable historical and cultural touchstone” and said it must be taught in certain grade levels.
While announcing the move on Thursday, the former history teacher said the Bible is “a necessary historical document to teach our kids about the history of this country, to have a complete understanding of Western civilisation, to have an understanding of the basis of our legal system.”
The latest move highlighted the political power tussle between the right wing Republican Party and the left wing Democratic Party in enacting policies across public schools in the United States.
Reacting to the development, Rachel Laser, the president of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said the group was “ready to step in and protect all Oklahoma public school children and their families from constitutional violations of their religious freedom.”
“Public schools are not Sunday schools,” she said. “Public schools may teach about religion, but they may not preach any religion,” Ms Laser added.
Last week, Louisiana became the first American state to take such a step after governor Jeff Landry signed a bill into law which requires Ten Commandments to be displayed in every public classroom.
