'Wrong': Christian GOP senator fears 'slippery slope' of OK school chief’s Bible push

22 November 2024

In Oklahoma, State Superintendent Ryan Walters — a far-right Christian nationalist — is demanding that all public schools in the state place Bibles in their classrooms. And the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), on November 15, announced its plan to fight Walters aggressively.

The American Civil Liberties Union's (ACLU) position is clear: freedom of religion is protected by the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment, which emphatically states that government shall not favor one religion over another. And Walters' efforts to force Christian nationalism on public schools, according to the ACLU, is a blatant attack on religious freedom and the First Amendment.

But not all of the criticism of Walters is coming from liberals.

During a Thursday, November 21 appearance on NewsNation, right-wing Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma) expressed some reservations about what Walters is doing.

Mullin told NewsNation, "I was raised in a very strong Christian family. I raised my kids in a very strong Christian family. Assemblies of God. And I want them to know the Bible. But I want it to be taught by someone that was taught the Bible themselves too. I think it's a slippery slope when you put it in the hands of teachers who might not be believers that's going to be teaching the word, that can easily be taken out of context."

The GOP senator continued, "So, if the state is going to require that, then the state should also require that it is taught by someone that graduated from seminary school. If you just leave it in the hands of a public school teacher that might not be able to teach it…. it can cause a tremendous amount of confusion. That might be the only time that child gets the word taught to them, and if it's not taught right, the Bible warns of that."

Asked if he thinks Walters should "back off," Mullin replied that unless all teachers graduated from seminary school, "I do believe that's probably the wrong move."

Watch the full video below or at this link.

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