Religion should not be included in politics or schools, so that new generations can formulate their own opinions.
Recently, Texas education officials have proposed a new statewide reading list that could be implemented in schools in 2030. This proposal creates more problems than benefits – one of those being a violation of the separation of church and state.
The New York Times reported that the proposals in Texas are an attempt from Republicans, including President Trump, to embrace the role of Christianity in America’s founding and promote a sense of patriotism.
While the list includes readings like Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech and Dr. Seuss’s “Cat in the Hat,” the list also has passages from the Bible.
The problem with this is that not every student follows the Bible or Christianity in general. This infringes on the Establishment Clause in the First Amendment of the Constitution, which says that the government is not allowed to establish or favor one religion over another.
If a school is going to teach lessons from the Bible, it should also have to teach passages from the Torah, the Quran, and the Book of Mormon, to let students decide their faith for themselves.
There either needs to be equal representation of all religions, or it needs to be removed from schools to keep fairness and equality.
While Texas is a conservative state where many people agree with this idea, there has been some pushback.
CBS News Texas reports that dozens of people testified before the state education board on Tuesday, with many arguing that including Biblical texts in public school curricula violates the separation of church and state. Rabbi Josh Fixler, from a reform synagogue in Houston, was one of the people to testify.
“There is a difference between teaching about religion and teaching religion, and this list will force teachers to cross that line,” Fixler said.
Another problem posed is what if the teacher does not follow or support Christianity but is expected to teach about it? How can teaching without bias be ensured?
A final vote on the issues is expected to be held in June.
