You can accuse the Oklahoma Department of Education Superintendent, Ryan Walters of a lot of things, but you'll never be able to say he doesn't know how to get his name in the media. In fact, if there is ever an award given to someone for relentless self promotion Walters will win it, hands down. Even if the nominees include a guy named Donald J. Trump.
The other day Brother Walters sent out a memo--apparently nationwide--ordering all school districts in Oklahoma to include the Christian Bible to be taught in every classroom, from the 5th grade up to Oklahoma public school students. The memo read in part, "The bible is one of the most historically significant books and a cornerstone of Western Civilization, along with the Ten Commandments. They will be referenced as an appropriate study of history, civilization, ethics, comparative religion, or the like as well as for their substantial influence on our nation's founders and the foundational principles of our Constitution."
To make sure everyone knew he wasn't just joking around at a press conference--there is always a press conference--after the memo was sent Walters said that any teacher who refuses to teach the Bible will lose his, or her state license. Then he bragged that every classroom in Oklahoma would soon have a Bible and that if need be the state would pay for them.
The Superintendent wasn't clear on which version of the Bible would be required study--you know, King James, Gideon, Reader's Digest. He also didn't explain where the money for them would come from, or which publishers would be the vendors, or why he believed the Supreme Court of Oklahoma would consider such a purchase constitutional. He did go on the cable news network News Nation, however to say, liberals and their, "woke agenda," had removed Bibles from public schools, but Oklahoma, thanks to him, Ryan Walters, was putting them back in.
It's unknown at this time if News Nation called Walters up for the interview on their own, or if was arraigned by the Virginia based PR firm, Vought Strategies. That is the firm hired by Walters and paid for by the taxpayers who is in charge of promoting not just the Superintendent's own agenda, but the Superintendent himself.
What is known, however, is that Ryan Walters is either wrong, or flat out lying when it comes of a lot of the things he says. The influence of the Bible on the founders was both slim and subtle at best. They were products of the age of reason, not some Christian revival. While almost all of them believed in God, many considered themselves Deists. In other words, yes, there is a Creator, but that Creator has a universe to run so humans are on their own when it comes to politics and the rest.
George Washinton might have been a member of the Episcopal Church, but he refused to take communion his entire adult life. John Adams was a Unitarian who didn't believe in the divinity of the Holy Trinity. Thomas Jefferson wrote about the nobility of religious skepticism. And, for those evangelicals out there, the name Jesus, despite what you might think, does not appear anywhere in either the Declaration of Independence, or the Constitution, although a prohibition on any sort of faith based requirement to hold public office does.
In addition, no one has ever banned Bibles from public schools. It is completely legal to use it in comparative religion classes as long as is taught in the same context as any other faith's dogma. All this, "woke," shit Walters howls about is mostly in his own mind. To this day I'm not even sure what the, "liberal woke agenda," is. No one has ever thought to send me a copy.
The truth is Ryan Walters is simply a Christian Nationalist. That's where all that western civilization crap comes from. It is a hot button term for them, found time and time again in their literature. The whole aim is to eliminate the separation of church and state and have Congress, or the Supreme Court declare us officially as a, "Christian Nation." You know, like Iran did when they declared themselves an Islamic one.
Well, the Oklahoma State Department of Education probably won't be plagued by Ryan Walters for long. Everything about the man reeks of unbridled ambition. Right now he is a mini Donald Trump, or at the very least, Marjorie Taylor Greene He has the same ego, thirst for attention, and brute vitriol they do. The only question is when does he attempt to be the full sized version. A Trump/Greene 2.0 if you will. Odds are we will find that out in 2026 when the Oklahoma Governor's chair opens up.
Until then the only thing we can do is wait for the newest parade of legal battles this clown just guaranteed and that we all will have to pay for.
7-8-24
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