By CatholicVote | Created at 2024-11-25 18:51:17 | Updated at 2024-11-25 21:50:25
2 hours ago
CV NEWS FEED // The Texas State Board of Education approved a new curriculum for schools that includes biblical references in art, history, and English classes.
Houston Public Media reported on November 22 that the new curriculum, approved in an 8-7 vote, is optional. However, schools are financially incentivized to adopt the curriculum.
Houston Public Media states that since the curriculum was unveiled in May, it “has been the subject of scrutiny and criticism.” However, many of the biblical references are stories that are common to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
One of the biblical references is a kindergarten art unit that focuses on art inspired by the book of Genesis. The unit comes after students study Mayan, Greek, Aztec, and local Native American pottery.
The lesson plan notes that “genesis” is a Greek word referring to something’s origin. It continues, “The word was given to the first book of the Torah in the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible. Genesis is also the first book in the Christian Bible. References to both the Torah and the creation story of Genesis are also featured in the Quran, the core book of the Islamic religion.”
The kindergarten’s English curriculum, titled “Serving our Neighbor,” features a unit on “The Golden Rule,” featuring texts from Leviticus, which is included in the Jewish Torah, and the book of Matthew. The lesson plan includes references to Hinduism and Islam, as well.
On November 18, supporters and opponents of the new curriculum testified before Texas’ school board, according to CNN.
“I believe my grandkids should share our family’s religion,” said Barbara Baruch, who is Jewish and an opponent of the curriculum. “I need help stopping the government from teaching them to be Christians.”
A supporter, who was not named by CNN, told the school board that the lessons are “grade level-appropriate instructional materials that include contextually relevant religious topics from a wide range of faiths.”
Another supporter, Glenn Melvin, added that the curriculum does not violate the First Amendment as “reading some of the passages from the Bible will not cause someone to convert.”
Staci Childs, a member of Texas’s Board of Education who voted against the new curriculum, said she expects that it will be challenged “tremendously” in court, though she does accept schools to widely implement the curriculum due to the financial incentive.
Rachel Laser, CEO of the advocacy group Americans United for Separation of Church and State, stated that the organization’s “attorneys are standing by and ready to defend their religious freedom.”
