Not long after the state of Louisiana mandated the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public schools, the state of Oklahoma has announced that public schools will now include lessons on the Bible and the Ten Commandments. Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters issued a memo detailing the new requirement. “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. This is not merely an educational directive but a crucial step in ensuring our students grasp the core values and historical context of our country,” Walters wrote in the memo.

Speaking to Fox News, Walters said the move is meant to give students a better understanding of the history of the United States. “We’ve seen the radical leftists drive God out of schools, drive the Bible out of schools, and we have to make sure that our kids have an understanding of what made America great. Not teaching our kids about the faith of our founders and the influence that the Bible had in our history is just academic malpractice,” he said. The new directive would include teaching from the Bible to give context to such historical events as the signing of the Mayflower Compact and the civil rights movement. The move is a step further than the Louisiana law, which does not include Bible reading in public schools. “We’re the first ones, and we’re very proud of that. We believe in American values. We believe that the better our students understand American history and American exceptionalism, the better off our state will be and the country will be. So, we are very proud to teach that to our students,” said Walters.

The move is not without its critics. “Public schools are not Sunday schools. Oklahoma Superintendent Ryan Walters has repeatedly made clear that he is incapable of distinguishing the difference and is unfit for office. His latest scheme — to mandate use of the Bible in Oklahoma public schools’ curriculum is a transparent, unconstitutional effort to indoctrinate and religiously coerce public school students,” said Rachel Laser, who is the president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Walters has been an outspoken champion of his Christian faith, voicing his support for an Oklahoma bill that would enable Christian chaplains to counsel students in schools. When the Satanic Temple vowed it would place its own chaplains in schools, Walters made it clear that chaplains from TST would not be allowed in Oklahoma public schools. “Let me be crystal clear,” he said, “Satanists are not welcome in Oklahoma schools, but they are welcome to go to hell.”