Texas’s education board, known for passing some wild stuff, recently approved a new law that will make reading the Bible mandatory for students, beginning at the elementary level in 2030.This law, of course, is coming from one of the “least-educated” states in the country. “They should require reading in general first,” one person joked on X.
X / Viax.com
On the same day the news broke, the White House posted this message on X, saying, “America has always been, and always will be, ONE NATION UNDER GOD.”
Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images
Related: “53 Hilarious Photos Of Parents Who Are 100% Unhinged (And Then Some)”
So far, there’s been significant backlash online, and Christians are weighing in over on the r/Christianity subreddit — and they’re pissed.1. “I’m Christian, and this boils my blood. Freedom of religion means freedom FROM religion. I see a lot of homeschooling coming from Texas residents soon.”
“This isn’t going to make people into Christians. It’s going to make more people anti-Christian. Kids are going to skip classes so they don’t have to listen to Bible verses. It’s going to do so much more harm than good. I see riots and protests in the future.”—LucyBeVibin
2. “What’s dumb about this is it actually affects us Christians too, as the Bible says to be careful who teaches or interprets the Bible.” “
“Not to mention, what denomination is being taught? Which version of the Bible are they using? What if the teacher is another faith? This is why the founding fathers believed so adamantly in separation of Church and State.”—notbad4human
3. “This is stupid. Sincerely, a Christian teacher.”
Tumblr.com/ Viagiphy.com
4. “I don’t like the idea of schools deciding what religions to platform, even if it’s my religion. I don’t think it’s reasonable to ask random English teachers to interpret scripture. It’s not their job, and also not something they’re educated on doing.”
Klaus Vedfelt / Getty Images
Related: “21 Moms And Dads Who Think They’re The Main Character Of The Whole Damn World”
5. “I’m a Christian, and I had this talk years ago with someone else who is a believer. He wanted only the Bible to be taught in schools. I said, ‘Find me one verse where Jesus forced someone to worship him.’ He said, ‘I can’t.’ I said, ‘Then follow his example.'”
“I believe Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, as he said. I also don’t believe in forcing him on others for the simple reason that he never forced himself on others.”—Waiting4better
6. “Honestly, not sure how to feel about this. On the one hand, I think everyone should be a Christian. On the other, this approach has backfired on us before. It all feels a bit like watching a kid eat his veggies, but in a way in which he’s likely to choke.”
7. “This is all about power and control here. Instead of serving others and being kind and compassionate, it is about control through force by mandatory which God does not force anyone.”
Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP)
Related: “19 People Shared The Secrets Revealed After Their Family Members Passed Away”
8. “As a lifelong Christian, the erosion of our freedom of religion is troubling. I don’t want a Sunday school teacher covering organic chemistry. Why would I want a public school teacher of unknown theological background to teach Bible stories? This is not a win for anyone.”
9. “No way this shit could backfire…Do people honestly believe that Jesus is super pumped about being attached to government power and policy? Especially this particular government and its leadership? The amount of pride and delusion some people have…”
10. “Complete and total ignorance of the 1st amendment of the US Constitution. No establishment of one religion as the national religion. By indoctrinating children in schools, this is an infringement of personal rights endowed by the Constitution. No taxpayer-funded schools should be enforcing this. Our property and sales tax money should not go to vouchers, either.”
“What happened to personal responsibility and parents teaching their kids Christianity? It should be a personal relationship with Jesus, not this corporate BS. Guess these parents who okayed this don’t read the Bible on their own, and prob can’t even interpret it if need be.”—xXTERMIN8RXXx
11. “I think it is fine to have it as part of English because Western literature references the Bible frequently. The problem comes when you have a teacher who wants to teach it with their theological bent.”
12. “I’m conflicted about this. On one hand, this arguably violates the Establishment Clause. On the other hand, the Bible has had an immense impact on history, literature, and culture. How can one be educated if one is completely ignorant of the Bible?”
“Looking back over my life, I wish I had been given a better religious education when I was younger. I went to public schools and was completely ignorant of the Bible and religion in general, which I made up for with self-study. As long as the Bible is taught from a neutral point of view and other religious texts are read, I tend to be in favor of this.”—Clicking_Around
Related: “37 Parents Who Really, Really Should Not Be Allowed To Post Online”
13. “Texas is continuing to prove we’re almost last in education. Christian nationalists have to ruin everything.”
Beachmite Photography / Getty Images
14. “Non-Christians aren’t going to become Christians because their teacher was forced to read some scripture against everybody’s will.”
And finally…15. “This isn’t how it should be done. Disappointing.”
What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.
Editor’s Note: Responses have been edited for length/clarity.
Your daily brain workout: Only People With Exceptionally Large Brains Can Finish This Entire 25-Word Chain Without Help
Also in Parents: “19 Celebs Who Welcomed Babies Super Young”
Also in Parents: “People Are Exposing Their Parents’ Boomer Habits”