Millions of Texas students may soon be reading stories from the Bible in the classroom after the State Board of Education approved a required reading list.
The State Board of Education, which is controlled by Republicans, approved a measure 9-5 vote on June 26 that includes a list of texts that would be required reading during each grade level in all the state’s public schools, and includes Bible stories and verses.
Texas would reportedly be the first state to require students read Bible verses in the classroom.
While no state requires devotional Bible study in public school classrooms, Texas, Utah, Louisiana and Oklahoma have adopted or proposed policies that significantly expand the Bible’s presence in schools, according to Newsweek.
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Board member Brandon Hall, a Texas pastor, called the proposals a “generational opportunity” to overhaul the state curriculum, reported CNN. “We’re going to stop watering down American history. We’re going to teach the truth. Our nation was founded as a Christian nation, and Texas is a Christian state,” Hall said, adding that the Bible has had a “remarkable impact on our culture, our societies and our laws.”
The move has sparked reaction, including from Rachel Laser, the head of the advocacy group Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
“Today’s vote by the Texas State Board of Education is yet another example of Texas politicians pushing Christianity on public schoolchildren. Public schools should not force children to read Bible stories,” Laser said. “Families and students, not government officials, must remain in charge of whether and how children engage with religion.”
State Sen. Cesar Blanco, D-El Paso posted on X that he was “disappointed” in the Texas State Board of Education’s decision.
“Faith is deeply personal, and decisions about religious instruction belong to families, faith communities, and individuals, not the state. Our public schools serve students from diverse religious backgrounds and beliefs, and we should be teaching our children how to think, not what to believe,” Blanco said in the post.
The lists include standard literary texts commonly read in public schools, such as “Johnny Appleseed” in second grade, “Charlotte’s Web” in third grade, “The Phantom Tollbooth” in fifth grade and “Great Expectations” in high school, according to USA TODAY. There are also works on the nation’s Founding Fathers and other historical figures. It also includes Bible verses or adapted Bible stories in many grade levels, with a required version of the Bible from which the passages are to be read.
These are some of the required religious texts:
Elementary School
First grade: “Noah’s Ark” by Peter Spier
Second grade: “David and Goliath,” an excerpt from “The Children’s Book of Heroes” edited by William J. Bennett
Fourth grade: Book of Luke, Chapter 14, Verses 7-11 (“The Necessity of Humility”) from the New International Reader’s Version: New Testament
Fifth grade: Stories about Moses from the Book of Exodus, Chapter 3 (“The Burning Bush”) and the Book of Exodus, Chapter 14 (“The Parting of the Red Sea”) from the New International Reader’s Version: Hebrew Bible/Old Testament
Middle School
Sixth grade: Book of Matthew, Chapter 6, Verses 25-34 (“Do Not Be Anxious”) from the English Standard Version: New Testament
Seventh grade: Book of Psalms, Chapter 23 (“The Shepherd’s Psalm”) from the King James Version: Hebrew Bible/Old Testament
Seventh grade: Book of Matthew, Chapter 5, Verses 1-12 (“The Eight Beatitudes”) from the King James Version: New Testament
Eighth grade: Book of Ecclesiastes, Chapter 3 (“To Everything There is a Season”) from the King James Version: Hebrew Bible/Old Testament
Eighth grade: Book of Lamentations, Chapter 3 from the Tanakh: Jewish Publication Society 1917 edition
High School
Book of Luke, Chapter 15, Verses 11-32 (“Parable of the Prodigal Son”) from the English Standard Translation: New Testament
Book of Job, Chapters 1-7,Verses 11, 14, 19, 28, 38-42 from the New International Reader’s Version: Hebrew Bible/Old Testament
Book of Genesis, Chapters 2 and 3 (“Adam and Eve”) from the New International Reader’s Version: Hebrew Bible/Old Testament
Book of 1 Corinthians, Chapter 13 (“The Definition of Love”) from the English Standard Translation: New Testament
USA TODAY contributed to this story.
Natassia Paloma may be reached at npaloma@gannett.com, @NatassiaPaloma on X; natassia_paloma on Instagram, and Natassia Paloma on Facebook.
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This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Is Texas requiring students to read the Bible? What to know