The FFRF Action Fund names the Texas State Board of Education its “Theocrat of the Week” for its preliminary approval of a mandatory reading list for Texas public schools that centers heavily on Christian doctrine.
Last week, the predominantly Republican Texas State Board of Education voted 9-5 to preliminarily approve a list of reading materials required for all Texas public schools starting in 2030. The board considered a revised list proposed by Republican board member Keven Ellis, following heavy scrutiny of the original list. All five Democrats on the board voted against the reading list, which will face a final vote in June.
In compliance with a 2023 state law, the Texas Education Agency compiled a list of reading materials for K-12 schools last year. The list originally spanned approximately 300 books, with the bible appearing as the only religious text. The list was criticized for its unnecessary length, lack of diversity and overt emphasis on Christianity. Underrepresentation of female, Hispanic and Black authors were also points of contention for the list’s critics. The board ultimately delayed voting on the list in early January to allow further review of the proposal, leading to the list’s revision.
Before the board delayed its vote, one of its members, Brandon Hall, posted on his Facebook page: “Today, the Texas State Board of Education will vote on a proposal to add bible passages to a required reading list for K–12 students across the state. This would bring the Word of God back into schools in a meaningful way for the first time in decades. We need prayer warriors to intercede for this vote.”
The proposal incorporates biblical materials for early grades, requiring “The Golden Rule” to be taught in kindergarten, “The Parable of the Prodigal Son” in first grade and “The Road to Damascus” in third grade. More bible stories are also included for older students, requiring seventh graders to read “The Shepherd’s Psalm” from the Book of Psalms Chapter 23 and “The Definition of Love” from 1 Corinthians 13. In high school, students would be required to study the Tower of Babel from Genesis 11:1-9, Lamentations 3 and the story of David and Goliath from 1 Samuel 17, among other biblical passages.
Beyond simply requiring biblical readings, state-sanctioned lessons are imbued with explicit religious messaging. For one example, the proposal’s accompanying lesson on “The Golden Rule” for kindergarteners would require background information on the bible, Jesus and what a sermon is. The lesson delineates: “One of the books of the Bible describes Jesus giving a talk atop a small mountain. During this talk he wanted to share some very important lessons, so he climbed the mountain and spoke to a group of people who were gathered to hear him. The talks Jesus gave were called sermons. … Beyond the Sermon on the Mount, there are many rules included throughout the Christian Bible. Jesus said that the Golden Rule sums up all of the important teachings from scripture. ‘So in everything, do unto others as you would have done unto you.’”
The state’s Golden Rule lesson is part of the Bluebonnet Learning curriculum, which also faces heavy scrutiny for its overreliance on Christianity and religious instruction. The lesson only notes at its tail end that versions of the Golden Rule, a mostly universal moral teaching, also appear in Hinduism and Islam.
While state law would allow parents to remove their children from the proposal’s religious lessons, the reading list would also become part of Texas’ English standards, thereby allowing standardized tests to draw from the religious texts. Students would be put at an academic disadvantage if they were excused from explicitly religious lessons.
The reading list can be further modified before it is put to a final vote scheduled for June, but as of now, the religious materials remain central to the Texas Education Agency’s proposal. The list’s blatant privileging of Christianity must be rectified before the board conducts its final vote. Christian narratives cannot guide Texas’ public education, which serves students of all religions and nonreligion. The Texas State Board of Education deserves its Action Fund “Theocrat of the Week” moniker for its attempts at religious imposition.
FFRF Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) organization that develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church. It also advocates for the rights and views of nonbelievers, endorses candidates for political office, and publicizes the views of elected officials concerning religious liberty issues.