Battles stew in Louisiana, Oklahoma over Scripture mandates in schools

 By Diana Chandler - Posted at Baptist Press:

Published August 6, 2024

BATON ROUGE, La. (BP) – Parents and lawmakers are battling one another over religious mandates impacting public schools across Louisiana and Oklahoma.

In Louisiana, the battle hinges on lawmakers’ mandate that a specified version of the Ten Commandments be posted in every public school in the state by Jan. 1, 2025. There, state Attorney General Liz Murrill filed a court motion Aug. 5 seeking dismissal of a lawsuit filed to block the mandate.

In Oklahoma, the Oklahoma School Board Association and state Attorney General Gentner Drummond have advised schools not to comply with the state’s new mandate that the Bible be taught in all 5th-12th-grade public classrooms.

In both states, proponents of the measure argue that the Scripture has historical significance in the development of the nation, while opponents say the mandates violate constitutionally guaranteed religious freedom and separation of church and state, as well as state statutes.

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