State Superintendent Ryan Walters wants to spend $6 million of our money to buy Bibles to put in every schoolroom in the state. He had originally slated $3 million for Bible buying, but, in late September, decided he needed to double that amount.
How much state legislators leave in his proposed budget remains to be seen, but Walters must have had a mental lapse [if he has any surviving synapses] when he made this suggestion.
He has designated the New King James Version as his indoctrinator of choice, claiming falsely, “It will be there for its historical context, not any pushing of one religion over another.”
First, his choice of the New King James Version makes a lie of his assertion that the Bible is “there for its historical context.” The NKJ was published in 1979. That Bible has had only 45 years to impact Americans, and, if anything, it could be seen as the Bible adapted at a time when many Americans have turned away from all religions. That’s its true “historical context.”
No one doubts that the original King James Version [1611] had a major impact on the English Language from its inception. Wording, phrases and syntax reflect its influence over the next two centuries, which, in turn, pushed that influence toward us.
But that is not the version Walters wants. He wants one more attuned to modern proselytizing.
But even the original KJV, which incorporated the work of earlier scholars, did not hold sway throughout the colonies. Maryland was founded as a haven for persecuted Catholics. We can be confident that they did not revere nor reference the Bible of damned dissenters still subject to the friendly persuasion of The Spanish Inquisition.
And the diversity of translations persists to this day. Designating one Bible – which probably will not include The Apocrypha that many Christians consider canonical – puts government fully in the religion business. Yes, the Jewish Torah sees no need for the New Testament at all. But Jewish students – and Muslim and Hindu and any other non-Protestants – will just have to lump it.
But the most egregious error in Walters’ choice of the NKJ was his missed opportunity to lick the hand of his hero, Donald J. Trump, who is hawking Lee Greenwood’s God Bless The USA Bible, based on the original – and long out of copyright – KJV. For $59.95 Trump acolytes can buy a Bible that also includes copies of the Declaration of Independence [where the Creator is not the Christian God], the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights [which guarantees a separation of church and state] and the Pledge of Allegiance.
A reporter who ordered this Bible said the final cost including shipping and handling was more than $80. Just think of the money Walters could have diverted toward Trump.
Trump will only get a shill’s fee for his bit of hucksterism, but, you would think Walters should be astute enough [well, it is Walters] to grease the grifter in his campaign to be named the education secretary Trump will assign the task of destroying the Education Department per Project 2025.
Walters anti-education bona fides include leading Oklahoma into 49th place in the nation in Wallet Hub’s July public education rankings and a surreptitious move to massage the standards on Oklahoma’s class assessments, which are still abysmal, nonetheless.
Walters could have enhanced his standing in the MAGA-verse by diverting public funds into the Trump trough. Here’s hoping his oversight will prove moot come November.
Well, it looks like Walters wised up. Here is the bid description for the 55,000 Bibles he wants for Oklahoma schools. Guess whose Bible fills the state bill?
Agency and Central Purchasing Use 08/30/2024 Attachment A Solicitation No. EV00000555 This Solicitation is a Contract Document and is a request for proposal in connection with the Contract awarded on behalf of the Oklahoma State Department of Education by and through the Office of Management and Enterprise Services as more particularly described below. Any defined term used herein but not defined herein shall have the meaning ascribed in the General Terms or other Contract document. I. PURPOSE The Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES), Central Purchasing Division, is seeking responses on behalf of Oklahoma State Department of Education from potential Suppliers to provide a contract for the purchase of 55,000 King James Version Bibles with The United States Pledge of Allegiance, The U.S. Declaration of Independence, The U.S. Constitution, and The U.S. Bill of Rights documents included.
I’m old enough to remember the Gideons wandering the halls of my elementary school passing out New Testaments — for free. Mine is green.