Oklahoma Superintendent Gets Heated with CNN Over Teaching The Bible In Classrooms

Oklahoma Superintendent Ryan Walters defended the mandate to incorporate the Bible in classroom lessons, emphasizing its historical significance and influence in American history.

During a contentious interview with CNN’s Pamela Brown, Walters argued that teaching the Bible aligns with historical accuracy and helps students understand foundational principles.

The mandate requires the Bible and Ten Commandments to be integrated across specified grade levels, citing their influence on history, civilization, and ethics.

“The Bible includes beheading, rape and incest,” CNN host Pamela Brown said. “Do you support teaching children about those topics?”

“It had a profound influence on American history. It was the best-selling book in American history. To not teach that in the classroom is academic malpractice,” Walters said.

“Will you allow teachers to teach all aspects of the Bible? How are teachers supposed to know what of the Bible to teach and what not to teach? It’s a simple question,” Brown asked.

“Let me be crystal clear: The Bible is not on the same plane as ‘Gender Queer’ and ‘Flamer,’ Walters said. “These are pornography.”

“We have academic standards that tell our teachers that you are to talk about the Bible in reference to the Mayflower Compact, letters from a Birmingham Jail, the Declaration of Independence,” he added. “It‘s very clear from primary sources that these individuals referenced in our history, they referenced the Bible. So, look, when it‘s historically accurate, we’re absolutely going to include that. I mean, think about how absurd it would be to teach about the Pilgrims if you don‘t mention their intention for moving to the New World? It‘s crucial and we‘re not going to allow the radical Left to continue to push a false history on our kids that said that faith played no role. Well, just read the history. It’s clearly there.”

“We should note… God is not mentioned in the Constitution. It is mentioned in the Declaration of Independence, but not a Christian God, right, and it also says that all men are created equal. And one would argue it‘s not creating a stature of, ‘If you‘re a Christian, if you believe in the Bible, you are of a higher stature,’” Brown said.

Despite opposition, Walters asserted the directive’s alignment with educational standards and rejected claims of censorship, framing the initiative as historical rather than religiously motivated.

“People can be offended by that, they may not like it, but they can’t rewrite our history,” Walters said.

“To censor the Bible out of our schools is to create our schools to be state-sponsored atheist centers,” he added. “Our position is purely historical.”