Christian Bible Stories do not Belong in Public School Classrooms

Interfaith Alliance members around the country are making a difference in their local communities. Today, we’re featuring a letter from one member that she sent to the Texas State Board of Education Members last week. To learn more about the issue, read Texas Jews Say State’s New Bible-Influenced Curriculum Is ‘Wildly Problematic’ published by The 74.

My name is Cantor Sheri Allen. I am the spiritual leader of Makom Shelanu Congregation in Ft. Worth, a Board member of Justice Network Tarrant County, and a member of Interfaith Alliance, a national network of people of diverse faiths advocating religious freedom and civil rights for all.

I was unable to testify in person on September 10, and was hopeful that my testimony would still be read by another representative. I understand that this didn't happen, and wanted to make sure that you heard my voice, albeit through email.

I urge you to support religious freedom by voting against adoption of the OER Curriculum. The curriculum’s overwhelming emphasis on Christianity at the expense of other religions is irresponsible and dangerous. There are literally no lessons that focus specifically on Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam or Sikhism. None. This inherent bias potentially puts children of other faiths or no faith at risk of being ostracized, bullied, or worse.

Christian Bible stories do not belong in public-school classrooms. Especially when they are presented as historical and literal truths. Kindergarten children should not be subjected to a lesson on the traditional creation story and then be tested on the order in which creation happened. That’s a lovely assignment for religious schools, not public schools. Not to mention the fact that Rabbinic Judaism teaches that there are actually two creation stories, and at least six genders mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. I would be happy to share this teaching with you if you are interested! So I wonder - would a child be penalized for drawing a picture of an androgynous Adam?

From a Jewish perspective, I can also tell you that stories from the book of Esther as presented in the curriculum are not only inaccurate, but they play into antisemitic tropes, such as Jews don’t respect authority figures, and don’t follow the laws of the land in which they live.

Finally, the curriculum has no known attribution of authorship. Do you as State Board of Education Members know, definitively, who wrote it? Are they even educators? Faith leaders? Politicians? What are their qualifications and credentials?

The Jewish New Year - Rosh HaShanah - begins a week from today. With antisemitism at an all-time high, I pray that we enter this sacred time without worrying that we, (as well as others of diverse faiths or no faith), will find our safety and well being in greater danger through the teaching of curriculum that is harmful, divisive, and completely inappropriate in a public-school setting.

Religious freedom is a sacred right – please preserve it by rejecting the OER Curriculum.