Should the Bible Be Taught in Public Schools?

Christian Nationalist lobbyists in Idaho are pushing for mandated tax-payer-funded religious education in public schools

It’s hard to miss the Idaho Family Policy Center’s latest petition pushing for Bible instruction in public schools, painted as a return to “traditional values.” But the real question here is, whose values? And who gets to decide that taxpayer dollars should enforce these values?

This idea isn’t about tradition—it’s about power. Underneath this movement is a disturbing agenda driven by Christian Nationalism, an ideology that many conservative scholars and theologians have condemned as a dangerous distortion of Christianity itself. As Christianity Today columnist Russell Moore pointed out, Christian Nationalism isn’t “real Christianity” at all. “It’s a form of idolatry,” Moore argues, “demanding loyalty to political power over faith.” This isn’t the gospel; it’s a bid for control, and it’s exactly what our Founding Fathers intended to prevent.

If you think this can’t happen, look at Oklahoma. Republican State Superintendent Ryan Walters mandated that public schools teach the Bible in grades 5 through 12, calling it essential for understanding the nation’s foundation. Walters also proposed spending $3 million in taxpayer funds to purchase Bibles, with the only version meeting the state’s criteria being the “Trump Bible.” The directive, which critics call an abuse of power and unconstitutional, clashes with state law granting local school districts control over curriculum decisions.

While it’s important to teach about the historical role of religion—including the Bible, Quran, Torah, and other texts—as part of world and U.S. history, that’s entirely different from endorsing or promoting one religion in public schools. Religion has undeniably shaped world history, and Christianity has influenced U.S. history. However, using public funds to impose one faith undermines the principles of religious freedom and separation of church and state.

Idaho parents, like parents everywhere, value their right to make decisions about their children’s education. If families want their children to study the Bible, they already have the freedom to teach it at home or in their chosen places of worship. Expanding government involvement in religious instruction contradicts conservative principles championing limited government and parental rights.

Conservatives have long argued against big government, and rightly so. Forcing Bible instruction into public schools through taxpayer funding is the kind of government overreach conservatives typically oppose. As columnist Jonah Goldberg puts it, “The government should not be in the business of making people good. That is what religion and civil society are for.”

Public schools exist to serve all families, not to enforce one group’s beliefs on everyone else.

Mandating religious instruction also raises questions about inclusion. If one religious text is mandated, why not others? Should taxpayer dollars also fund the Book of Mormon, the Quran, or the Torah? Religious freedom means the state should stay out of religion altogether, ensuring that no one faith is imposed on anyone else. To compel otherwise disrespects Idaho’s families and undermines the very freedom this country was built on.

This isn’t about “bringing the Bible back.” It’s about whether the government should have the power to push one group’s religious beliefs in public schools. The Idaho Family Policy Center may call it faith, but it’s really about control.

It should be of no surprise that the Christian Nationalist Idaho Family Policy Center works closely with the Idaho Freedom Foundation (IFF) to push its theology into bills run by IFF-backed legislators.

If you want your child to learn the Bible, you already have the freedom to teach it to them. You can take your kids to Sunday school, enroll them in religious studies, or read the Bible together as a family. These are sacred rights protected by our Constitution and don’t require taxpayer dollars or government intervention to uphold.

We can all agree that mandating religious instruction is not the proper role of government.

About the Author

Gregory Graf is the creator of Political Potatoes and a lifelong conservative Republican whose articles often expose the dangers of extremism that have taken root in Idaho. Graf is the CEO of Snake River Strategies, a communications and political consulting firm based in Eagle, Idaho. Graf and his family moved to Idaho Falls in 2013 from Utah and currently reside in Star.

Gregory Graf

Disclaimer
The following is intended to convey an opinion on newsworthy events of public concern regarding public figures and/or public officials in the exercise of their official duties. No implications or inferences—beyond those explicitly stated in the preceding— are intended to be conveyed or endorsed by the Author. Wherever available, hyperlinks have been provided to allow readers to directly access any underlying assertions of fact upon which this opinion is based.

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