Missouri public schools will be allowed to offer elective courses on the Bible under a new law signed by Republican Gov. Mike Parson this week.
The legislation, filed by state Sen. Karla May, a St. Louis Democrat, allows public schools and public charter schools to offer elective social studies classes including but not limited to the “Hebrew Scriptures, the Old Testament of the Bible” and the “New Testament of the Bible.”
It goes into effect on Aug. 28 after most schools have returned from summer break and already crafted teaching plans for the coming year.
“The Bible is the most popular and influential book in all of American history and our children should have the opportunity and choice to take a Bible elective from a historical perspective in public schools,” said state Rep. Ben Baker, a Neosho Republican who handled the bill in the House.
But while the legislation received support from both parties this year and was largely overshadowed by more controversial bills, critics say it could cause schools to violate the spirit of separation of church and state outlined in the U.S. Constitution.
The new law states that schools cannot violate state or federal laws or favor or show hostility toward any religion, leading many to believe that the courses are already allowed under current law.
But some worry the new law singles out one religion over others.
The ACLU of Missouri said that there are acceptable ways to teach about the Bible in public schools, such as a comparative religion course. However, it’s difficult to do so, especially when a course focuses solely on one religion or text.
“Whether unintentionally or intentionally, courses focusing on one faith or religious text create conditions ripe for proselytizing and official promotion of religious beliefs,” the civil liberties group said Friday.
When asked previously what the law refers to with the “Hebrew Scriptures,” May, the bill sponsor, said it refers to the Five Books of Moses, a term for the first five books of the Bible also known as the Torah.
May previously pushed back on criticism of the law, pointing to a provision that classes would not have to be limited to those specific books. May and Baker have touted the bill as a way to teach the Bible from an educational perspective.
“This will now enable our kids to have a more well rounded education that will equip them for the world, and get a better grasp on U.S. History,” Baker told The Star.
But state Rep. Maggie Nurrenbern, a Kansas City Democrat, said she opposed the legislation because it did not include other religious texts.
“Why aren’t we looking at other religious texts, including the Quran?” Nurrenbern said in a phone interview. “In certain areas, if they said, ‘hey, we have an elective on the Quran,’ people would be concerned about that… Where really is the separation of church and state and why are we only picking these texts over others?”
Nurrenbern said she would be surprised if the vast majority of school districts decide to offer the courses.
“I would be very skeptical of any school districts actually enacting this just because of all of the concerns,” she said.
At least three Kansas City area school districts do not have immediate plans to change their curriculum.
Talia Evans, a spokesperson for the Lee’s Summit School District, said the district approves its course catalogs in the fall and new courses would be discussed next fall. District leaders had not discussed the legislation.
Katie Woolf, a spokesperson for the Blue Springs School District, told The Star in May that the district did not have any current plans to change its curriculum or add classes.
Shain Bergan, a spokesperson for Kansas City Public Schools, also said in May that the district would not be offering the classes.
