21 hours ago, BLMFem said:

The Bible isn't exactly a literary masterpiece, but rather a jumbled collection of old texts from various times.

This decision will definitely be challenged in court, and will end up in the SCOTUS.

The proponents of "states rights" will change their minds when Minnesota mandates studying excerpts from the Koran as literature.

Similar to how "religious freedom" is an allah-given human right until those "others" put their holy icons on a hillside overlooking their town, or the church of satan installs a small monument on the courthouse lawn next to the granite block with the 10 commandants etched onto it.

3 hours ago, tomazbodner said:

Wonder if any other fairy tales will become mandatory reading in Texas public schools...

May I recommend Cinderella, Snowwhite and the seven dwarfs, Little red riding hood... Same same but different...

They are probably already on the list for younger kids.

Oh my Dog🤪🤪🤪

47 minutes ago, unblocktheplanet said:

Kids should be allowed to explore their own interests. That may include Greek, Latin or French..

These days, that would be limited to Minecraft, Call of Duty, and Anime, which would create the perfect empty vessel for MAGA cult membership.

The Bible was compiled over a period of 1500 years plus by people of varying ethnic backgrounds, and eventually interpreted into English in Britain in the 17th century AD. It has become the basic element of the Christian faith. It's complex history is, however, seldom taught to young people, or to believers generally.

23 hours ago, FolkGuitar said:

I am against forced religion in schools.
But is the goal of this reading religious or literary? Only 2-3 selected passages will be read, in each grade level, along with passages from E.B. White, Shel Silverstein, Aesop, Kurt Vonnegut, and Elie Wiesel as literature—hardly a proselytizing lineup.
I have no problem with students reading selected passages as literature; in fact, I'm in favor of it. Just so long as they aren't making the classes religious training.
This said, Texas will need careful oversight to keep it from turning into forced religious exercises.

I tend to agree with you.

However I find it hard to imagine any teacher trying to make a serious literary deconstruction or criticism of the 23rd Psalm. Why not have the Song of Solomon on the agenda instead? Much more poetic than the 23rd Psalm religious mush, and dealing with the love of a man for a woman. Obviously hasn't got quite the same appeal in Texas.

The St. James version of the bible is said to be a literary masterpiece. Actually, so is Marx's Das Kapital. His writing was superb and extremely elegant. I don't see it on this list though. I wonder why.

I've read the bible a couple of times in my life and was brought up with the St. James version and the NEB. Know it better than most gobby christianists I've come across or seen agitating around (mostly in the US). Nice stories. I suppose it's OK in literary terms. And if science has too many numbers and formulae to remember and think about, hey, why not get a college degree in Biblical Fairy Tales? Much easier. But I generally like the message in the second half and if Jesus did exist he was pretty cool.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly stated that America and the world must remain tolerant societies where all faiths and beliefs are respected. He has specifically declared that individuals should not face judgment or persecution based on their race, religion, or background, and that all people should have the freedom to live according to their faith.

But then who in the hell will believe anything he say.

On 6/28/2026 at 11:09 AM, MikeandDow said:

Typical MAGA racist comment

Is LBGT a race now?

As well as Islam?

😀😀😀

Children are either going to learn about God in their homes first, or they're not. Going to schools with what's in store in mind isn't going to sway them much if any. Like others have said, looking at it as literary instead of religious.

I'm a Christian and was brought up in a Christian family, then went to Catholic schools. My beliefs came from a combination but mainly from home. Afterwards I looked at what I learned and saw it made sense, so stayed with Christianity but not as a Catholic.

I don't think just the Bible should be part of learning in schools but all types of books, as all have some merit. Buddhism has some good ideas, as does Islam, and again, most of what a child learns starts at home. When they're out in the world as adults they can choose whatever path they want to take.

Like a previous poster has said, I also read the Bible a few times, along with hearing passages many times throughout churches of many denominations and in school. A lot helps in everyday life, as far as how to treat others and loving. There are Asians and Muslims in public schools in America and they also should be able to read from their own books. Lastly, the US was founded with God as a backbone. In God We Trust is still on our money. This won't change how most of Americans feel anyway, but it might give some information to all students in Texas that will help their lives.

1 hour ago, HappyExpat57 said:

Gawd is gender neutral, non-binary, so THEY relaxed. 😆

I've seen him loads of times in loads of books............pure white skin, 70 ish, long blonde/grey hair and beard......oh wait, was that a woman in drag?

I hope they tell the story of Lot fleeing Sodom with his wife and daughters.

"Teacher, what's Sodom mean?"

"Teacher, if God told them don't look back, but his wife did and was turned into a pillar of salt, how could they know she was a pillar of salt without looking back?"

"Teacher, is it good if I have sex with my father?"

12 minutes ago, Purdey said:

I hope they tell the story of Lot fleeing Sodom with his wife and daughters.

"Teacher, what's Sodom mean?"

"Teacher, if God told them don't look back, but his wife did and was turned into a pillar of salt, how could they know she was a pillar of salt without looking back?"

"Teacher, is it good if I have sex with my father?"

Being that salt was a very valuable commodity in those days, for food preservation as well as cooking, I think it was nice of god to give the next people to visit an entire pillar of salt to start them off!

2 hours ago, MAGA88 said:

White christian nationalism-is very necessary!

The schools should focus on basic writing skills.

Don't know why that came to mind.....

Seems like the idea is a pushback against wokeness and an attempt to retain traditional values.

13 minutes ago, nexus7 said:

Seems like the idea is a pushback against wokeness and an attempt to retain traditional values.

Awake to systemic injustice and tolerance are the fundamental mandate of the gospel.

I'm sure they will do everything they can to keep from reading the commandments of Jesus

For example, Matthew 25:31–46.

Cafeteria Christianity you pick and choose which commandments are too hard to obey and instead choose some easy ones like stoning women for adultry or yelling at Adam & Steve for napping together after playing football.

Im paraphrasing of course 😄

These fake christians and fake patriots show their true colors more and more. All these born again hypocrites (who scare the cr@p out of me, by the way) want to do is to use "religion" - and I use the word very loosely in this context - as a weapon to establish a white evangelical ethno-state. Has nothing to do with christianity or following the teachings of Jesus, it's all just about power. They are, for all intents and purposes, the Taliban of Texas/the USA.

On 6/28/2026 at 1:15 PM, candide said:

Let me guess.... they will be taught that god created the world in seven days? 😂

What does Elie Wiesel have to do with children's literature?

2 hours ago, fredwiggy said:

Children are either going to learn about God in their homes first, or they're not. Going to schools with what's in store in mind isn't going to sway them much if any. Like others have said, looking at it as literary instead of religious.

I'm a Christian and was brought up in a Christian family, then went to Catholic schools. My beliefs came from a combination but mainly from home. Afterwards I looked at what I learned and saw it made sense, so stayed with Christianity but not as a Catholic.

I don't think just the Bible should be part of learning in schools but all types of books, as all have some merit. Buddhism has some good ideas, as does Islam, and again, most of what a child learns starts at home. When they're out in the world as adults they can choose whatever path they want to take.

Like a previous poster has said, I also read the Bible a few times, along with hearing passages many times throughout churches of many denominations and in school. A lot helps in everyday life, as far as how to treat others and loving. There are Asians and Muslims in public schools in America and they also should be able to read from their own books. Lastly, the US was founded with God as a backbone. In God We Trust is still on our money. This won't change how most of Americans feel anyway, but it might give some information to all students in Texas that will help their lives.

A course in comparative religion could make sense.

4 hours ago, MAGA88 said:

White christian nationalism-is very necessary!

Necessary for what?

5 hours ago, FolkGuitar said:

We read Homer’s ‘Ulysses’ when I was in high school.

Should we have been required to read it in Greek? Voltaire didn’t write in English, should everyone be required to learn French?

What about Shakespeare? Should kids take a few years to learn Old English first so they can read ‘MacBeth?’

Those are classic, secular works. There is no attempt at religious indoctrination, or to turn back to a time when religious instruction was mandatory.

Forced Bible reading is another matter altogether.

5 hours ago, Etaoin Shrdlu said:

If the Bible passages being studied are from the Old Testament, they should be studied in their original Biblical Hebrew or Aramaic.

If from the New Testament, then Greek.

The Bible wasn't written in English. If we're going to go backwards, let's go all the way.

That's a stretch for students who are barely literate in English. The sort of analysis you suggest normally happens in a theological seminary.

5 hours ago, FolkGuitar said:

We read Homer’s ‘Ulysses’ when I was in high school.

Should we have been required to read it in Greek? Voltaire didn’t write in English, should everyone be required to learn French?

What about Shakespeare? Should kids take a few years to learn Old English first so they can read ‘MacBeth?’

Ulysses: Do you mean the novel by James Joyce, or the Odyssey by Homer?

People in Appalachia until recently spoke Shakespearean English.

On 6/28/2026 at 10:53 AM, dinsdale said:

Agree. Bit like having LGBTQ+ books in school libraries.

I expect lack of space prevented you from making the distinction that alternative lifestyle literature is not a compulsory read in schools, yet chanting a story about some shepherd in a book of fables is!

4 hours ago, MAGA88 said:

White christian nationalism-is very necessary!

Former KKK member?

6 hours ago, mikeymike100 said:

From a purely secular, cultural standpoint, the Bible is widely considered one of the greatest literary masterpieces in human history. Its poetic impact on the English language, structural variety, and narrative depth stand completely neck-and-neck with the works of William Shakespeare.

If the course is genuinely "The Bible as Literature" and the content is an academic analysis of the Bible as a literary work, then I see no problem having such a course in public schools.I somehow doubt that that's what the Texas Board of Education has in mind, however.

19 minutes ago, placnx said:

That's a stretch for students who are barely literate in English. The sort of analysis you suggest normally happens in a theological seminary.

Isn't that what the Texas Board of Education is trying to turn the public schools into?

On 6/28/2026 at 5:45 PM, Jim Blue said:

Wonder if they will leave in the naughty bits ?

The Book of Exodus will be a load of fun for the grade 5 kids....

While the Book of Genesis usually gets the reputation for having the most "adult" storylines in the Bible, Exodus definitely has a few sections that skip past PG content into PG-13 or R-rated territory, depending on how literally you read the text.

The main "naughty bits" usually point to two specific areas:

1. The Golden Calf Party (Exodus 32:6)

When Moses is up on the mountain too long, the people get restless, build a golden calf, and throw a massive party. The text says: "The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play."

In modern English, "play" sounds innocent, but the original Hebrew word used here (letsacheq) is a heavy euphemism. Biblical scholars and translators generally agree it implies wild, unrestrained, and explicitly sexual revelry—essentially a pagan fertility orgy. Later in the same chapter, Moses comes down and describes the people as "naked" or "running wild."

2. The Explicit Legal Codes (Exodus 22)

When the book transitions into the specific civil laws for the ancient Israelites, it doesn't mince words. Chapter 22 contains blunt, direct legal prohibitions regarding sexual behavior that most parents wouldn't expect in a fifth-grade textbook:

• Exodus 22:16-17: Lays out the financial and marital penalties if a man seduces a virgin who is not betrothed.

• Exodus 22:19: Explicitly outlaws bestiality, stating plainly that anyone who has sexual relations with an animal must be put to death.

The R-Rated Violence

If you expand "naughty" to include graphic violence, the book is full of it. Beyond the obvious horrors of the Ten Plagues (like rivers turning to blood and the death of every firstborn child), the book opens with Moses committing a targeted homicide, killing an Egyptian taskmaster and burying his body in the sand to cover it up (Exodus 2:12).

Because of these passages, the Texas curriculum creators will likely have to be highly selective about which exact verses fifth-graders are assigned to read.

6 hours ago, stevenl said:

6 hours ago, stevenl said:

Its impact doesn't make it a masterpiece.

Source for your claim "From a purely secular, cultural standpoint, the Bible is widely considered one of the greatest literary masterpieces in human history" please,

I think the English rendering of the Bible is appreciated for its language, (I was gonna say "majestic language", is that defensible?).

I think the weaponization of the Bible for religious debate has debased it. Debates between Christian denominations and believers vs nonbelievers etc.

If we consider the use it has been put to it is definitely tainted.

But who can argue with the quote "The woman tempted me"?

1 hour ago, fredwiggy said:

Former KKK member?

With a statement like that? NOT former, rather current KKK member.