Texas education officials are poised to decide on a controversial initiative to require public school students statewide to read selected Bible passages, a proposal that would affect roughly 5.5 million students statewide and further fuel the continual debate over religion in public education.
The Republican-controlled Texas State Board of Education is expected to take a final vote on the mandatory reading list this Friday, which would take effect in 2030 if approved.
The proposal would require students from kindergarten through high school to read about a dozen biblical stories and passages as part of English instruction, including Noah's Ark, David and Goliath, Daniel and the Lion's Den, Psalm 23, the Beatitudes, and excerpts from Genesis, Exodus, and the New Testament.
Supporters say the curriculum reflects the historical influence of Judeo-Christian teachings on the United States.
"We need to focus on what our nation was founded on and not apologize for that," Susan Perez, founder of Citizens for Education Reform, said during testimony this week to the board of education.
"It is the truth, and we should not be afraid," she added.
Republican board member Julie Pickren said the readings provide "important insight into the moral and philosophical traditions that have shaped Western civilization," adding that studying "primary historical documents" helps students develop critical-thinking skills.
Critics argue the proposal favors Christianity and raises constitutional concerns because it relies heavily on Protestant Bible translations, including the King James Version and the New International Readers Version, while excluding sacred texts from other major faiths.
Harvard Divinity School professor David Holland said the choice of translation inevitably reflects a particular religious perspective.
"The minute you use a textual translation of a book that is shared across religious traditions, as the Hebrew Bible is, but you're choosing a translation that was created in a particular religious context, you're inevitably going to privilege certain kinds of Christian understandings of that text," he said in an interview quoted by The Texas Tribune.
Opponents also question whether public schools should require religious readings without broader representation of other faith traditions.
Rebecca Bell-Metereau, a Democrat member of the State Board of Education, added, "There really isn't, in my view, a good justification for trying to turn our public schools into Sunday schools."
Chad Seales, an associate professor of religious studies at the University of Texas at Austin, warned, "Any time compulsory religion happens in public education, it's going to lead to divisiveness," though he added that understanding biblical literature can help students better interpret American history and Western literature.
"I grew up in the evangelical Christian tradition in Florida, and we read lots of biblical passages," Seales told the Tribune.
"A complete ignorance of religion doesn't help a student understand American history, but compulsory forms of religion also limit the ability to understand religion in any specific context, whether it's historical, social, or cultural," he added.
The proposal comes as Texas continues expanding the role of religion in public schools.
The state has authorized school chaplains, approved an optional Bible-infused elementary curriculum, and required classrooms to display the Ten Commandments, a law recently upheld by a federal appeals court.
President Donald Trump has also pledged to expand religious expression in public schools nationwide.