First Liberty Institute sent a letter to the Texas Education Agency and all Texas public schools affirming the constitutionality of the Bluebonnet Learning curriculum with its historical biblical references. First Liberty responded to erroneous claims by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) that the state-approved curriculum should be banned.
You can read the letter here.
“The Supreme Court has made clear that education is not complete without the study of the history of religion and its impact on the advancement of civilization,” said Keisha Russell, Senior Counsel at First Liberty Institute. “Religion, and especially Christianity, played a central role in the history of this country and any suggestion that teaching it is unconstitutional doesn’t align with the law.”
The legislature directed the Texas Education Agency to create Bluebonnet Learning as a resource for Texas school districts. The high-quality elementary math and reading curriculum covers 100% of all state standards as outlined in Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). TEKS requires instruction in “religious literature, including Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) and New Testament, and its impact on history and literature.”
The letter includes examples of how the curriculum uses biblical references to teach history. For example the letter says, “When studying Dr. Martin Luther King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail, students analyze the Old Testament book of Daniel and the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s trial by fire. King discusses this story in his letter because he too was persecuted because he believed God compelled him to act. Given King’s influence over the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, it is imperative that students learn about King and his motivations.”
According to the letter, “Far from mandating its removal, the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution supports Bluebonnet Learning because of the vital, unique role the Bible, not to mention Christianity itself, plays in American history. The Establishment Clause does not allow the government to reject Bluebonnet Learning because of its religious references. The ACLU’s demands foster hostility toward religion forbidden by our Constitution.”
