‘Biblical Literacy’ Classes In Public Schools Get Boost From Trump: ‘Great!’

President Donald Trump threw enthusiastic support behind states looking to implement Bible literacy classes in public schools. Most taxpayer-funded schools offer general teachings on world religions including Christianity, but Biblical literacy classes would go much more in-depth.

“Numerous states introducing Bible Literacy classes, giving students the option of studying the Bible,” the president wrote in a Monday morning tweet. “Starting to make a turn back? Great!”

Trump’s tweet was posted after a “Fox & Friends” segment discussed Biblical literacy measures being introduced by six state legislatures. The proposals look to allow public school students be given the option to learn the about the Bible in historical context if they so choose to as an elective.

As noted by The Hill, Rep. Aaron McWilliams, a Republican legislator from North Dakota, was on the Fox morning show to discuss such a measure, which he is co-sponsoring.

“The Bible is an integral part of our society and deserves a place in the classroom,” Rep. McWilliams said.

Five other states – Missouri, Indiana, West Virginia, Virginia, and Florida – have considered such bills, notes The Hill.

In the same flavor, Gov. Matt Bevin (R-KY) signed a law which would allow public high schools in Kentucky to offer electives “on the literature of the Bible and Hebrew Scriptures,” reports USA Today.

Though the measures look to explore the Bible historically, POLITICO notes that critics are concerned the classes “could blur the constitutional line separating church and state.”

“There’s a separation of church and state but there’s not a separation of books from education,” said McWilliams, responding to such criticism. The Republican added that the Supreme Court decided in 1963 that “it was okay to do a Bible reading in school as long as it’s from a historical and literal context. As long as we’re not teaching the faith in the school, we can go for it.”

Some conservatives have already backed the notion of Biblical literacy in schools, emphasizing that understanding Biblical texts is fundamental in understanding the formation of our nation and its founders.

“Bible literacy is only ‘controversial’ because we live in such an aggressively stupid society,” said The Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh. “Obviously kids in school should read the most influential and important book ever compiled. You can disbelieve every word in it and that doesn’t change its impact and importance.”

“Impossible to understand letters from the Founders or speeches of Lincoln without Biblical literacy,” The Federalist’s Inez Stepman noted. “Shockingly ignorant journalists (& tbh, Presidents who say ‘two Corinthians’) could use some Biblical literacy too.”

The Daily Wire’s Michael Knowles wrote, “Our history as a nation and civilization is incomprehensible to the biblically illiterate,” he wrote in a tweet, adding, “Think of all the stupid, useless books you were made to read in school. Then consider that you explicitly were not made to read the most influential book in the history of the world. What reasonable person could possibly oppose Bible literacy?”

“Amen,” said Epoch Times writer Adrian Norman. “We need more God, not less.”