Letters to the Editor: Teach the Bible in public schools? Be careful what you wish for

To the editor: As your editorial notes, Oklahoma’s state Supt. of Public Instruction Ryan Walters took great pains to specify that the Christian Bible and Ten Commandments should be highlighted in history lessons, among other public school subjects. (“Religious freedom under attack in Oklahoma schools,” editorial, Aug. 1)

Look for him to add further guidance on “thou shalt not kill.” After all, early American Christians disposed of women deemed to be pagan witches by horrifically hanging them. And thereafter the Ku Klux Klan, employing such Christian memes as crosses and prayers, perpetrated gruesome lynchings of African Americans well into the 20th century.

I can see it coming: Walters and his pious red-state brethren will accuse learned historians of fabricating something akin to critical race theory — say, critical faith theory — the better to promote instruction that white-washes inconvenient histories of religion-rooted crimes and bigotry.

Would that red-state school kids could be spared culture-war strife.

M. Edward Alston, Santa Monica