Bible is indicated as ‘school material’ in an act that anticipates Trump administration

But a group of teachers made it clear that they will fight the measure. “The American Federation of Teachers believes that these materials not only violate the separation of church and state and the academic freedom of our classrooms, but also the sanctity of the teaching profession,” the organization said in a statement. “These materials cannot serve all students in all contexts, and teachers must be empowered to adapt to the needs of their students,” the group said in a statement.

The Texas Freedom Network, which works on religious freedom, released a statement opposing the decision.

“The proposal borders on Christian proselytism in that its extensive and unbalanced coverage of Christianity and the Bible suggests that this is the only religious tradition of any importance”, warns the entity. “This is not a message that Texas public schools, which are called to serve a religiously diverse population, should convey,” the report added.

For supporters of the proposal, the initiative will expand students’ knowledge about religion and insist that it is not proselytism.

“Simply reading a few passages from the Bible will not make someone convert, since many Bible scholars are not Christians,” said Glenn Melvin, one of the main names in the campaign for the adoption of the book as school material.

Christian nationalism bet on Trump

The Texas case is not an isolated incident. Throughout the US election campaign, American Christian nationalist groups embarked on an offensive to get the Republican elected. Now, they will demand retribution from Trump for his fundamental support in states that could have given victory to Kamala Harris.