Bring your Bible to School

The Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin is trying something new in public schools in Kentucky. On October 2nd, 2019 he encouraged public school students across the state to participate in “Bring your Bible to School Day”. This is a student-led event that is sponsored every year by the fundamentalist Christian organization Focus on the Family. The republican governor sent out a twitter video about this matter saying “And I would encourage you please, don’t just bring your Bible to school, but read your Bible. Bring it, share it with others. If you have an extra Bible, bring it and share it with someone who maybe doesn’t have one, (who) maybe has never read this book.” Bevin stated that the Bible should be a very important part of one’s everyday life. Even though there is supposed to be a strong separation between church and state, In 2017, Bevin signed legislation making Kentucky the first state to allow its public schools to offer Bible literacy classes. Conservative states such as Georgia and Arkansas have been pushing pro-Christian bills. The main bill that they are focused on is the teachings of the Bible in public schools, this has been pushed through an effort called Project Blitz. Project Blitz is a program that was founded by Randy Forbes is a coalition of Christian right groups, including the

Congressional Prayer Caucus Foundation, the National Legal Foundation, and Wallbuilders Pro-family Legislators Conference. It seeks to “protect the free exercise of traditional Judeo-Christian religious values and beliefs in the public square, and to reclaim and properly define the narrative which supports such beliefs.” The group specifically encourages lawmakers to enact legislation that eliminates paths for legal interference of Christian practice in the public square; supports conservative legislators at the local, state and federal level with public relations and messaging; and otherwise seeks to alter longstanding narratives of religious liberty issues. President Trump agreed with this legislation and wanted to push the agenda as well. President Donald Trump has shown that he is in favor of this legislation by tweeting this in January 2019- “Numerous states introducing Bible Literacy classes, giving students the option of studying the Bible, Starting to make a turn back? Great!” On the other hand, citizens are very upset about this issue and argue that this type of legislation violates the separation of church and state. Rachel Laser, the president and chief executive for the Americans United for Separation of Church and State advocacy group, was very passionate about this issue and said 

“It’s part of an effort to establish this sort of narrow Christian agenda as the norm for our country, the government-sanctioned and supported norm,” in one of her interviews for the Washington Post. Overall, there are obviously different opinions regarding this issue. The Conservative politicians who are pushing this issue believe that teaching the bible will help the youth of today understand history better, but reports and data show that Project Blitz’s goal goes beyond this educational goal and that the legislation is meant to promote the “free exercise of traditional Judeo-Christian religious values and beliefs in the public square.” 
“Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin Supports ‘Bring Your Bible to School Day’.” U.S. News & World Report, U.S. News & World Report, http://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/2019-10-02/kentucky-gov-matt-bevin-supports-bring-your-bible-to-school-day.