Pity the Educator Who Must Teach the Bible and the 10 Commandments
Plus affirmations for the democracy anxious, good reads, and the library and book ban news
Gratitude
Hi Friends!
I mentioned last Sunday that my birthday was coming the following day. Thanks for the messages with well-wishes. I thought I knew what was going to happen on July 1, at least in the sphere of political news. Steve Bannon was going to jail, and I figured that would top the list. Oh boy, was I wrong!
I take a Pilates mat class online from a teacher I’ve had for many years. The classes were in-person before the pandemic. Now we’re all sort of spread out. I mentioned on Tuesday that I was having a hard time with my anxiety over the state of the country. She sent me some Peace Affirmations for the World. I think many will work if we change the word ‘peace’ to ‘democracy.’ And, of course, take the actions that the affirmations are promising. I’ll add them below my main story.
I wrote a lot this past week, including a little essay about religion in schools. This is a hot topic because of new laws in Louisiana and Oklahoma. However, I wanted not to argue that this is a violation of separation of church and state—of course it is, and that’s why it shouldn't be allowed—but just to show the reader what will happen in the schools (hint: hot mess).
Here’s a little background on the Louisiana law to set the scene:
Louisiana requires Ten Commandments to be displayed in public classrooms from the Washington Post
The law gives schools until Jan. 1 to display the Ten Commandments — religious and ethical directives handed down to the prophet Moses in the Bible — on “a poster or framed document that is at least eleven inches by fourteen inches” in every classroom. The commandments have to be the display’s “central focus” and be “printed in a large, easily readable font.”
The law requires a context statement to accompany the commandments, positioning the text as “a prominent part of American public education” from the late 17th century through the late 20th century. Schools have to use donated posters or spend donated money, rather than public funds, to purchase the displays.
Pity the Educator Who Must Teach the Bible and the 10 Commandments
Louisiana’s new law requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms is already being challenged by parents of students attending those schools. Backed by the ACLU, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and the Freedom from Religion Foundation, they are confronting the most important issue: displaying the Ten Commandments in public schools is a violation of the First Amendment’s clause guaranteeing religious freedom. Perhaps it’s too hopeful to believe the law will be stricken when it comes before the courts. Meanwhile, Oklahoma has mandated the teaching of the Bible and the Ten Commandments in public schools in the fall. Based on my thirty-five years as a public high school educator, here’s how I see that playing out.
In Louisiana, materials must be donated rather than produced with public funds. If a donor comes forward, will the donor's name and business information be included on materials as free advertisement in the same way it is on free calendars? If so, does this constitute an endorsement of that business on the part of the school or district? How many faculty meeting discussions will it take to set the policy? Smart teachers will grade papers during these discussions as their opinions actually don’t matter.
If no donor comes forward, are the teachers going to be required to fundraise? Considering the time that will take, I fear some teachers will resign themselves to footing the bill for religious materials. Public school teachers pay for countless classroom essentials. What’s one more?
Visualize the scenario once Ten Commandment posters are in classrooms. I’m sure your mind jumped to the seventh commandment: thou shalt not commit adultery. So let’s look at just that single directive, which has nothing to do with any school-age children.
In primary school, some children will ask what this means. I can see a teacher being fired for explaining anything remotely close, especially when we consider what is happening in these states’ school libraries. Parents of kindergarteners through sixth grade will need to be prepared to explain it themselves. But before that happens, the precocious children will look up ‘adultery,’ either in print dictionaries or online. And then look up words embedded in the definition such as ‘sexual intercourse.’ Then they will share with their classmates at recess. Because sharing is caring.
Older students in middle and high school know what adultery is, but they often have the goal of testing limits. For laughs, some will ask their teachers about adultery, just to see them wiggle out of an answer. And someone in each classroom will add a little graffiti next to the seventh commandment. From my experience, I’m guessing it will be two stick figures, one of which has an extra appendage, about the length of its arm, coming up from between its legs at a forty-five degree angle.
If you think this would only happen in a classroom that is undisciplined and mismanaged, you never have spent the day with between 150-180 teenagers. (Yeah, I know. Crazy, right?) It only takes about five seconds to draw. One student will make this their goal. Today’s classrooms are literal activity centers. While the teacher is helping a few kids with their science lab or group project, the deed can easily be accomplished.
What to do with a vandalized Ten Commandments display and God’s ensuing wrath? If the school really wants to go all-out Old Testament, a fattened calf could be slaughtered at a school assembly as penance. The corpse could then be used in an anatomy class. For more modern sensibilities, it might be okay to paint over graffiti with Wite-Out. Or give the teacher a supply of posters to change out regularly. If the burden of paying for the extras falls on the teacher, the school will need to grapple with the larger question: Which straw breaks the camel-teacher’s back, causing them to quit public education in the state and seek a more rewarding job elsewhere?
What does religion in public schools actually achieve? A waste of time and energy. That’s all. It’s the last thing any teacher, already burdened with endless non-teaching tasks, needs. If people are truly concerned about moral instruction in public schools, they should consider some version of the golden rule for display. It covers a lot of ground. Everyone, including kindergarteners, understands it. And all cultures and religions have some version of it. It’s a universally recognized rule: Treat others the way you want to be treated. Which includes not wasting their time and money.
Good stuff
This week, I’ve been answering an author’s questionnaire as the first step to publication of my novel Keep Sweet about a teen in an abusive polygamist cult. It’s starting to feel real. I so want this push-back against patriarchy to be in print, in libraries!
I read this essay on Memoir Land this week. It’s also on the connections between spiritual leaders and sexual abuse. The author has a brand new Substack. Check it out.
I love reading Ron Charles’ Book Club newsletter from the Washington Post. I’ve quoted it in Be a Cactus before because I didn’t realize anyone can subscribe. Here’s the details:
You can read last week’s issue of the newsletter here. Keep in mind that free features like this either grow or die, so please tell your friends who might enjoy this newsletter that they can read it every week by clicking here. (No, they don’t have to subscribe to The Washington Post.) And remember, you can find all our books coverage, updated every day, here.
Here are the peace affirmations that I’m using for democracy.
Peace Affirmations for the World
I radiate peace to the world.
My peaceful heart creates positive change.
I envision and work for a peaceful world.
My actions promote peace and understanding.
I choose peace in my thoughts, words, and actions.
Peace starts within me and extends to others.
Kindness and compassion bring peace.
I send thoughts of peace to all corners of the globe.
I foster peace in my relationships and interactions.
I break the cycle of conflict with forgiveness and peace.
I bridge divides and promote peace through acceptance.
I actively contribute to a peaceful society.
I sow seeds of peace through acts of forgiveness.
I see the humanity in others, fostering peace.
I hold a vision of a peaceful world and work towards it.
I advocate for peace, inspiring others to join.
My peaceful presence creates ripples of peace.
Collective consciousness creates a peaceful world.
I embody peace, contributing to a peaceful existence.
I am a catalyst for peace and harmony.
(One of the ways I take some of the actions mentioned above is in letter writing for Vote Forward and Swing Left.)
Books I’m reading
I just finished Agave Blues by Ruthie Marlenée. I love the idea that “the blood calls you back” to your homeland. And that, once there, you find the magic and mystery that’s been missing from your life. Add to that: this Mexican family farms blue agave and produces high-quality tequila. That’s a lot to love. I hope we can have a chat with Marlenée about her publication journey.
On the audiobook side, I’m continuing to listen to the full-cast narration of Dracula, which we are reading for our family book club. The voicing for Lucy is irritating because she sounds like a simpering little girl. But—I know the story and, fortunately, we won’t have to put up with that much longer. (Baa-ha-ha! 🧛♂️) The others voices are quite good, the story pretty frightening. While there are details that might make some modern readers lose patience, I like them. The description plants images in my mind; it’s good scene setting.
Library and book challenge/book ban news
South Carolina implements one of US’s most restrictive public school book bans from the Guardian
South Carolina’s recent regulation is part of an alarmingly broader nationwide fight against literature exploring race, sexuality, or anything seemingly contentious or divisive. The severity of this particularly draconian law, however, sets it apart from what is happening in most other states.
The broad-reaching policy took effect automatically on 25 June despite not being debated or voted upon by the state senate or house, as the process typically necessitates.
It outlines that “age-appropriate” materials must not include descriptions or visual depictions of “sexual conduct”. Any parent with a child enrolled in a public K-12 school in the state can challenge up to five titles a month if they feel they violate these terms.
Law adding specific restrictions to state's 'Age-Appropriate Materials Act' went into effect on Monday from NBC 10News
Knox County, Tenn. schools will need to examine the books on their shelves to comply with the law.
In effect, the law could result in more books being banned from school libraries. The original law passed in 2022, did not include a definition of what is considered "suitable for the age and maturity levels" of students.
The new law says books on school shelves must be age-appropriate for children. Lawmakers determined that "nudity, or descriptions or depictions of sexual excitement, sexual conduct, excess violence, or sadomasochistic abuse" are not age-appropriate content for students between kindergarten and 12th grade.
Leading the Change: Teen activists share how they fight book bans
From American Libraries Magazine a fun idea for a book club on campus:
She recruited a group of fellow teen activists to wrap caution tape around their backpacks and wear them to school as a symbol for the censorship that was occurring locally and nationwide.
When people asked about the caution tape, she and the other campaign participants had a flier handy with information about their cause.
“By the end of the week, there were at least 100 kids at my school who had participated in the caution tape campaign,” she shared. “That’s what allowed us to expand.”
Women of color disproportionately targeted by book bans, study finds from University of Colorado, Boulder
Spoon and her colleagues analyzed the 2,532 books removed in the 2021-2022 school year, when a significant wave of book bans swept across the U.S. Drawing on data from PEN America, an organization focused on literature and human rights to protect free expression, they found that over half of all banned books were children’s books about historical figures and those featuring diverse characters, including LGBTQ+ and people of color.
While book bans commonly targeted LGBTQ+ romance novels, such as "The Perks of Being a Wallflower," they only account for 10% of all banned books, according to the study.
The analysis also revealed a stark racial disparity in book bans. Authors of color were 4.5 times more likely to be banned than white authors, particularly women of color. This is largely because women of color were more likely to write children’s books featuring diverse characters.
Over 100 Wisconsin school districts fielded inquiries, challenges to books from Wisconsin Watch
‘Gender Queer’ by Maia Kobabe was most challenged book since 2020. Restricted books included ‘The Bluest Eye,’ ‘The Kite Runner’ and ‘Slaughterhouse-Five.’
More than 100 Wisconsin school districts — 1 in 4 — fielded inquiries about books or formal requests to remove them since 2020, according to a Wisconsin Watch review of records obtained from all but two of the state’s 421 public school districts.
Many requests came from organized conservative groups and politicians rather than organic requests from parents concerned about required reading. In several cases, the school district didn’t even own the books someone wanted to remove.
Requesters involved with school board or state-level politics filed nearly half of the challenges and concerns. Book ban requests in one district sometimes rippled into nearby districts, fanned by viral social media posts and conservative media personalities.
Georgia lawsuit challenges anti-LGBTQ+ book bans over ‘real harms’ from the Guardian
Lawsuit says student and youth groups hurt after teacher was fired for reading My Shadow is Purple to students
BANS OFF OUR BOOKS: Over 100 People Attend 'Harmful Materials' Bill Protest in Southern Idaho from Big Country News
"In a democracy, this is how things work,” Ruchti said in response to why it’s so important to oppose bills like these. “We are a pluralistic society, no one group gets to dictate how things run, and that's why I'm so upset about House Bill 710. It was driven by an extreme religious group in Idaho, who pushed for this piece of legislation. The (most) prudish person in our community now, because of this legislation, gets to dictate what books your kids get to read, what books your grandkids get to take home from the library and it shouldn't work that way. It won't work that way if people stay engaged.”
Don’t let your kids read this column (but don’t ban it either) from Forward
This is an interesting article about a district banning a book they don’t have because it’s on Moms for Liberty’s bad book list.
We should stipulate, perhaps, that neither I nor the author think Kasher in the Rye, which was published in 2012, is appropriate reading material for middle school.
It is a racy and very much R-rated story of drug addiction, sexual exploration, mental illness, juvenile delinquency and domestic abuse that is laced with racial and other hateful slurs (plus 361 F-words in its 283 pages, according to the book banners, who apparently counted). One review — in a Texas publication — bluntly advised: “Don’t let your kids read this book.”
Unsurprisingly, Mission’s library does not have any books by Moshe Kasher, according to its online database.
Carry a gun to class to defend your students.
Teach the Bible. Who’s slant?!
Ban library books, teachers left to explain.
Walk the tightrope of watching what you say or potentially infer while teaching.
No breakfast/lunches for students whose parents can’t afford them, the stigma and hunger affecting children’s ability to concentrate. Yet these same politicians who withhold funding for food have no problem voting for billions for bombs. And they have THEIR lunches provided.
Do the incredibly difficult and undervalued job of teaching on top of this nonsense.
Seems like another way of harassing teachers and exerting control by a few politically motivated culture warriors and throwing sand in the gears of public education. Then proclaiming the system is broken and further cut funding. While their children attend segregation academies.
Thank you for an excellent article, much to think about. Let’s spend a billion to pay teachers better salaries, and another two or five for public education. A better educated populace makes for a better country.
I love this! “A fattened calf could be slaughtered at a school assembly as penance. The corpse could then be used in an anatomy class”