Rabbi's Musings

Today at Lunch and Learn, we will speak about a current crisis brewing in our state. To wit, the separation between church and state, already porous in Texas, is getting grayer. Nationwide, efforts to infuse more Christianity in schools across the nation are currently facing several legal challenges, but legal experts note that recent rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority have eroded decades of precedent and made it unclear what state actions are unconstitutional. 
 
As the Texas Tribune reports, there is now a proposal for November that came after the Texas Legislature passed House Bill 1605, a law that directed the creation of free-to-use textbooks with the goal of helping teachers save time preparing for classes.

If approved, the decision to adopt the curriculum would rest with school districts. Those that do would receive an incentive of up to $60 per student. The extra funds could be particularly attractive after the Legislature failed last year to approve a significant boost to the base amount of money every school gets per student, leaving them to grapple with multi million-dollar budget deficits.
 
Sadly, the curriculum is not secular. It is religious. The proposed curriculum would prompt teachers to relay the story of The Good Samaritan — a parable about loving everyone, including your enemies — to kindergarteners as an example of what it means to follow the Golden Rule. The story comes from the Bible, the lesson explains, and “was told by a man named Jesus” as part of his Sermon on the Mount, which included the phrase, “Do unto others as you would have done unto you.” 
 
I would argue in a perfect world, why not? But in the world of reality, such stories should belong in church school, not public school, lest the interpretations veer into prejudice against other religions.
 
There is a lot going on these days, I know. But this is an issue to keep our eye on and when possible to speak about because when the line between church and state is breached, the Jewish people never win.