The president of a company that is currently challenging Obamacare laws before the Supreme Court is also trying to bring a class about the Bible to thousands of schools.
Earlier this week, Mustang Public Schools in Oklahoma voted to adopt a Bible course developed under the leadership of Hobby Lobby president Steve Green, according to The Washington Post. Those involved with the course told the outlet they hope other school districts will soon follow suit.
The course, which Mustang schools will offer as an elective during the fall 2014 semester, focuses on the history of the Bible and the influence of the Old and New Testaments, according to the Christian Post. Mustang Schools Superintendent Sean McDaniel told the outlet the course is totally nonsectarian and was written by scholars with various religious backgrounds.
"The curriculum has been through a rigorous review to check for bias and ensure the content is neutral," McDaniel told the Christian post.
However, others are concerned the course -- which reportedly does not violate the separation of church and state -- could be more dangerous in practice.
A blog post by Americans United For Separation Of Church And State points to a 2013 speech Green gave to the National Bible Association as evidence of his religious agenda. During the speech, Green said the purpose of the course is to “reintroduce this book to this nation. This nation is in danger because of its ignorance of what God has taught.”
Green Scholars Initiative boss Jerry Pattengale, whose organization helped oversee the development of the course’s curriculum, spoke to the Washington Post about the speech, saying, “The curriculum may or may not espouse those views. The last people (Green) wanted to hire were scholars who would embellish the facts to support his religious position."
Green and his family are currently arguing they should be exempt from providing their thousands of Hobby Lobby employees with health insurance coverage for 20 federally approved methods of birth control, as required by the Affordable Care Act. The family says these requirements are infringing upon their religious freedom.
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