The offer launched on September 30 by Ryan Walters, the superintendent of schools in Oklahoma – equivalent to the secretary of education at the state level – is enough to arouse envy: the Republican official actually wants to acquire no less than 55,000 Bibles for his classrooms, to counter “efforts by left-wing groups and teachers’ unions to drive the Bible out of schools”according to him.
But “without mentioning concerns about separation of church and state”the hearing raises questions, the site notes Oklahoma Watch.
According to the terms of the tender, eligible Bibles must meet very strict criteria: in addition to the Old and New Testaments, they must offer the texts on the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the American Bill of Rights. And they should be “bound in leather or similar material”indicates the site.
Contacted by Oklahoma Watcha salesperson from Mardel Christian & Education – a chain specializing in the sale of religious products – searched its catalog, and although Mardel offers some “2,900 editions of Bibles, none meet the criteria”.
Questionable legality
However, there is one that is suitable “perfect” : this is “God Bless the USA Bible”sponsored by Donald Trump and “commonly referred to as the Trump Bible. It costs $60 online and Trump gets paid for his sponsorship”notes the site.
According to The Guardianwhich is based on financial documents published in August, “Trump Said He Made $300,000 Selling Bibles”. It is not known how much he would receive if his Bible “favorite” was selected by Oklahoma.
Oklahoma Watch notes that another edition, the “We the People’s Bible” – whose title fills the first words of the US Constitution, “We the People” – would also meet the eligibility criteria. It costs the tidy sum of $90 and benefits from the sponsorship of… Donald Trump Jr.
The controversy continued to swell during the week, and on Saturday a Republican elected official in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, Mark McBride, contacted the state attorney general to ask him to investigate the legality of the process.
According to the regional channel Oklahoma News 4is not the restrictive nature of the supply that motivates the elected official’s complaint, but the fact that the superintendent, according to his own statement, wants to finance the purchase of his Bibles – $3.3 million if the Trump Bible is retained. – “by taking millions from the Bureau of Education’s salary budget”.
The channel emphasizes this “more than 130 Bureau of Education employees have resigned or retired since Walters took office” in 2023.