Texas has found itself at the center of a spiraling education debate as it considers whether to include Bible stories in the elementary school reading curriculum. Critics argue that public school is no place for religious teachings traditionally reserved for Sunday school, according to CBS Austin. The State Board of Education held a hearing on Tuesday where Carisa Lopez of the Texas Freedom Network voiced concerns, stating, "We’re teaching students stories that should be taught in Sunday School, that parents should be teaching at home. We should not be teaching these stories in public school like they are factually accurate."

However, proponents believe such stories are foundational to understanding American culture and literature. Texas Values President Jonathan Saenz argues that the attempt to push back against the integration of Bible stories into the curriculum is an effort to "rewrite history" and to "convince you that Christianity has no value or has had nothing to do with the founding of our country," as Saenz told CBS Austin.

The controversial move is supported by GOP Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick who aims to "get us back to teaching, not necessarily the Bible per se, but the stories from the Bible," according to his interview on a Christian talk show, as reported by Texas Standard.

The curriculum in question seeks to bridge the reading lessons with stories from the Bible, citing examples such as Queen Esther and Christ's Last Supper. State education Commissioner Mike Morath, attempting to firmly root this change in literature and culture rather than indoctrination, justified the decision, saying, "If you don’t know who Nebuchadnezzar is, you don’t know what [King’s] talking about," referencing Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail." The lesson also aims to "unlock in the minds of our kids their ability to wrestle with … ideas that have surfaced in great works of literature," as per Texas Standard.