COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Some Ohio lawmakers want to enshrine educators' ability to teach about the "positive influence of religion" on American history, specifically Christianity.
Dubbed the "Charlie Kirk American Heritage Act," House Bill 486 was introduced by Reps. Gary Click (R-Vickery) and Michael Dovilla (R-Berea). The bill allows public school teachers to incorporate positive impacts of Christianity in American history lessons, and establishes that teaching those topics is not a violation of the First Amendment.
"An accurate and historical account of the influence of Christianity on the freedom and liberties ingrained in our culture is imperative to reducing ignorance of American history, hate and violence within our society," the bill reads.
Click said the bill does not establish anything new but rather codifies teachers' rights to include positive Christian influences in their American history courses. The Supreme Court has long upheld the right to teach about the Bible as long as it is "presented objectively as a part of a secular program of education."
Faculty concerned by Ohio State restricting statements about Native lands“The Charlie Kirk American Heritage Act is designed specifically to 'clarify' law for those who are uncertain. This provides an additional layer of assurance to our educators that they are indeed able to enjoy the academic freedom to teach on these issues," Click said. "The responses to this bill alone demonstrate the need for such clarification."
As Click pointed out, some have not received the bill positively. The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) Action Fund strongly condemned the bill, calling its historical examples "cherry picked" to offer a "deceptive" interpretation of American history.
“This bill is not history. It’s propaganda,” FFRF Senior Policy Counsel Ryan Jayne said. “Ohio legislators are trying to pressure schools to present Christianity as the foundation of American freedom — when, in reality, our Constitution was revolutionary precisely because it separated religion from government.”
The influence of religion on American history is already taught in schools. For instance, Ohio's learning standards require all eighth graders to understand that Europeans colonized North American "for economic and religious reasons." The state's model curriculum dives further into the influence of Christianity in its standards for history courses.
Ohio's learning standards do not place positive or negative affiliation on the impact of religion. The Charlie Kirk American Heritage Act changes this by emphasizing positive interpretations, suggesting instruction on the influence of the Ten Commandments in the U.S. or the "In God We Trust" national motto.
Many of the several dozen suggested topics are highly specific. The bill suggests teaching about "The influence of religious leaders like Reverend John Witherspoon who signed the Declaration of Independence." Witherspoon was the only clergyman to sign the document. The bill also suggests teaching about George Washington's directions about chaplains in the army, or the impact of evangelist minister Billy Graham in the mid and late 20th century.
As written, the bill assumes teaching about Christianity positively is not a First Amendment violation, which protects teachers and schools from possible lawsuits. However, it could limit Ohioans' ability to challenge religious concerns in the classroom. When asked about this provision, Click reiterated his bill does not conflict with federal law.
Are police misinterpreting Ohio law on body-camera fees?Click said the act honors conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was shot and killed while speaking at a Utah university in September. He said Kirk's beliefs were rooted in his Christian faith, adding that Kirk's understanding of the connection between American history and Christianity is "what he was killed for."
The bill does not require public schools to teach these topics, but it is still raising concerns about Christian influence in government-funded spaces.
“This is state-sponsored religious indoctrination dressed up as history,” Annie Laurie Gaylor, FFRF Action Fund president, said. “Lawmakers should be ensuring Ohio students receive an honest education about the diverse influences on American democracy — not mandating they be spoon-fed a Christian nationalist fairy tale.”
Click said FFRF is a "hate group" that seeks to intimidate teachers who want to teach subjects like those included in the bill.
"Headlines implying that the intent is to add Christianity or teach religion in the classroom reveal just how blurred the lines are between teaching the historical context of religion rather than teaching doctrine or proselytizing in the classroom," Click said.
The bill had its first House Education Committee hearing on Oct. 7, but does not have other hearings scheduled as of publication.
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