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Oklahoma School District Cancels Bible Elective Following Atheist Complaint

Veronica Elliot November 26, 2014 03:16 PM EST

A United States family Bible from 1859, photographed in December 2006. (Photo: Reuters/David Ball)

An Oklahoma school district has agreed not to provide students with a Bible elective course after receiving pressure from a national atheist organization.

Mustang Public Schools in Oklahoma recently agreed not to allow the elective "The Book: The Bible's History, Narrative and Impact" after receiving criticism from the Freedom From Religion Foundation.

The national atheist group posted on its website that is successfully convinced the school not to provide the elective after it made an open records request to the school regarding the elective's creation.

"In summary, the topic of a Bible course in the Mustang School District is no longer a discussion item nor is there a plan to provide such a course in the foreseeable future," Mustang schools Superintendent Sean McDaniel wrote in an emailed response to the FFRF, as the atheist group says in a press release.

Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of the FFRF, also said in a statement that "This development is a victory not only for reason and the law, but the sacrosanct right of a captive audience of students to be free from indoctrination in a public school setting."

The Bible curriculum was proposed by Steve Green, the evangelical owner of Hobby Lobby craft stores in the U.S. The Green family is also starting the project known as the Museum of the Bible, set to be erected in Washington, D.C. in 2017.

Dr. Jerry Pattengale, editor of the elective's curriculum and executive director of education at the Museum of the Bible, said in a statement to The Blaze that he and the Green family understand Mustang Public School's decision to discontinue the Bible elective course.

"We understand Mustang's decision to withdraw the new, elective Bible course from consideration," he said. "Museum of the Bible remains committed to providing an elective high school Bible curriculum and continues work on an innovative, high-tech course that will provide students and teachers with a scholarly overview of the Bible's history, narrative and impact."

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