The call for tenders launched on September 30 by Ryan Walters, the superintendent of Education of Oklahoma – equivalent to the Minister of Education at the state level – is enough to arouse envy: the Republican official wants in fact acquiring no less than 55,000 Bibles for its classrooms, to counter the “efforts by left-wing groups and teachers unions to drive the Bible out of schools”according to him.
More “not even mentioning concerns about the separation of church and state”the consultation raises questions, notes the site Oklahoma Watch.
According to the terms of the call for tenders, eligible Bibles must meet very strict criteria: in addition to the Old and New Testaments, they must offer the texts of the oath of allegiance to the flag, the Declaration of independence, the Constitution and the American Bill of Rights. And they must be “bound in leather or similar material”specifies the site.
Contacted by Oklahoma Watcha seller 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
There is one, however, which is suitable “perfectly” : this is the “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 from Bible sales”. 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 Bible” – whose title takes up the first words of the American Constitution, “We the people” – would also meet the eligibility criteria. It costs the tidy sum of 90 dollars 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’s Minister of Justice to ask him to study the legality of the process.
According to the regional channel Oklahoma News 4it is not the restrictive nature of the call for tenders which motivates the elected official’s complaint, but the fact that the superintendent, by his own admission, wants to finance the purchase of his Bibles – 3.3 million dollars, if the Trump Bible is retained – “by taking millions from the Bureau of Education’s salary budget”.
The channel emphasizes that “more than 130 Bureau of Education employees have resigned or retired since Walters took office” in 2023.
