Bible history electives are completely legal in Missouri public schools
Published 6:00 pm Wednesday, July 8, 2026
For the last seven decades, the secular public school system has drifted away from providing our children with a true classical education. In the process, a prevailing myth has taken hold in communities across America: the belief that the Holy Bible has no place in the public school classroom. Teachers remain fearful that they may lose their jobs if they speak up for their constitutionally protected freedoms, effectively operating with a proverbial gag in their mouths.
Meanwhile, students are routinely denied the opportunity to learn foundational biblical history and concepts, forcing them to navigate a daunting educational gauntlet. But here is the truth that every parent, teacher, and administrator in Missouri needs to know: Bible history electives are completely legal in Missouri public schools.
The legality of using the Bible as a historical and literary textbook is not a gray area. Former Missouri Gov. Mike Parson signed legislation specifically allowing public schools to offer Bible history electives. This follows a long-standing national precedent; across the country, 43 states offer Bible history electives or similar courses, according to the National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools. Furthermore, organizations like the 104-year-old Bible in the Schools program in Chattanooga, Tenn., provide a century of continuous, successful oversight of public school teachers executing these courses objectively and legally.
The highest court in our land has repeatedly affirmed these rights. In the 1963 case Abington v. Schempp, the U.S. Supreme Court explicitly stated that the Bible is worthy of study for its literary and historical qualities, noting that such study, when presented objectively as part of a secular program, does not conflict with the First Amendment. A few years later, the landmark 1969 Tinker v. Des Moines decision famously declared that neither students nor teachers shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.
Our hard-working teachers are incredible people who deserve to retain the same liberties as every other American citizen, including the sacred right to freedom of conscience. The Missouri Constitution explicitly guarantees this in Article I, Section 5, declaring that all men and women have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own consciences, and that no human authority can control or interfere with the rights of conscience. If the state constitution and the nation’s highest courts protect these academic and religious freedoms, we must ask ourselves who is keeping our teachers in the dark about their own rights.
Eighth-grade teachers across the state regularly instruct students on the very constitutional freedoms mentioned here so that those students can carry that knowledge into high school. It is time for society to rethink what freedom truly means and ensure teachers can practice what they teach. We need to return to an educational framework that doesn’t stray from historical truth.
As we look at the shifting landscape of education across the nation, including recent sweeping changes in states like Texas, Missouri communities have a clear path forward to restore accountability and depth to our classrooms. What role will you take to help Hannibal’s local school teachers regain the freedom to objectively teach the Bible in their classrooms? Our children, our families, and our future deserve nothing less.
Tim Ridings is the lead facilitator for the Bible in the Classroom Project, Midwest USA, which has been active since 2015.
