Despite recommendations from experts, the GOP controlled Texas State Board of Education just voted to include Moses with the founding father in statewide social studies curriculum.

The stupid, it burns.

Christian conservatives win; children lose.

In a disappointing development for historical accuracy and the education of children, dishonest Christian conservatives on the GOP controlled Texas State Board of Education have successfully forced a false historical narrative into public schools; a narrative that portray Moses as an influence on the founding fathers and the U.S. Constitution; a narrative that portrays the Old Testament as the root of democracy.

In essence, Texas public school students will be taught that the Founding Fathers based the Constitution on the Bible, and that the American system of democracy was inspired by Moses.

In effect, Texas teachers will be forced to promote a false historical narrative in service to the conservative Christian agenda.

Reporting on the story, The Dallas News explains:

The board also voted to add back into the curriculum… Moses’ influence on the writing of the founding documents, [and] multiple references to “Judeo-Christian” values…

In addition to promoting a false historical narrative concerning Moses and “Judeo-Christian” values, the board also elected to “add back into the curriculum a reference to the ‘heroism’ of the defenders of the Alamo.”

Writing for The Houston Chronicle, Alejandra Matos notes that the vast majority of academic experts had rejected the conservative Christian plot to include Moses as an influence on the founding fathers:

The advisory group recommended removing references to Moses as an individual whose principles of laws and government informed America’s founding. The advisory group wrote that Moses “is too removed from time period the U.S. constitution was authored and beyond time scope.” Several historians and teachers also urged the board to heed that recommendation, noting there is little to no proof that Moses’ principles influenced America’s founding documents.

Emile Lester, a political science professor from the University of Mary Washington, explained to the board why the reference to Moses as a major influence on the founding fathers should be removed, at one point simply noting:

I appreciate history is complicated. But sometimes right is right and wrong is wrong.

However, despite the overwhelming objections from historians and other academic experts, the GOP controlled Board of Education ignored the recommendations of experts in order to promote their false historical narrative promoting conservative Christian propaganda.

Commenting on the story, Carisa Lopez, political director of the Texas Freedom Network, noted:

They clearly couldn’t restrain themselves. From the Civil War to Moses and separation of church and state, board members substituted their personal beliefs for what scholars and teachers have been telling them is important to teaching the truth. Once again, we see why politicians rewriting curriculum standards for public schools is just a bad idea. You end up with history based on majority vote rather than on facts.

Bottom line: In a disappointing defeat for historical accuracy and the education of innocent children, the GOP controlled Texas State Board of Education just voted to promote conservative Christian propaganda in statewide social studies curriculum.

Children in Texas deserve better; children deserve the truth.