The House last week passed a bill that stirred a lot of passion from members on both sides of the political aisle.

House Bill 1775 is specifically designed to stop the teaching of Critical Race Theory in our public schools and higher education institutions. It also prohibits state colleges and universities from requiring gender or sexual diversity training or counseling. The bill now will be considered by the governor. If he signs it into law, it will take effect July 1, before the beginning of the next school year.

Critical Race Theory is based on Marxist ideology that is designed to teach children to hate American exceptionalism and distrust others based on skin color or gender. Additionally, it teaches that most laws and systems in America are historically rooted in the racist oppression of black people and other marginalized groups. It promotes the theory of implicit bias and inherent racism due to one’s skin color. One of the authors of this bill rightly states this theory is a poison to the minds of students and propagates racism rather than ending it.

The passage of this bill does not mean history and all of its atrocities cannot be taught in our schools. It does not mean uncomfortable topics can’t be discussed. It does specify, however, that a teacher can’t be forced to make a student answer questions in a way that states they are inherently racist or sexist or that they must feel personally responsible for things perpetrated in the past simply because they are a specific race or gender.

Some of our public schools and universities are teaching this theory right now, in some cases as early as preschool. Some universities are making their freshmen students take diversity training courses that contain this very language. These trainings have students taking multiple choice tests asking them a laundry list of questions about gender and sexual diversity. If they answer “incorrectly,” they are not allowed to move to the next question until they choose the designed answer.

This is the very heart of indoctrination.

Our children are being told not to think for themselves, but rather to think how the designers of the test tell them to think.

As a Christian, I don’t look at skin color as the definition of a person or their place in society. Instead, I consider the heart and the character of an individual and his or her ability and qualifications. God made all of us in a rich variety of skin colors, with an equally extensive list of different talents, skills and abilities. It takes all of us working together to build a healthy community, state and nation. Our children have enough to deal with without worrying that they are racist since they have a certain skin color or who their parents are. My personal feeling is if you are going to teach any guideline it should be the way Christ dealt with people. He sought to be with all he met. He called the little children to him when the disciples tried to keep them away. He befriended the Samaritan woman at the well, and one of his best parables was the story of the Good Samaritan. Who is our neighbor? We are to be neighbors to all we meet and make no judgements.

Did our ancestors get this wrong at times in the past? Yes. But that doesn’t mean any group is implicitly biased and must be re-programmed. That is just another form of racism.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. Thank you for allowing me to serve you at the State Capitol. You may reach me by email at [email protected], or phone me at 405-557-7339. May God Bless you and the State of Oklahoma.