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Chaz Stevens is using Florida GOP's "stop WOKE act" to prove the Bible's inclusion of topics like racism and LGBTQ+ issues makes it inappropriate for classrooms.
Last week, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed CS/HB 7, also known as the "Stop WOKE Act," into law, prohibiting the teaching of material that is "inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously."
This includes the fact that some people are privileged or oppressed based on race, gender, or national origin. An earlier bill passed last month allows parents and members of the public to challenge school books available in classrooms and libraries. So far, 200 books have been banned in Florida, The Miami New Times reports.
Critics have said the bills will prevent important aspects of history from being included in Florida's curriculum -- similar to concerns over the state's 'don't say gay' law.
But there's one book containing content about slavery, racism, and LGBTQ+ issues that lawmakers didn't consider in writing this law: The Bible. This might have slipped the minds of Florida's politicians, but it didn't fly under the radar of activist Chaz Stevens, who used the "stop WOKE act" to send complaints to eight school districts in the state challenging the Bible's eligibility to be in schools, according to The Miami New Times.
"If they're gonna ban books, then the whole library should be in play. My hope -- and it's a longshot -- is that they will apply their own standards to themselves and ban the Bible," Stevens told the outlet.
As for supporting evidence, Steven turned to the Bible, chapter and verse, to make his case. "With the constant concerns about teaching Critical Race Theory, should we not take stock of the Bible's position on slavery? I am concerned our young white students will read such passages and wake up to civilization's sordid past," Stevens wrote in his complaint.
"I wish to file such an objection, requesting the Miami-Dade County Public School system immediately remove the Bible from the classroom, library, and any instructional material," he wrote in one of the complaints, "And, as is often the case with banned books, I ask your agency lay flame to that giant stack of fiction in a pyre worthy of a Viking sendoff."
