A multi-faith coalition of American leaders and people of faith, including many veterans, have responded by filing a lawsuit. They intend to stop a new Texas law mandating that public school classrooms post the Ten Commandments. Texas Governor Greg Abbott recently signed similar legislation mandating schools post a poster or framed copy of the Ten Commandments at least 16 by 20 inches. Now a legal challenge has been filed to this new state law.
history, Ten Commandments carved onto a pair of stone tablets. God handed them down to Moses on Mount Sinai, and they are steeped in rich historical and cultural significance. Supporters argue that these commandments are fundamental to our way of life. Yet proponents counter that bringing them into public schools is an infringement on the separation of church and state — a concept originally brought to the U.S. by Thomas Jefferson through the Establishment Clause of the Constitution.
According to the lawsuit, the Texas law would impose “religious mandates” on nearly six million students across 9,100 public schools every day. The faith leaders contend that such a requirement violates the U.S. Constitution, which protects individuals’ rights to practice or abstain from practicing religion without government interference.
Texas has passed a law like Louisiana’s new act. That’s why this new Louisiana law, going into effect in 2024, will make it the first in the nation to require public schools to post the Ten Commandments. Additionally, Arkansas passed a similar law in April, prompting plans for legal challenges from various organizations.
The idea of separation of church and state has been a long established, bedrock principle in U.S. law. Critics of the Texas mandate say it violates free speech. It would drastically raise the level of religious entanglement within our public education systems, they argue.
Last week, a federal appeals court put the requirement on hold temporarily while its legal impact is considered. The implications of this case being a significant precedent. Beyond that it will set the tone for the way religious displays engage with public education all across this country.
