Per cbsnews.com, a bill signed into law on Wednesday, June 19, by Republican Gov. Jeff Landry requires the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every public school classroom. This makes Louisiana the first to implement this law.
All public classrooms, from kindergarten to state-funded universities, must display the Ten Commandments in a poster-sized display, in “large, easily readable font. “Displays of the Ten Commandments, accompanied by a four-paragraph context statement, explaining how the commandments “were a prominent part of American public education for almost three centuries,” must appear in classrooms by 2025. Donations would be used to pay for the posters as according to the legislation, state funds will not be used to implement the mandate.
The bill was authored by State House Representative Dodie Horton, and according to her, all Louisiana’s laws are based on the Ten Commandments. Other states such as Texas, Oklahoma, and Utah have also proposed legislation requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in classrooms, but due to threats of legal challenges, no state other than Louisiana has been able to pass such bills into law.
The law’s opponents warn that lawsuits are likely to follow, questioning its constitutionality. Those who support the measure claim that it’s not just religious, but that it has historical significance as well. As described in the law, the Ten Commandments are “foundational documents of our state and national government.”
Senator Royce Duplessis who opposed the legislation stated, “That’s why we have a separation of church and state.” “We learned the 10 Commandments when we went to Sunday school. As I said on the Senate floor, if you want your kids to learn the Ten Commandments, you can take them to church.”
Among the groups challenging the new Louisiana law is the American Civil Liberties Union, Americans United for Separation of Church and State and Freedom from Religion Foundation. In a joint statement, the groups stated that “The law violates the separation of church and state and is blatantly unconstitutional.”
It was reported by laaclu.org that the groups released a joint statement that stated:
“We are preparing a lawsuit to challenge H.B. 71. The law violates the separation of church and state and is blatantly unconstitutional. The First Amendment promises that we all get to decide for ourselves what religious beliefs, if any, to hold and practice, without pressure from the government. Politicians have no business imposing their preferred religious doctrine on students and families in public schools.”
“Louisiana’s communities and public schools are religiously diverse, yet H.B. 71 would require school officials to promote specific religious beliefs to which people of many faiths, and those of no faith, do not subscribe. Even among those who may believe in some version of the Ten Commandments, the particular text that they adhere to can differ by religious denomination or tradition. The government should not be taking sides in this theological debate, and it certainly should not be coercing students to submit day in and day out to unavoidable promotions of religious doctrine.”
“All students should feel safe and welcome in our public schools. H.B. 71 would undermine this critical goal and prevent schools from providing an equal education to all students, regardless of faith. We will not allow Louisiana lawmakers to undermine these religious-freedom rights.”
In my opinion, this is a major stretch of reality. The claim that posting The Ten Commandments in schools is akin to “imposing” beliefs is misguided. And how does a poster prevent an equal education to each student? How does it prevent education at all? Putting up posters doesn’t force anyone to accept or practice a particular religion, or anything else for that matter. Posters simply provide information, leaving students free to engage with the content or not. The same could be said of other passive poster displays. For some, they may have little real impact on beliefs or behaviors. For others they could be life-changing.
But from what I gather, it seems they aren’t making students read books with illustrations instructing them on how to worship and pray to God in order to indoctrinate them into accepting the God of Abraham, as seen in other instances of actual indoctrination in schools today. If governments can endorse gender confusion and similar ideas, and prompt students to “decide” their gender identity, then why is it an issue to promote the God of Abraham and his commandments, allowing students the freedom to decide for themselves whether they want to worship him or learn more about him?
Nevertheless, the core issue seems to be that the proposed law would require schools to display messages aligned with Judeo-Christian values. Opposers argue that this imposes specific religious beliefs that not all students share. However, the Ten Commandments and similar moral precepts are foundational to many faiths and secular ethical systems. Prohibitions on murder, theft, and false accusations hardly constitute controversial “religious” ideas. In fact, our government already teaches and upholds these universal principles.
Additionally, are children of different beliefs and those with no faith instructed to disrespect their parents or feel jealous of others’ possessions so as to try and take them for themselves? Furthermore, schools are generally closed on Saturdays and Sundays, recognizing the importance of allowing children a time of rest to be refreshed, in line with the concept of observing the Sabbath Day (Ex. 20:12; Ex. 31:17). This is what the Ten Commandments, or the “Ten Words,” from God are all about. They outline guidelines for living a fulfilling life that are generally accepted and followed by moral individuals. So, what exactly is the problem?
Why would one think a student, or any human being for that matter, would feel unsafe or unwelcome because there’s a poster on the wall that displays teachings such as, “You shall not steal,” and “You shall not kill?” Shouldn’t this have the opposite effect? Shouldn’t we want something to deter kids from stealing their father’s gun and taking it to school to murder students and staff? Isn’t it better to promote love and respect for others in order to prevent these feelings from occurring in the first place? Religious or not, anyone with common sense and decency would see how counterproductive and self-centered it is to challenge such teachings.
Therefore, objections seem to stem more from resistance in associating them with the God of Abraham (Ex. 20:2-3) than from genuine concerns about imposition or indoctrination. The truth is, there will always be resistance to serving the Lord—it’s to be expected. This opposition isn’t coming from man, but from spiritual wickedness in high places who seek to keep God’s truth hidden from those who are ignorant and blinded.
As the Bible states, our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces of evil that seek to obstruct acknowledgement and acceptance of the one true God and his principles. Unfortunately, among those being used to carry out this dirty work are believers who’ve been taught that observing God’s commandments isn’t necessary because of the cross. However, obedience to God is expected as is obedience to a parent.
So, I appreciate this move in Louisiana and I hope that they will indeed be the first, but not the last and only state to introduce such valuable changes, with more to follow—not just in schools, but in workplaces, homes, communities, and so on. Regardless of the threats, let God’s Word prevail (Acts 4; Acts 5:17-41). Because today is the day of salvation and now is the time for this nation and its people to recommit to the one true God. Regardless of religious preferences, those with open hearts should welcome efforts to reinforce timeless moral truths, regardless of their theological origin.
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