WASHINGTON (TND) — Louisiana is close to becoming the first state to mandate the display of the Ten Commandments in schools and universities. If the governor signs the proposed bill into law, any publicly funded educational institution would be required to prominently display the Ten Commandments on a poster or framed document. The bill specifies that the display must be at least 11 by 14 inches, with the text being the central focus, printed in a large, easily readable font. It also includes the exact wording that should be used.
This move has sparked a debate over whether such a requirement would violate the constitutional separation of church and state. In 1980, the Supreme Court ruled that classroom displays of the Ten Commandments were unconstitutional. However, proponents of the Louisiana bill argue that the legal landscape has changed. They cite a 2022 Supreme Court case where the Court ruled in favor of a high school football coach who was fired for leading prayers after games, stating that it was a First Amendment violation to prevent him from practicing religious observance.
Similar efforts to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms have been attempted in other states. Last year, Texas and South Carolina tried to pass similar bills, but they ultimately failed. Earlier this year, a bill in Arizona that would have allowed public school teachers to read and display the Ten Commandments was vetoed by Governor Katie Hobbs in April. In Utah, Governor Sean Cox signed a bill into law allowing the significance of the Ten Commandments to be taught in public schools, though this differs from mandating their display.
As of now, there are no other active efforts in the United States to require the display of the Ten Commandments in public schools.
States are trying to bring religion into schools in other ways. Texas and Florida enacted laws within the last year that allow schools to hire volunteer chaplains to provide mental health support and counseling to students. Lawmakers in at least 14 other states have considered similar measures; and since 2018, at least seven states have passed laws requiring schools to display “In God We Trust” signs in classrooms.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7uLbAnKuvZpOkunC6xLCqaKaRqbawuoywpquklGS5sMHIrKCappFisLC60qKbnqqjYr%2BmvdSiqaKml2LBprqMnKampZGjsa6xza2qZqGeYsCktM6oo6xllZnCpK3ToqanZaCkwLWxw2adq5mdmrFuss6nq2abn6PAtbXTrquip55iwKa8wKuYraGfo3qktNSrmqFlo6mutbGMrKypqpWism6vzq6prWWkmsWiv4yspq6smGKwor7OpaCnmV2Wv6rGzqeYZqGeYrSwsIywnGasoqrAtXnVqKOupqSasrN5wqGYqaSRnru0