Louisiana has become the pioneer state in enacting a law that mandates the exhibition of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms, including those in state-funded universities. This move comes after the Supreme Court’s decision in 1980 to remove the commandments from educational institutions. Similar initiatives are underway in states like Texas, Oklahoma, and Utah, although none have been successful thus far.
The legislation specifies that state funds cannot be utilized for the placement of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms. Instead, schools have the option to receive donated funds for purchasing displays or accept donated displays directly.
Dean Young, a Christian activist with a three-decade-long commitment to reinstating the Ten Commandments in classrooms nationwide, expressed his intention to spearhead a fundraising campaign for this cause. “There will be a Ten Commandments for every single classroom in Louisiana, at LSU, at every college — and it will be funded,” Young said.
The legislation highlights recent rulings made by the Supreme Court, which acknowledge the historical importance of the Ten Commandments as a fundamental aspect of our legal framework. It also emphasizes that recognizing the historical significance of the Ten Commandments aligns with our nation’s history and reflects the founders’ belief in the essential role of civil morality for effective self-governance.
“History records that James Madison, the fourth President of the United States of America, stated that ‘(w)e have staked the whole future of our new nation . . . upon the capacity of each of ourselves to govern ourselves according to the moral principles of the Ten Commandments,”‘ the bill reads.
The bill, which has now gone into effect, permits the display of the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence, and the Northwest Ordinance, although it is not mandatory. However, it does require that these displays be accompanied by a four-paragraph context statement. This statement describes the Ten Commandments as a significant aspect of American public education for nearly three centuries. All public school classrooms, ranging from kindergarten to universities, must have these displays in place by January 1, 2025.
According to CBS News, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) did not give a final approval to the bill. However, the time for him to either sign or veto the bill expired, resulting in the legislation taking effect. Breitbart News’s request for comment from Landry’s office went unanswered at the time of publication. Local media had previously reported that Landry expressed support for the bill and was even open to legal challenges against it.
“I’m going home to sign a bill that places the Ten Commandments in public classrooms,” Landry said during a speech on Saturday at a fundraiser in Tennessee. “And I can’t wait to be sued.”
Organizations advocating for freedom of speech have criticized the law as being unconstitutional and infringing upon the principle of separation between religion and government.
“It is meant to impose Christianity on all students in Louisiana’s public schools, even if they belong to a minority religion or no religion at all,” The Center for Inquiry’s director of government affairs Azhar Majeed wrote.
The Louisiana law was enacted following a favorable Supreme Court ruling in the case of a former Bremerton High School football coach who was terminated for praying on the field. In this ruling, the Supreme Court determined that Coach Joe Kennedy’s silent prayers after games did not violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.
Furthermore, the Supreme Court also invalidated the “Lemon test,” which was previously utilized in the 1980 Stone v. Graham case to overturn a Kentucky law resembling the newly implemented law in Louisiana. Several justices had criticized the Lemon test as outdated and misapplied, highlighting its inadequacy in assessing government coercion of religion.
“In place of Lemon and the endorsement test, this Court has instructed that the Establishment Clause must be interpreted by ‘reference to historical practices and understandings,’” Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in the majority opinion for Kennedy v. Bremerton School District.
