5.5 million schoolchildren in Texas will soon learn not to covet their neighbor’s wife alongside reading, writing, and arithmetic.
Legislators in Texas just passed a bill requiring every classroom in the state to display the Ten Commandments, and it now heads to Governor Greg Abbott’s desk, who has already stated he plans to sign it into law.
With Abbott’s signature, Texas will join Louisiana and Arkansas as the only states requiring the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms – though it seems almost certain that the Texas bill will face just as many legal challenges.
Do the Ten Commandments belong in the classroom?
Do As I Say…
Those hoping for a rigorous legislative debate on the issue were largely disappointed.
The bill soared through Texas’ Republican-majority Senate and House, though bill sponsor Representative Candy Noble did face pushback from State Rep. James Talarico, who accused her of not practicing what she literally hopes to preach.
In a viral exchange, Talarico pressed Noble on the fourth commandment, pointing out the irony of Texas legislators voting on the bill on Saturday and Sunday – putting them in direct conflict with the fourth commandment, which compels believers to avoid work on the Sabbath.
What Classroom Commandments Look Like
What does the text of the law actually say?
Classrooms aren't being asked to display their Ten Commandments as they originally appeared to Moses on Mount Sinai, chiseled in stone and in ancient Hebrew.
Per the bill, teachers in Texas will be required to "display in a conspicuous place in each classroom of the school a durable poster or framed copy of the Ten Commandments." Schools may use district funds to purchase the bills, but "must accept any offer of privately donated" of Ten Commandments displays as well.
That stipulation creates an interesting possibility.
Malicious Compliance Incoming?
Perhaps anticipating a wave of "malicious compliance" donations, the bill text very narrowly defines what is and is not acceptable to display. The Ten Commandments displays must be at least 16x20 inches, in legible typeface readable from across the room.
Those requirements aren’t stopping Chaz Stevens, a secular activist out of Florida, who previously took on Florida laws banning "inappropriate" books from school libraries by challenging the Bible – pointing out the copious amounts of sex, violence, incest, and slavery in the holy text.
Stevens says he plans to donate some 25,000 Ten Commandments posters to Texas school districts in compliance with the letter of the law, including posters written in Arabic, Russian, and Chinese, as well as editions highlighting words like "kill", "adultery","steal", and "ass".
Stevens pulled a similar stunt in 2022 when Texas mandated "In God We Trust" be displayed in school campuses. Stevens donated thousands of ‘In God We Trust’ posters in Arabic. And another man donated “In God We Trust” posters to local schools in colors matching the transgender flag.
Is This Okay?
With the Texas bill likely to become law, the question is again raised: Do the Ten Commandments belong in school classrooms?
Louisiana is still battling legal challenges to their near-identical bill, and the Texas bill will undoubtedly face similar legal hurdles from secular activists who aren’t buying the state’s explanation that the bill isn’t religiously motivated and that the Ten Commandments are an intrinsic part of American history.
Critics of the bill say it’s an obvious overstep of the separation of church and state, a blatant injection of Christian nationalism into what should be a secular space.
But bill advocates say the United States simply cannot be separated from Jesus and biblical teachings, and that an understanding of Christianity is necessary for kids to understand the history and culture of their country.
One thing is clear: there's an appetite to inject more Christianity into public schools. In the same legislative session, Texas legislators passed bills allowing schools to hold prayer sessions and Bible readings during school hours.
What is your reaction?
12 comments
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Reverend Paula Copp
What about the Constitutional right to FREEDOM OF RELIGION? My right to freedom from religion is just as important as your rights to whatever religion you choose. If you want the ten commandments in classrooms, then you need to give all religions - even Satanism - equal time. Leave people alone and keep the commandments before you try to shove your religion down children’s throats!
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Robert Gagnon
Good solid rules that have only a positive impact. I'm sure kids would like to change a few such as thou shalt not covet thy neighbors likes on Tik Tok.
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Nicholas J Page
How about another commandment Thou shall not riot anywhere in the world.Peace would be great
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Yanel Jay Laroche Jr.
I am Archbishop Yanel Jay Laroche Jr..The ten commandments are very important rules for believers to learn. There are other rules for Christians about the works of the flesh that are condemned in Galatians 5:19-21.
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Rev. BH
OMg, here we go again. Texas mandating Christianity in public schools over all other religions. Taxpayers, not all of whom are Christian, pay for public schools.
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tuppennyblue
The Ten Commandments are in the Old Testament, so are also applicable to Jews (Aseret HaDibrot). All of the ethical principles of the Ten Commandments are also to be found in Islam, so this is clearly not 'mandating Christianity over all other religions'.
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David Cuevas
I don't know about you but when I was in Public School once a week on a Wednesday I had a half day due to Religious Instructions to do my Communion.
My point being, if these schools do not have students receiving their sacraments what is the harm in learning them.
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Echo
I think a rewrite of them to remove religious references but the core moral codes kept would leave longer lasting positive influence on these children. One that all parents would not find offense to thier religious beliefs. Where teachers and staff aren't accused of pushing religion onto children.
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Rev. BH
Simplify: how about the one-line Golden Rule?
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tuppennyblue
Not a bad thing. Obedience to the ten commandments makes for a righteous and positive life, whatever one's beliefs. (though I am sure Satan will present his objections!)
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tuppennyblue
Not a bad thing. Obedience to the ten commandments makes for a righteous and positive life, whatever one's beliefs.
I would much rather the school's post the Bill of Rights and the Constitution then these archaic and misappropriated statements, they are in direct violation of said Constitution.