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?
67 comments
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Jack A Mabry
Only if they also allowed the teaching that not believing in a God is also ok.
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Rev Samantha Counihan
it doesnt belong in public schools, its innapropriate, and disrespectful to the kids and that kids parents thats a different religion, and christ and bible shouldnt be included in schools and should be separated as it always been, them forcing christianity on anyone is gonna get that religion more hate, not to mention the bloody murderous past christianity gas done to us women, how christians murdered women for being different
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Travis A. Lee
This contradicts the Constitution and the Spirit of the Declaration of Independence. Anyone who doesn't think so, are not patriotic. Plain and Simple
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Brandon O'Malley
You know it’s so easy for people to engage in overreach like this when they really don’t care about others freedoms. All they care about is pushing their own religious beliefs, and not caring about how others feel. It’s quite hypocritical that these people will push things like this while complaining that their beliefs are being attacked. This law is also a direct violation of the Stone v. Graham SCOTUS ruling of 1980 which prevents the direct display of the 10 Commandments in public school classrooms. What these Republicans are doing is a direct violation of the First Amendment regarding the free practice and establishment clause. The argument that the Texas Republican made was regarding establishment of Christian religion in public education. The bill directly violates the Establishment Clause. If the Supreme Court does not overturn this bill then the Supreme Court isn’t doing their jobs. If you’re going to display one religious doctrine, then you better be displaying all of them. Only displaying the 10 Commandments is against the law.
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Paul Johnson
It seems a few would like for their children to be taught the ways of the evil I guess in todays world that seems to be the norm. Anything to object God. As it was in the daysof Noah Mt 24:24. Many don't even care what their children are being taught justas long as they are out of their way. Now if the Ten Commandments become some Denominations now we have a problem. However these were Commandments handed down by the one and only God to man to let man see the difference between what God thinks what a man needs to understand. Again man has taken upon himself to try to figure a way to follow the devil and all of his schemes. Just look at LA, Dallas, NY, Chicago to name a few places where the DEVIL is having it his way, and peoplethinking its okay to destroy other peoples property to show their respect and LOVE for the other person who chooses to break the law and wants everybody to look the other way. Why were the Ten Commandmets created in the first place? if you don't understand this then you will think that there really isn't any laws anywhere that needs to be obeyed.
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Cyril R. VanKeirsbelk
Which Ten Commandments?
What if there is a church that updates them to current language? What if there is a church that makes up new ones?
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Danielle Elizabeth Ostach
This is blatantly illegal and against the establishment clause. The ten commandments belong only in a school library along side copy of Koran, bible, hebrew texts and descriptions of other religion research material in the religions section at most. Putting it in the classroom is violate of the establishment clause of the constitution.
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Ari Joseph Bertine
Separation of church and state. Period. This is unconstitutional and no amount of claiming some stupid lie that NOT ONE PERSON is fooled by, and they KNOW it, will make it constitutional. This is anti-American and should be dealt with as such.
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Religion as a Weapon is Wrong
It might be easier to argue for this if the governor of Texas wasn't a criminal and POTUS hadn't broken all 10 of the Commandments. It might be easier to argue for this if Texas and POTUS actually believed in and defended the Constitution. It might be easier to argue for this if half the country didn't get publicly called scum that should burn in hell on every single religious holiday via social media. There is a difference between teaching children what we believe to be morally correct and having people that exhibit no morality push a version of morality on the entire population. That is not morality. It is control of the masses.
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Michael Burton
If only we could give Texas back to Mexico, but they wouldn't want it now.
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obere mchugh
Ive never understood why people seem to think its a good idea to have these kind of things in a class room, as the only time any sort of religion to be in a class room is in history class and ancient history class too boot. as was when i was in school. thats the only relivant time it should be in a civil secular class room in those context no other as i my self have never been nor was i raised in christianity it just seems rather alien to have such things in a school where one is to learn and gain knowlege leave religion in your church and stay out of public education.
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Religion as a Weapon is Wrong
Those of us that were raised in Christianity don't recognize this version of it. It has little to do with religion and lot to do with control, and shouldn't be in public schools. It erases science and common sense. Churches of all kinds run religious schools. The members support the school and I'm all for that. I am not for public schools being used and supported by taxpayers for whomever happens to be in control of the state.
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Matthew Mastrogiovanni
Putting the bible in churches isn't working, what makes Texas think putting it in schools is going to help? Perhaps feeding children? You can teach the bible, without the bible as well. Teach the fruit of the Spirit, as described in Galatians 5:22-23 , These virtues—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—are the result of the Holy Spirit's work in a believer's life, manifesting in actions that reflect Christ's character.
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Roy S. Thorpe
Way back in grade school we had some basic religion taught to us and we seem to have survived very well. Even had a few religious songs in music class! School is for learning about EVERYTHING!!
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Peggy J Hardman
A god maybe, but a particular god, NO! Whose creation story, who's laws, etc? So-called christians were NOT the first here; Pilgrims and Puritans were bigots, christians not of their ILK were cast out, murdered, and forbidden entry to their towns -- hmmm, sounds quite current, right? Again, OT Law was fulfilled and supposedly those who call themselves christians are "under grace" not law. Maybe they should read their own manual. P.S. The 10 C's are almost verbatim those the Buddha espoused 500 years before Jesus.
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Ahmed Abduljabar Al-Hujazi
If we're trusting schools to teach what is right to our children, then how do we protect our non-Christian children from being indoctrinated into Christianity? Are parents supposed to tell them, "Oh no, my child. Everything they tell you in school is correct, except the one thing that goes against our beliefs."
And by the way, there were multiple faiths in America before and after the American revolution. What about all the Native beliefs? What about the religions brought over by imported slaves? The history of the USA is more than that of a bunch of ancestral Europeans who were in power.
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Tony Alvin Owens
Yes, it belongs in our schools. When the Equal Rights Amendment was passed into law... our society began it plummet into lawlessness and moral degradation. And has been used in out court system to further change the common decency and faith our society and nation was based on. We really need to get back to the basics... and strip our laws back to the original declarations and do away with all changes and additions to the amendments. Back when I was younger everyone were able to trust and care for our neighbors, we recited the pledge of allegiance and the lord's prayer before our classes every morning.
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Ahmed Abduljabar Al-Hujazi
You are clearly a product of our plummeting educational system. The Equal Rights Amendment was never ratified and so is not part of the current constitution (look it up.) The original intent of the amendment was to prevent discrimination on the basis of gender. How is preventing the abuse of women in the workplace going to cause our society to "plummet into lawlessness and moral degradation." ? Are you actually saying that we should take the vote back from women (19th amendment, which was ratified) ? Try saying that in a PTA meeting; I can imagine the tar and feathers.
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Ari Joseph Bertine
It looks like he is low-key saying exactly that. People do that now, they are no longer afraid to be open about wanting to take rights away from other people. It's in fashion or something.
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Bryant C. Seymour
I'm sorry who is taking away rights? Are you blaming the roe vs Wade turn over? Because that was returning the rights of the states to regulate the rules on it. Also The supporters had 50+ years to make it a law. As for removing the LGBTQ garbage from schools is not a loss of a right. So please tell me what rights anyone has lost ? Maybe you should stop listening to the MSM propaganda machine.
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Michael Hunt
How about the right for gay couples to get married? There's already multiple groups wanting to overturn Obergefell v Hodges and Alito and Thomas have spoken about wanting to overturn that case too after they overturned Roe v Wade.
https://www.themonastery.org/blog/southern-baptists-vote-to-overturn-gay-marriage
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David Alan Downes
As for the "Christianity" of the ten commandments, when Christ was asked which was the greatest commandment, he didn't point to any of them. Matthew 22 tells us that He answered "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself." When asked "Who is my neighbor?," he made it clear several times that no one was to be excluded - not the poor, not the foreigner, not the prisoner and not the sinner. If the political panderers in in Texas and elsewhere want to site actual Christianity, let them paste up the beatitudes on their school walls.
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Rev Tess
Why not just post the schools rules/codes of conduct rather than relying on something with obvious religious context (good moral codes or not)? Why must everything be so divisive?
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Carly Danyel Cramblit
I am very concerned that humanity will never survive if we cannot out grow these old mentally demented ideas that some god even exists. many others have wrote about this topic so I won't revisit. Christopher sums it up pretty well. the only commandments worth anything are 6 and 8 the rest are total garbage or questionable. Dangerous in the person that claims to know the one true god and is will to do horrible things to make you comply and believe. Humanity doesn't need religion. religion needs humans so it can feed off it's fears, to shame them and separate them from their money. Grow up.
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Steven Ferrell
If they can put LBGXYZ stuff in classrooms, then the 10 commandments should be allowed.
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Michael Hunt
So if we teach children that there are families that have 2 moms or 2 dads in school, we also have to teach them that God first commands you that, "You shall have no other gods before Me"?
There's scientific evidence that our sexual attractions are decided by our genetics and not something that we can choose. There's no evidence that God exists.
We can teach children that it's wrong to steal or murder without using the fear of God to control them.
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Alisha Rodriguez
Seriously? As a Christian I don't want a secular school indoctrinating my child about anything. It's time for parents to step up and be the religious leaders to their own children. As a kid in school during 70's and 80's I was being taught by a teacher who was married 4 times, one who was be convicted of possessing cocaine, another who was convicted of child molestation. And I'm sure all this because the 10 Commandments were not posted in the school.
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Joseph Grieco
Please remember, this whole thing is a reaction to States not being able to directly fund private Christian elementary and high schools, so they are ordering public schools to teach the Texas GOP's version of G_d! The Texas GOP knows this will not survive a court challenge. Then they can use this to tell parents they can receive vouchers to attend church-run schools to the detriment of the public school systems. These church-run schools run the gamut from outstanding parochial schools run by the Catholic and Episcopal dioceses, staffed by trained and qualified educators, to "Christian Academies" where they invite teachers from their congregations and put them in front of a class with little or no academic training or qualifications, and no certification, telling them "Just use the Bible if they question you."
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shiningwolf9
I think every belief system should get together, hire lawyer(s), and FIGHT FOR EQUAL RIGHTS UNDER THE LAW. Post religious sayings of ALL FAITHS in same dimensions, surrounding christianisms poster; until this stops.
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James Riggle-Johnson
Government-sponsored religion. What about parents' rights? Is it only the Christian parents' rights they are concerned with? Why do Christians feel it is no longer enough to teach the 10 commandments in Sunday school? It’s because they want to influence ALL people regardless of their faith or no faith at all. They have passed a law requiring one religion over all others.
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Scott Smith
Isn't this the way it is in Iran, Saudi Arabia, and other places?
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James Riggle-Johnson
Pretty much.
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Lionheart
One has to remember that the Ten Commandments is a story, purportedly given to someone called Moses, written about in a book, a person that no one has yet been able to demonstrably prove ever existed, much like the god that was supposed to have devised those commandments. Great movie though!
Alice In Wonderland is also a very interesting book of fiction to read, as is the Harry Potter series of books. 🤷
🦁❤️
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Daniel Todd Kamm
Nothing more and nothing less than hypocrites enforcing their stuff on others. Essentially it's emotional abuse for non Christian children and their parents, and likely the same for Christian children of more progressive faiths than the contributors to some folks election campaigns. Which of course has nothing to do with religion or faith for that matter.
Call it what it is...these people who cater to Christian Nationalism are the Plan 2025 version of Nazi's. Their SS is Homeland Security and their brown-shirts are the masked goons from ICE....
And why do they need masks one may ask? Just see how many recently pardoned Proud Boys and Oath Keepers (and the ones who got away) are under those masks they wear to "protect themselves and their families."
If one is proud enough to act in the name of Christian Nationalism and Nazi-ism what protection does one need? Are you not proud of what you believe, and proud of what you do?
Please... The Ten Commandments is the tip of the ICE-berg....
And while I'm on a roll... there is yet another danger ...Christian anti-semites who pretend to be pro- Israel for political means (which is not the same as "I'm Okay, You're Okay" ) and who harbor the very stupid belief that meddling in Israeli politics and causing murder and mayhem throughout the middle east will eventually lead to the "second coming" of their Jesus.... from whom they somehow think they will find eternal salvation.
Israel has a big enough problem with it's own crazy right wingers and settlers and right wing military who target and shoot Palestinian children in their heads and foment and war of starvation. These are War Crimes, and on these things they will be judged.
And once again, Christians don't believe their own scriptures... if there is to be a day and a time, it is to be of g-ds choosing and no one will know... so screw their predictions and their predilections of power and their meddling... if Israel finally threw all of those right wing fanatics from the USA out of the country... there could be a hope for peace... otherwise, these people are working to undermine peace and cause their Armageddon... or whatever....
Funny how people nowadays can get their shorts in a knot over all of that old Babylonian crap....
And, in closing...the Ten Commandments as they are referred to and lauded across the southern USA to twist and enslave children since the south can no longer enslave... (you get my drift?)
The Big Ten are Jewish ideals, and were nothing new even then... (check the code of Hammurabi) so stop using Jewish ideals to support oppression... unless, of course, your eventual goal is to turn it around and blame Jews for oppressing others... and making a further mess.
Figure it out.... And have a blessed and positive tk
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Dylan Tuatha Le Danaan
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.
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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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Rev. Mike Eggleston
It's clear christians have no respect for the US Constitution, nor even the rights of others.
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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. Mike Eggleston
If they are important to christians, let the christian churches teach them to christians. They are irrelevant to members of other religions.
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Brandon O'Malley
Not everyone follows the 10 Commandments. So no, they are not very important rules for believers to learn. They are only rules for Abrahamic religions. I certainly do not follow the 10 Commandments as I am not a follower of Abrahamic beliefs.
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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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Rev. Mike Eggleston
There are more religions than just Islam, Judaism and Christianity. Many of the principlals of the Abrahamic religions are very offensive to members of other religions.
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tuppennyblue
I'm intrigued to know what could be held to be "very offensive" about the Ten Commandments. Please do elucidate!
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Brandon O'Malley
The first commandment alone is directly offensive: You shall have no other gods before me.
Not every religion worships the same God or gods. So it is directly telling other religions and practices their beliefs don’t matter. Plus atheists don’t believe in God or Gods. Agnostics don’t believe in God or Gods, but they believe there might be something out there, but they won’t definitively agree or disagree with any beliefs.
So displaying the 10 Commandments is a direct assault against other practices.
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Rev. BH
tuppennyblue, did you read the Rev. Mike's comment before replying? "Many of the principals of the Abrahamic religions are very offensive to members of other religions."
and you reply "what could be held to be 'very offensive' about the Ten Commandments?". Mike never said anything about the ten commandments. No elucidation necessary.
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Michael Hunt
The commandment that they only worship the Judeo-Christian God and no others. You're demanding that someone must only worship God, even though they believe in God.
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Rev. BH
As long as three tablets are in each room - one in English, one in Hebrew, and one in Arabic.
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Daniel Gray
OMG here we go again. Guess you didnt read the Newdow decisions from the SCOTUS where they told an atheist that there is no such thing as Separation of church and state AND they would not remove the 10 commandments from their deliberation room. This was a 6-3 decision and as such the chances of it being overturned while not impossible, is highly improbable. Now if the SCOTUS agrees that this is ok for them, then who are you to try and say it isnt ok for the schools?
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Scott Smith
...an American citizen who firmly believes in the authority and sanctity of the constitution
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Michael Hunt
Elk Grove Unified School District v. Newdow, 542 U.S. 1 (2004)
On June 14, 2004, the Supreme Court held Michael Newdow, as a noncustodial parent, did not have standing to bring the suit on his daughter's behalf. The mother was previously given sole legal custody of the daughter. The Ninth Circuit's decision was thus reversed as a matter of procedural law, so it did not consider the constitutional question raised by the case.
The lawsuit, originally filed as Newdow v. United States Congress, Elk Grove Unified School District, et al. in 2000, led to a 2002 ruling by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit that the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance are an endorsement of religion and therefore violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.
The Supreme Court has never said that Separation of Church and State do not exist.
This was eventually overturned in Newdow v. Rio Linda Union School District stating that the words "under God" were a political philosophy where our natural rights are divined from a higher power and not an endorsement of religion and therefore did not violate the Establishment Clause.
Now, that ruling seems wildly wrong to me but it still suggests that the Establishment Clause provides for a Separation of Church and State, it's just that "under God" was not, in their eyes, an endorsement of religion.
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Ari Joseph Bertine
And with that precedent, if they are saying that "under God" is not an endorsement of religion but a political philosophy, then that means that the Ten Commandments would have to be considered a political philosophy in order to pass by the same standards. This in turn takes away the literal meaning of the three Commandments that command specific tenets of worship to the Abrahamic deity (worship, name-dropping and holy day) and would legally define them as political philosophy, which would be blasphemous to Christians.
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Rev. BH
Daniel, are you replying to me? (please all, open with the name of who you're responding to) I said nothing about banning mythical ancient stone tablets in schools. I said by example, if one, then all major religions should be equally represented (and minor ones, too) as most have agreed here. 62% of USA adults identify as Christian. 38% don't.
Scott and Michael, well said.
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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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Scott Smith
It's a slippery slope m'friend...
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Ari Joseph Bertine
Honestly that's the same issue as the "don't say gay" legislation, if the kids aren't having sex in the classrooms then what's the harm in letting them hear about every sexuality. Some parents just don't want their kids exposed to it because they object to it on a moral level. I personally would object on a moral level to my kids being taught the 10 commandments, because they contain a definitive order to worship a specific god.
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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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Ari Joseph Bertine
That would leave only 7. Three of them are direct religious commands for worship of that specific deity.
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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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Ari Joseph Bertine
Nope. 1, 3 & 4 are specific to Abrahamic religions and would not be a positive thing at all for non-Christian children.
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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.
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Phlan-Michelle Anne Phillipa Purss
How is your Abrahamic Religion righteous and positive, when it ignores responsibility for LGBTIQ+ Teens Suicides, also the systemic both physically and physiological abuse of LGBTIQ+ and Transgender Communities, Mental Health Disorders. Also not to mention it's the BIGGEST breeding and feeding grounds for Pedofillia. Your religion even PROTECTS this human filth. You are aware that Australia had a whole Royal Commission over it. It found out that the true numbers will never be established. However the predominant offenders happen to be members of the Christian Church. So YES it's a bad cheap idea for Texas as it's is for the other states mentioned. Now tell me how this FORCED Religious Indoctrination is any good.
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Rev Ned
I believe our POTUS has broken most of the commandments. I believe his calling Covid 19 a hoax killed some people.
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I feel that our education system should incorporate a discussion of morals and ethics. However, choosing a specific set of moral guidelines, based on specific religious teachings, does not seem appropriate to me. I believe that it would be better to introduce the guidelines from multiple cultures/societies and encourage a discussion regarding the universal similarity of morals.