With just days to go before schools open their doors for the new school year, the fight to get the Ten Commandments in Texas schools is reaching a fever pitch.
Earlier this year, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a law requiring every classroom in the state to display the Ten Commandments. Abbott and others argued that the Ten Commandments are as American as apple pie; a moral compass and a foundational document so quintessentially American that, they insist, history and culture can’t be understood without it.
Some of Texas’ largest school districts disagree. They say the presence of the Ten Commandments in classrooms will alienate non-Christian students and is tantamount to state-sponsored endorsement of the Christian faith. It’s a textbook First Amendment violation, they argue.
When students return to the classroom in a few days, will the Ten Commandments be there to greet them – or will the courts say otherwise?
Thou Shalt Display the Commandments
The effort to move the Ten Commandments into classrooms has been ongoing for years. We posted about the movement on our Facebook page back in 2023:
What once seemed like a long shot is now becoming reality. But some courts are pushing back.
Is This Legal?
On August 20, U.S. District Judge Fred Biery issued a preliminary injunction in response to a lawsuit brought by 16 families and nearly a dozen of Texas’ largest school districts, representing more than 680,000 students. He said that the bill "crosses the line from exposure to coercion," burdening the beliefs of non-Christians “in substantial ways.”
He also pointed out the possibility for “a truly awkward moment” between educators and students when it comes to sex-related Commandments. Should elementary school students really be learning about adultery in the classroom? About coveting thy neighbor’s wife?
And, critics point out: didn’t Texas just wage a massive campaign to ban hundreds of books from schools last year for mentioning sex?
The latest injunction only applies to the school districts named in the lawsuit, and in the meantime, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued his own commandment to the rest of Texas’ school districts: “Thou Shalt Display The Commandments.”
Only those that are “party to the litigation” are exempt from displaying the Commandments. “All other [districts] must abide by the law once it takes effect on September 1, 2025.”
Are the Ten Commandments Part of American Heritage?
The argument put forth by the bill’s advocates is that the Ten Commandments are nothing less than the bedrock of America. They claim students are missing a cornerstone of America’s story if they aren’t exposed to them in class.
“From the beginning, the Ten Commandments have been irrevocably intertwined with America’s legal, moral, and historical heritage,” wrote Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in response to the injunction. “The woke radicals seeking to erase our nation’s history will be defeated. I will not back down from defending the virtues and values that built this country.”
The courts seemingly disagree. Texas is the third state to institute mandatory Ten Commandments displays in classrooms in recent years. Yet all three – Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas – have faced legal setbacks in the last few months.
Legal history isn’t on their side; in 1980, the Supreme Court struck down a nearly identical law out of Kentucky. Yet despite repeated legal hurdles, at least 19 states have introduced bills which would put the Ten Commandments squarely in the classroom.
And this time – at least in some states – they might be here to stay.
What do you think? Should the Ten Commandments be allowed in classrooms as a vital part of America’s heritage, or does it cross the line into government-endorsed religion?
While I can't argue that they may have their place in American history, they have no place constantly displayed in the classroom. A moral compass? Yes, and not necessarily a bad one, once you get past the biggest hurdle - that very first Commandment. THAT is religious coercion.
Maybe some other religions should be arguing for equal time on classroom walls? Hmmmmm?