(NewsSpace.com) – The United States is a secular nation, and the Bill of Rights prohibits the establishment of a national religion. Yet, there have been numerous arguments as to whether God and religion should be taught in public schools. It looks like Louisiana is taking steps to become the first state to allow the display of the Ten Commandments in its schools.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry (R) is considering a bill that would make displaying the Ten Commandments, a set of guidelines that appear in the Bible, mandatory in his state’s public schools, from Kindergarten through college. The legislation, introduced by Rep. Dodie Horton (R), would require the text to be written “on a poster or framed document that is at least 11 inches by 14 inches” and in legible text. She says it makes sense to have them hanging in schools because they are the “basis of all laws in Louisiana.”
The Louisiana House passed the bill on Tuesday, May 28, in a 79-16 vote. All the nay votes were from Democrats. However, it is likely to face legal challenges, particularly from civil liberties organizations whose members say “Our public schools are not Sunday schools” and that “students of all faiths—or no faith—should feel welcome in them.” They say the bill is unconstitutional and violates religious freedoms.
Louisiana isn’t the first state to attempt to display the Ten Commandments in its schools. South Carolina and Texas led efforts last year to do so but failed. Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs (D) vetoed a bill this year that would have permitted teachers to read and display the document. Utah is one of the only states to have a measure of success. Governor Spencer Cox (R) signed a bill that allowed teachers to instruct students on the significance of the commandments but stopped short of mandating a display.
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