Texas Mandates Ten Commandments in Classrooms
With the stroke of a pen, Texas has become the largest state in the nation to attempt to force religious doctrine into the public education system. The new law, which easily passed the Republican-controlled state House and Senate, mandates that every classroom must display a 16 x 20 inch (41 x 51 cm) poster or framed copy of a specific English version of the Ten Commandments. This move is part of a broader trend among conservative-led states to insert religious practices and symbols into public schools, despite the clear constitutional issues such actions raise. Just yesterday a panel of federal appellate judges from the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals struck down a similar Louisiana law mandating the display of the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom. As the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals also covers Texas this law is not likely to endure a legal challenge.
Supporters of the law, such as Republican state representative Candy Noble, claim that the Ten Commandments are historically significant to the United States’ judicial and educational systems. However, this argument ignores the fact that the U.S. Constitution explicitly prohibits the establishment of religion by the government. The First Amendment’s Establishment Clause was designed to ensure that public institutions, including schools, remain secular spaces where all students—regardless of their faith or lack thereof—are treated equally.
Legal Precedents and Constitutional Concerns
The Texas law is not without precedent, and its legal future is far from certain. Similar laws in other states have already been struck down by federal courts. In Louisiana, a law requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in public schools was blocked after a federal appeals court ruled it unconstitutional. Arkansas faces ongoing legal challenges over a comparable statute. These rulings underscore the judiciary’s recognition that government-mandated religious displays in public schools violate the separation of church and state.
Despite these clear legal precedents, Texas lawmakers have pressed forward, seemingly undeterred by the likelihood of costly and protracted legal battles they are quite certain to lose. The state’s attorney general has already indicated a willingness to take the fight to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary, echoing a similar stance taken by Louisiana’s attorney general, Liz Murrell.
The Diversity of Texas Students: Ignored by Lawmakers
One of the most glaring issues with the new law is its disregard for the religious diversity of Texas’s nearly 6 million public school students. A letter signed by dozens of Christian and Jewish faith leaders opposing the bill highlighted that Texas classrooms are filled with students from a wide array of religious backgrounds, many of whom have no connection to the Ten Commandments. Forcing a specific religious text into every classroom not only alienates non-Christian students but also undermines the principle of religious freedom for all.
Even within Christianity, there are significant differences in how the Ten Commandments are translated and interpreted. The law’s requirement for a specific English version fails to account for these variations, further complicating its implementation and raising questions about whose religious beliefs are being privileged by the state.
Secularism and the Foundation of American Democracy
Proponents of the law argue that the Ten Commandments are foundational to American law and culture. However, this claim does not withstand scrutiny. The United States was founded on principles of secular governance, with the explicit intention of separating church and state. The Founding Fathers, many of whom were Deists or held unorthodox religious views, recognized the dangers of government entanglement with religion. The Constitution itself makes no reference to Christianity or the Bible, and the Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed the importance of maintaining a secular public sphere.
Attempts to insert religious doctrine into public schools not only violate constitutional principles but also threaten the inclusivity and neutrality that are essential to a functioning democracy. Public schools should be places where students learn to think critically, engage with diverse perspectives, and develop the skills necessary to participate in a pluralistic society—not venues for religious indoctrination.
Historical Context: The Supreme Court and Religious Displays
Governor Abbott is no stranger to legal battles over religious displays. In 2005, as Texas’s attorney general, he successfully argued before the Supreme Court that a 40 year-old Ten Commandments monument could remain on the grounds of the state capitol. However, the context of a historical public monument is fundamentally different from the classroom environment, where students are a captive audience and the power dynamics between the state and individuals are far more pronounced.
The Supreme Court has consistently ruled that public schools must remain neutral on matters of religion. In landmark cases such as Engel v. Vitale (1962) and Stone v. Graham (1980), the Court struck down school-sponsored prayer and mandatory displays of the Ten Commandments, respectively. These decisions reflect a clear understanding that government endorsement of religion in public schools is both unconstitutional and detrimental to the rights of students and families.
Atheist and Secular Voices: Defending the Rights of All
Atheist and secular organizations have been at the forefront of the fight to keep public schools free from religious coercion. Their advocacy is not about hostility toward religion, but about defending the rights of all students to receive an education untainted by government-imposed religious doctrine. The new Texas law is a direct affront to these rights, and its passage should concern anyone who values freedom of conscience and the separation of church and state.
Critics of Atheism often claim that secularism is an attack on religious belief. In reality, secularism is the only framework that guarantees true religious freedom—by ensuring that the government does not favor one faith over another, or faith over non-belief. The imposition of the Ten Commandments in public classrooms is not a neutral act; it is a clear endorsement of a particular religious tradition at the expense of others.
The Road Ahead: Legal Challenges and the Future of Secular Education
Legal experts widely expect the Texas law to face immediate challenges in federal court. Given the strong precedents set by previous cases, there is a significant likelihood that the law will ultimately be struck down as unconstitutional. However, the willingness of state officials to pursue this fight all the way to the Supreme Court suggests that the battle over religious freedom in public schools is far from over.
For advocates of secular education and the rights of non-religious students, the stakes could not be higher. The outcome of this legal struggle will have profound implications not only for Texas but for the entire nation. As more states consider similar measures, the need to defend the constitutional separation of church and state has never been more urgent.
