Louisiana Rep. Dodie Horton (R-LA) said last year,I swear to God“I will display the Ten Commandments in every classroom in the state.” This year, she went a step further, introducing a bill that would require K-12 public schools, universities, and colleges to display the Ten Commandments on their campuses and in classrooms.
House Bill 71 The bill had a resounding success in both houses of the state legislature, passing the House by an 82-19 vote in April and the Senate by a 30-8 vote last month. All of the Senate votes against it were cast by Democrats.
Houghton
Said “Our children deserve all that we can give them. I wanted to bring God back into the classroom years ago, so this is progress and a great day for Louisiana students,” Washington Watch with Tony Perkins said after the vote.
Republican state Rep. Michael Bayham, one of the bill’s authors, said:
Said “This is our fundamental law,” The Washington Post reported.
“The Ten Commandments speak just as deeply about civilization and right and wrong,” Bayham continued. “They don’t say you have to have a certain faith or have a certain belief.”
Despite threats of legal action and sabotage from left-wing and other anti-religious groups,
Otherwise enthusiastic Republican Gov. Jeff Landry approved a bill on Wednesday aimed at restricting LGBT promotion and pride displays in schools. To tell“If we want to respect the rule of law, we must start with Moses, the first lawgiver. … Moses received the commandments from God.”
Landry was unfazed by stoking the concerns of various anti-religion groups, including the New York-based Research Center, which has implored the governor to veto the bill.
Tell him The June 14 letter warned that failure to do so would bring a “dishonorable reputation” to Louisiana classrooms.
An out-of-state anti-religion group said that introducing framed photographs of historical documents into classrooms amounts to “forcing religious dogma on public school students.” CFI further suggested that the law did not reflect the will of Louisiana voters, even though they elected legislators and a governor and ultimately passed the law.
The Blaze News previously reported that the law requires all public school authorities, and nonpublic school authorities that receive state funds, to post the Ten Commandments “in every building and classroom occupied by each school under their jurisdiction.”
While each governing body has some freedom in terms of what is displayed, the Ten Commandments must be prominently displayed in a framed document measuring at least 11 inches by 14 inches. The text must be “printed in a large, easily readable font.”
The Ten Commandments[:] I am the LORD your God; you shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself any graven image. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land the LORD your God is giving you. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, or his livestock, or anything that is your neighbor’s.
The exhibit is accompanied by a “background statement” which explains that “the commandments have been an important part of American public education for nearly three centuries,” “were included in public school textbooks published by educator William McGuffey,” and “appeared in textbooks published by Noah Webster.”
The bill’s ratification infuriated the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Louisiana Civil Liberties Union, Americans for Separation of Church and State, and the Freedom From Religion Foundation.
They are
Claimed The joint statement warned that displaying the Ten Commandments “sends a chilling message to students and families who do not follow the state’s recommended Ten Commandments that they do not belong and are not welcome in our public schools.”
The extremist groups threatening lawsuits ignore the law’s emphasis on the historical as well as religious significance of the Ten Commandments, arguing that “politicians have no right to impose their preferred religious doctrine on public school students and families.”
“I can’t wait to be sued.”
“All students should feel safe and welcome in public schools,” the Anti-Curricular Coalition said. “HB 71 would undermine this important goal and prevent schools from providing an equal education to all students, regardless of their faith.”
Governor Landry made it clear during a visit to Nashville on Saturday that he is eager to crush such challenges in court.
report The Tennessean.
“I’m going home to sign a bill that puts the Ten Commandments in public classrooms,” Landry said, “and I can’t wait to get sued.”
Anticipating legal challenges from people who would be outraged by the perpetual prohibitions on murder, theft, adultery, lying, dishonoring parents, and idolatry, state Sen. Jay Morris included an amendment to the bill emphasizing the United States.
Supreme Court Approval In 2005, a law was enacted that states, “Posting the Ten Commandments on government property is permitted.”
In a 5-4 decision, the court
Van Alden vs. Perry “Merely having religious content or promoting a message that is consistent with religious tenets does not violate the separation of church and state clause.”
In addition to pointing to previous legislative authorization for the publication of the Ten Commandments and “other historically significant documents” for display in courthouses and other public buildings to address “the need to educate and inform the public about the history and context of American and Louisiana law,” Morris also noted that the Supreme Court recognized the importance of the Ten Commandments in 2019.
Schools must have the classrooms ready by January 1, 2025.
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