The bill would require poster-sized versions of the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every Louisiana public school classroom. Signed into law on wednesday.
Louisiana is the first state since the Supreme Court’s 5-4 vote to pass a bill requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in classrooms in public schools, including state universities. Expel Discipline was eliminated from American classrooms in 1980. Other states, including Texas, Oklahoma and Utah, are actively working to reinstate discipline in their public schools, but so far have been unsuccessful.
invoice outline No state funds would be used to place the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms; rather, schools could receive donations to purchase exhibits or accept donated exhibits.
“I’m going to organize and fund it,” Dean Young told Breitbart News on Wednesday ahead of the bill signing, a Christian activist who has worked for 30 years to restore the Ten Commandments to classrooms across the country.
“The Ten Commandments will be in every classroom in the state of Louisiana, at Louisiana State University, at every university, and they will be funded,” Young continued.
The bill points to recent Supreme Court decisions that have found the Ten Commandments “have historical significance as one of the foundations of our legal system” and represent a “common cultural heritage.” The bill further states that “recognizing the historical role of the Ten Commandments is consistent with our Nation’s history and faithfully reflects our Founding Fathers’ understanding that civic morality is necessary for self-government to function.”
“Historical records state that the fourth president of the United States, James Madison, stated, ‘We stake the entire future of our new nation on the ability of each of us to govern ourselves according to the moral principles of the Ten Commandments,'” the bill states.
The bill also allows, but does not require, the display of the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence, or the Northwest Ordinances. The bill requires that such displays be accompanied by a four-paragraph contextual statement that describes the Ten Commandments as “an essential part of American public education for nearly three centuries.” They must be displayed in public school classrooms from kindergarten through college by January 1, 2025.
The bill has not yet received final approval from Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry (R), but the deadline for him to sign or veto the bill has passed, so the bill goes into effect, CBS News reported. reportLandry’s office did not respond to Breitbart News’ request for comment at time of publication.
Local media previously reported that Landry supports the bill and would welcome a legal challenge to the law.
“I’m going home to sign a bill that puts the Ten Commandments in public classrooms,” Landry said. Said “And I can’t wait to get sued,” he said during a speech at a fundraiser in Tennessee on Saturday.
So-called free speech groups have denounced the law as unconstitutional and a violation of the principle of separation of church and state.
“This is intended to impose Christianity on all students in Louisiana’s public schools, even if they belong to a religious minority or have no religion at all.” Azhar Majeed, director of government relations at the Research Center I have written In a letter to Landry dated June 14th.
Louisiana’s law was enacted following a Supreme Court decision. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of a former Bremerton High School football coach who was fired for praying on the field. Coach Joe Kennedy’s quiet prayer on the field after a game did not violate the First Amendment’s separation of church and state.
The Supreme Court also invalidated the “Lemon test” used in a 1980 Supreme Court decision. Stone v. Graham The decision overturns a Kentucky law similar to Louisiana’s new law. The Lemon test It’s a government tool for enforcing religion that some judges have long called outdated and misused.
“In lieu of the Lemon and recognition tests, this Court has directed that the State Clause must be interpreted ‘with reference to historical practice and understanding,'” Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in the majority opinion. Kennedy v. Bremerton School District.
Focus on Family’s Nicole Hunt inquiry In an editorial Newsweek“Now that the Lemon test has been formally rejected, it is natural to ask whether, under this alternative ‘historical practice and understanding’ test, states can require culturally or historically significant documents such as the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms.”
She added:
Some opponents of Louisiana’s law argue that it violates the separation of church and state. This is an unfounded claim: “Separation of church and state” is never mentioned in the U.S. Constitution.
The phrase originates from a letter written by Thomas Jefferson to an association of Baptist churches, which expressed concern that as a religious minority they would be targeted for persecution by the government. Jefferson used the phrase “separation of church and state” to assure believers that the Constitution protects religious freedom from government discrimination.
Ironically, Jefferson’s words have since been used to discriminate against people of faith by those who want to remove religion from the public sphere.
State Rep. Dodie Horton sponsored the bill, which would be passed in 2022. Kennedy Her decision as part of her inspiration, Nola.com reportHorton stressed that the bill is not meant to indoctrinate students, but to provide “guidelines.” After passing the state House of Representatives, the Senate passed the bill last month by a vote of 30-8.
“The Ten Commandments are not a religious teaching, but a code of conduct,” she said, adding that God gives us “a moral code to follow.”
When asked why Louisiana’s efforts have succeeded where other states have failed, Young told Breitbart News that strong state leadership plays a big role.
“I think one of the reasons is that we finally have a governor. [and a legislature] “Someone who stands up and does the right thing…” he said, adding:
Until 1980, the Ten Commandments were present in all schools. [state leadership] Be aware of all this crap that is being taught to children. Without a moral foundation, you get what we see today. If there is no right or wrong, just everyone’s opinion, society falls apart.
“They understand that we have to go back to what this country was founded on, and this country was founded on faith in God,” he added.
Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on X. Follow.
