Why is Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, a conservative Republican, defying the Constitution? The image of conservative Republicans is one of Americans who respect and follow the Constitution. How often do conservative Republicans tout the 2nd Amendment with greater frequency than they quote the Bible?
Yet, when it comes to the 1st Amendment, many conservative Republicans are quite willing to bend or totally misrepresent its meaning. Is it a lack of understanding? Or, it is an arrogant effort to change the meaning of the 1st Amendment to fit a right-wing agenda? (Due to unusually high sensitivities I feel the need to make it clear that when I talk about conservative Republicans or right-wing radicals - that I AM NOT talking about ALL conservatives or ALL Republicans!)
Today, Gov. Landry signed a bill into law that mandates the Old Testament’s Ten Commandments be put on display in the classrooms of all public schools in the state. Some celebrated this as a moment when God was put back in public schools and a moment when students will see the visual guidelines to moral behavior every day they are in class. The problem is that Gov. Landry signed a bill into law that is unconstitutional.
One of the most fundamental concepts in America is the separation of church and state. This concept is constantly challenged by Christians who are on a crusade to push Christianity as the answer to all of America’s problems. There are those Americans who falsely believe that America was founded on Christian values.
Christians may have been part of the group founding America, but America was founded on the concept of “freedom of religion.” The freedom to express one’s religious beliefs, regardless of any authority’s desire to deny those beliefs clearly supersedes Christianity.
In 1980, the U.S. Supreme Court rules in the case of Stone v. Graham that any requirement to post a copy of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms violates the 1st Amendment’s establishment clause, which establishes the concept of a separation of church and state.
Furthermore, if the Ten Commandments are posted as part of a push to put Christianity in the classroom, then other religions could argue that they have the right to post teachings and symbols of their religion in the classrooms. How will the Christians pushing for Christianity in the classrooms feel about Muslim teaching and symbols or Satanic teachings and symbols in the classroom? Why open that door of controversy?
LA Republican Representative Dodie Horton, who authored the bill mandating the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms, says she believes the new Trump-appointed conservative Supreme Court will uphold the new LA bill if the bill is challenged. There is always that possibility, but I would like to believe that even a conservative Supreme Court will respect the fundamental aspects of the 1st Amendment over a push to establish a specific religious ideology in public schools.
I’m a Christian, but I don’t believe the answer to America’s problems can be solved by posting the Ten Commandments in public schools. When I was in school, I remember a green banner above the chalkboard that had all the letters in the alphabet on it. Seeing that every day didn’t encourage me to read and write.
And for the record, I support the Ten Commandments and think we should all follow them as best we can, but I’m not in favor of trading this superficial push to instill Christianity in public schools for expensive taxpayer-funded legal challenges that are likely to follow.
Yea, we got God back in public schools - we win! That will be the rallying cry with many Christians across America, but it will be a false victory and create a false sense that the problem is being solved.
The Ten Commandments are part of the everyday life of priests and pastors of the Southern Baptist Convention and we know for a fact that exposure and a deep understanding of the Ten Commandments did nothing to stop many religious leaders from breaking the Ten Commandments.
Young students need to be taught about religion at home. I also fear that many people will be looking for the schools to teach kids about God when that is the responsibility of the families.
There was a lot going on in America in 1962 when the Supreme Court ruled that public schools could not lead prayers. There were forces at play in America directing this country that indicated why we are where we are today and the removal of prayers from schools was only an incidental factor and not the major factor steering this country.
Many Americans have been brainwashed to believe the simplistic notion that it was the banning of prayers in public schools that is leading this country to hell in a handbasket. Do you really think that posting the Ten Commandments with no teaching or guidance about what they represent is going to change America?
And watch how this plays out. Gov. Landry seems to be playing to a national audience with the Ten Commandments bill. Is Landry using the governor’s mansion to gain a bigger role in conservative politics nationally? Time will reveal the answer.