BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — A bill is advancing in the legislature to require all public schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms. Some believe it teaches good morals, while others say it violates the Constitution.
HB71 requires a poster-sized display (11 by 14 inches) of the Ten Commandments in all public classrooms. The posters would be funded by private donations and teachers wouldn’t be required to teach about them. Some took issue with the need for separation of church and state.
“I have concerns about requiring this in public schools where we wish to embrace students of all cultures, all religious backgrounds, and of all religious faiths. This what you’re saying is a mandate. It’s not as if you would like to post them, post them. I just think this sends the wrong message to so many of our students,” said state Rep. Barbara Freiberg, R-Baton Rouge.
The Supreme Court has ruled in the past against posting the Ten Commandments in schools. In the case of Stone v. Graham in 1980, the court said it “had no secular legislative purpose” and was “plainly religious in nature.” State Rep. Dodie Horton, R-Haughton, claims multiple religions follow the Ten Commandments and believes it is a historical document on which all laws are based.
“I beg to differ that this is just Christian. But I have no, no qualms if it was. This is not preaching a Christian religion. It’s not preaching any religion. It’s teaching a moral code,” Horton said.
No other state has been able to pass similar legislation. Despite constitutionality being in question, the bill passed 10-2. It now heads to the full House for more debate.
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