Louisiana to require the 10 Commandments displayed in every public school classroom
By: By the Associated Press via npr
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Louisiana to require the 10 Commandments displayed in every public school classroom
The legislation, signed into law Wednesday by Republican Gov. Jeff Landry, makes Louisiana the first state to require that the Ten Commandments be displayed in every public school classroom.
Louisiana has become the first state to require that the Ten Commandments be displayed in every public school classroom under a bill signed into law by Republican Gov. Jeff Landry on Wednesday. Above, workers repaint a Ten Commandments billboard off of Interstate 71 near Chenoweth, Ohio, on Nov. 7, 2023. Carolyn Kaster/AP
BATON ROUGE, La. — Louisiana has become the first state to require that the Ten Commandments be displayed in every public school classroom, the latest move from a GOP-dominated Legislature pushing a conservative agenda under a new governor.
The legislation that Republican Gov. Jeff Landry signed into law on Wednesday requires a poster-sized display of the Ten Commandments in "large, easily readable font" in all public classrooms, from kindergarten to state-funded universities.
Opponents questioned the law's constitutionality and vowed to challenge it in court. Proponents said the the measure is not solely religious, but that it has historical significance. In the language of the law, the Ten Commandments are "foundational documents of our state and national government."
The posters, which will be paired with a four-paragraph "context statement" describing how the Ten Commandments "were a prominent part of American public education for almost three centuries," must be in place in classrooms by the start of 2025.
Under the law, state funds will not be used to implement the mandate. The posters would be paid for through donations.
The law also "authorizes" but does not require the display of other items in K-12 public schools, including: The Mayflower Compact, which was signed by religious pilgrims aboard the Mayflower in 1620 and is often referred to as America's "First Constitution"; the Declaration of Independence; and the Northwest Ordinance, which established a government in the Northwest Territory — in the present day Midwest — and created a pathway for admitting new states to the Union.
Not long after the governor signed the bill into law at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School in Lafayette on Wednesday, civil rights groups and organizations that want to keep religion out of government promised to file a lawsuit challenging it.
The law prevents students from getting an equal education and will keep children who have different beliefs from feeling safe at school, the American Civil Liberties Union, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and the Freedom from Religion Foundation said in a joint statement Wednesday afternoon.
"Even among those who may believe in some version of the Ten Commandments, the particular text that they adhere to can differ by religious denomination or tradition. The government should not be taking sides in this theological debate," the groups said.
The controversial law, in a state ensconced in the Bible Belt, comes during a new era of conservative leadership in Louisiana under Landry, who replaced two-term Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards in January. The GOP holds a supermajority in the Legislature, and Republicans hold every statewide elected position, paving the way for lawmakers to push through a conservative agenda.
Similar bills requiring the Ten Commandments be displayed in classrooms have been proposed in other states including Texas, Oklahoma and Utah. However, with threats of legal battles over the constitutionality of such measures, no state besides Louisiana has succeeded in making the bills law.
Legal battles over the display of the Ten Commandments in classrooms are not new.
In 1980, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a similar Kentucky law was unconstitutional and violated the establishment clause of the U.S. Constitution, which says Congress can "make no law respecting an establishment of religion." The high court found that the law had no secular purpose but rather served a plainly religious purpose.
The administrator of this group reserves the right, along with the site moderators, to moderate all and any postings to this group, including the right to enforce the ToS, the CoC, and also including anything that the administrator deems within his sole discretion to be offensive, including and not limited to off topic comments, with the power to delete in exercising those rights.
It would be best, therefore, to be civil in posting on this group.
By now it should be well known that I am unable to open certain sources, videos and pictures. If I cannot, I will ask that they be described and explained. If the poster refuses to comply, their comment will be deleted. Instagrams are banned.
Tags
Who is online
61 visitors
I thought America required a separation of church and state for public schools. What surprises me is that the neanderthals did not require the 7th commandment to be censored on all copies to be posted.
Some countries have a better handle on control than others. [Deleted][✘]
I imagine there will be a lawsuit that will go all the way to SCOTUS.
In the past, judges requiring the Ten Commandments to be posted in courtrooms have been shot down. But with the current SCOTUS, who knows?
It's unconstitutional, that's for sure.
It does. In other words, the US government cannot endorse one religion over others.
Let us face the fact that the majority of the country is Christian and go from there.
Which means absolutely nothing.
So what does that mean, Vic? What privileges/benefits/entitlements does that give Christians that Jews or Buddhists cannot have?
What difference does that make?
Good question. I dunno-- maybe some religions are better than others???
What difference does that make?
Good question. I dunno-- maybe some religions are better than others???
there I go again . . . jus' playin' The Devil's Advocate (pun intended?)
Maybe some religions are more equal than others. (That reminds me of a famous novel,)
Richard only likes her references to that novel, no matter how just others may be. (S)he thinks only points of view which conform to her misreading of events have validity.
Who is Richard? I was referring to a novel by George Orwell.
If they really wanted to be fair, they would post a few quotes from the Koran—-and also from some Hindu religious scripture . . .
Or possibly one of my favourites, The Tao of Pooh.
didn't realize Pooh had a Tao
Of course Pooh had a Tao!
(After all, if Old McDonald had a farm, it seems only fair that Winnie the Pooh could have a Tao).
didn’t realize that Pooh had a Tao
Well, look at it this way: Consider the possibility that there may be more things in heaven and Earth than are dreamed of in your philosophy.
Should we call Ig "Horatio"?
i'm no horn blower
Yes—Horatio.
(Although I always thought it a bit odd that one of the characters was called “A little Ham”!)
Nor are you Shakespeare.
Well, either a little Ham or a small village.
wait a minute, i can shake a spear, till native i appear ith
Spears are to be stirred, not shaken.
that is NOT, what Brittany told me...
Wasn't Brittany once or twice at war with Germany?
my English isnot sew well, butt f they were, i am shore it was nothing to shake yer spear at
I'll LET HAM decide about that, Horatio.
INASBIPOOTV!
I'm not a Shakespeare but I play one on TV!
(A mangled MLA from the early daze of the Internet...)
???
But maybe you play one on TV???
Louisiana should have just wrote a huge check for the charity of their choice. Instead, they decided to fund a frivolous legal battle that they have no chance of winning.
But, what is the correct, exact and true wording and how are they sure?
They are bound to choose their personal version of it, which may not be the same as others, and could possibly be considered insulting or demonizing of certain sects or religions - which is one of the reasons it should not be posted.
Another reason it should not be posted ( in addition to the fact that it’s unconstitutional and also that it would piss off a lot of people): what would it accomplish?
If, for example, one of the kids was a true sociopath and wanted to kill people—- does anyone actually believe that by reading “Thou shalt not kill” that sort of nut case would change his psychotic personality— and behavior?
Yeah, that's a point. After thousands of years the 1en commandments haven't stopped any of the things they do not permit, nor convinced everyone to obey the directives.
Faith
There is no actual dispute that this is unconstitutional. Period. End of story.
Surely they should have known that and not wasted their time or the taxpayers' money.
With the current makeup of the Supreme Court the theocrats believe they have a good chance of winning.
The theocrats are intent on, and have been actively working at, asserting dominion as a minority over the majority of the population.
Definitely. In fact IIRC, this as been tried before— and in every case ruled unconstitutional.
The SCOTUS has already established that it will find justification for NOT following precedent. so only The Shadow knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men.
And he ain't tellin!!!
Ay there's the rub.
Brown sugar, pepper, paprika, salt, garlic, onion, mustard, cumin, sage. I brush on the brown sugar paste later so it doesn't caramelize too early.
I'm sorry-- but that still doesn't qualify you to be considered a veritable hornblower!
If memory serves, didn't Moses have to go back up the mountain to get a replacement set? One that is different than the first.
It could depend on which movie one gets their biblical fantasies from. I prefer Mel Brooks in History of the World, Part 1:
“All pay heed!” cries Mel Brooks, playing Moses in History of the World, Part I –“The Lord has given unto you these Fifteen Commandments!” He promptly drops one tablet, which shatters. Without missing a beat, Moses continues: “Uh, these Ten Commandments !”
See Exodus 34.
Aw, come on, Tom, can't a guy have a little fun. From Exodus 34...
I've got the feeling God is slipping up a bit on the job. Unfortunately there aren't any possible replacements.
If one reads the old testament, God comes off as a seriously evil vindictive asshole. God made Charlie Manson look good.
Charlie should have used that as part of his defense.
Or even his resume (if he ever again applies for a job)
The ACLU and 2 other groups have already stated they will bring suite to block the law.
Oh, to only have been a lawyer in the USA - could either have been really rich or else incarcerated.
You would have been good Buzz, and i'm 100% sure you wouldn't have been one of those personal injury lawyers we see who pray off the weak and injured.
I'm glad the ACLU is suing, there should be a wall between church and state. no state sponsored religion in any classrooms. Period.
Canadian lawyers look aghast at the up to 40% of proceeds that American lawyers take as fees - we are limited to our hourly fee rates for time spent, which is miniscule in comparison. If the movie Erin Brockovich is any example (it's supposed to be a true story) Ed Masry made MILLIONS and even paid his assistant Erin a TWO MILLION DOLLAR bonus after that P.G.&E case.
All of Trump's lawyers need their own lawyers.
With the Republicans on the Supreme Court promoting their "originalism" doctrine, you would have to assume that if this reaches the Supreme Court, they would find the law unconstitutional because the original 10 Commandments was the Jewish version, in Hebrew, and was not the Protestant King James version Louisiana is mandating.
I wonder if that argument will be made, it's a good one.
Used to think the Supremes was where justice went to live.
Obviously, the Supremes is where justice goes to die now.
Far right-wing fascism is far from being justice.
Used to think the Supremes was where they kept me hanging on.
Diana Ross and the Supremes, who doesn't love them?
Well, I may have liked Diana Ross, but as for the SCOTUS......
No question the best iteration of the Supremes was Diana Ross, Florence Ballard and Mary Wilson. The original three. But, I liked Earl Warren, William Brennan and William O. Douglas a whole lot, too. They wrote some of the Supremes' greatest hits.
Brandeis was my hero. LINK ->
Another truly great one, if not the greatest. FDR appointed Douglas to replace Brandeis on the Supreme Court in 1939 after Brandeis retired.
Among Brandeis's "hits" for the ages came in his concurring opinion in Whitney v. California (1927) when he wrote:
A lesson that should never be forgotten.
He was also instrumental in developing "the right to privacy" writing about it in a Harvard Law Review article in 1890.
We need more, many more, like him.
Diana Ross and the Supremes, who doesn't love them?
Love them?
Yes-- but we must be patient!
Because as everyone knows-- You Can't Hurry Love!
There are so many problems in our schools these days that are extremely serious and must be addressed and this just does not make that list.
Getting children into well supplied schools with dedicated teachers
Safety in schools
Actually teaching children to read, write, and mastery of basic math skills
Getting parents involved in the education process again
Focusing more attention on what is being taught than what is being put in the vending machines
Wow I am an opinionated old guy for sure
All that being said (and each of those points is very important)
Some of you might remember the "greatest generation" (there are fewer and fewer of them around each day) - they went to school in crowded classrooms, the textbooks were old and there was never enough of them, many of them worked on farms or at other jobs after school but they still got their schoolwork done. These children respected their teachers and each other and they learned - there was no violence in schools even though most of all of these students had access to firearms.
And one more point - I am not sure about the ten commandments, but there was a U.S. flag proudly flown in each classroom and the first activity of the day was the Lord's Prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance.
That was how the 'greatest generation" went to school and they turned out to be a great bunch of citizens.
And during that same generation, West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette made clear that forcing students to say the Pledge of Allegiance violated their First Amendment rights.
They weren't as docile as all that. And they knew when government was interfering with their rights to choose their own religion, and acted on that knowledge.
Maybe their civics classes were taught better, or they paid more attention.
I never remember being forced to do anything - it was acceptable to stand quietly while the pledge and the Lords Prayer were recited.
You missed the entire point of the comment above
On the list of things adversely affecting education in this country - whether the ten commandments are on the wall doesn't even make the list
The fact that you don't remember it happening does not mean it didn't happen. It did, hence the lawsuit.
I disagree. I think violation of the First Amendment is a pretty serious issue. It's first for a reason. I have to wonder - do you excuse the government of Louisiana for thinking it's such an important issue that they had to mandate it and spend money on it? Or was it important then?
If we are to remove religion from schools, we need to go all the way - no religious specific clothing or ornamentation should be permitted in any school.
School menus, curriculum, schedules etc should all be established without consideration of any specific religion and its practices or taboos.
Prohibiting students from wearing religious clothing or ornamants violates their religious freedom. The school, being a state agency, should not be promoting one religion over another, as the display of the Ten Commandments does.
Louisiana is begging to be sued to either remove the Ten Commandments, or make way for Baphomet statues.
I have no problems with menus, curricula, and schedules being devoid of religious reference.
Our government (in this case represented by public schools) is supposed to remain neutral. To neither promote, nor deny personal expression. It's not that hard of a concept to grasp, but red state dominonists don't care about the rights of others. Instead of applying a slippery slope or ad absurdum arguments to this issue, let's just say it stops here, now, again.
I disagree. There is a big difference between allowing for personal choices and having something shoved down your throat.
The issues you've raised are important, and I've known since I was a teenager that there were problems with the American educational system, but although the topic herein may not make YOUR list, it is very much on the list of many others, and IMO rightly so.
Buzz
It can be on their list, I support that but it is not as important as the other points to the proper education of our children.
I grew up in a mining / mill town in Appalachia and there were white, black, brown and yellow families from all over the world. The main thing we all had in common was that we were poor and wanted a better life than our parents had.
Getting an education was how that was done - thanks to some great teachers, strict disciplinarian parents and to poor kids with their eye on the prize rather than what might be hanging on the wall.
Putting the 10 Commandments on the school room walls or not putting the 10 Commandments on the schoolroom walls will not better the education of our children.
That should be the focus - all the rest of these issues are ancillary and can be dealt with after we solve the core problem.
Okay. It's about time "the core problem" was solved, don't you think?
Buzz
What do you see as the "core" problem?
Well, for starters, I'll explain it with a story I must have posted at least 5 times starting back from when I joined Newsvine. When I was a teenager, some of us who lived on the Niagara Peninsula of Ontario would spend summer vacation time at Crystal Beach, which was a beach resort on the north shore of Lake Erie just west of the Niagara River. There was an amusement park with a famous roller coaster called "The Cyclone" and a lot of us would hang out at the Loganberry stand (a delicious fruit/berry drink). We were joined by teenagers from the Buffalo area who lived only a few miles away, on the other side of the river. The American kids would often bitch about their final grades, saying things like "All I could get was 97% when most of my friends got 100." We heard those complaints with total disbelief, because we Canadian kids had to bust our asses to get an honours grade of 75%,, and the class genius might get 80%.
Do you understand what I'm saying, Robert? Now, YOU'RE the one who uised the expression "the core problem", so what do YOU mean by that?
Buzz
A cute story to explain different standards or different societies - not breaking news.
It doesn't matter if "honors" is 75%, 90% or 100%, the kids need to be proficient in English grammar and vocabulary, mathematics, reading and learn some level of decorum and behavior in public as part of their education.
I thought I might it clear as day
We need to fix the quality and effectiveness of our education system with a greater vigor and purpose than we apply to any other issue regarding our schools.
That should be clear enough
Good points, but there is another issue about school that stands out for me, especially once I started teaching English and Australian Law in a Chinese school. It is the issue of students' respect for their teachers. Although all American schools may not be in the area of where Sidney Poitier started teaching a disruptive class in To Sir With Love, or the class Hillary Swank started her teaching career with in Freedom Writers, I never saw or heard about anything even approaching that disruptive in Canadian schools, certainly in the ones in which I was a student, but even those were lacking the unbelievable respect that teachers are given and have traditionally been given in Chinese schools. That kind of respect leads to exceptional achievement, and if you saw that in your American schools I'm sure the level of education would be a lot higher than it is.
“if you saw that in your American schools I'm sure the level of education would be a lot higher than it is.”
Let me start with stating my respect for your teaching career.
I know so many teachers here in the States that have also earned my respect and admiration.
By and large, they have made every effort to effectively educate those in their charge…doing so in spite of all the obstacles they face: parental indifference, politicization of local school boards, funding issues of private vs. public, administrative processes, etc., etc…and perhaps most damaging, the perception of way too many that they don’t care.
All of these factors are totally out of their control, and yet they persevere in knowing the job they are doing, while often thankless and woefully underpaid, is invaluable. And if that leaves some ready to pounce, get involved before casting the unknowing and thus ignorant dispersions.
My comments were not aimed at teachers, it was aimed at student attitude and the educational system as a whole. Why would I blame teachers, when what I discovered is that starting to teach students when I was 69 years old was so much more personally rewarding and satisfying than practising my former profession? What I learned when I became a teacher is the reason why teachers must put up with being underpaid and underappreciated.
That is a problem with parenting - children are not taught to respect anyone or anything except themselves these days.
I totally agree with the philosophical points you make about respect, attentiveness, participation leading to excellence.
You're absolutely right - it's the parenting that's been missing and is definitely a cause of the problem, but now so many families need both parents to work in order to survive financially. In China, the grandparents become the parents when both parents work. Many homes house 3 generations. For a few years even we provided a homw for my wife's widowed mother until she died.
The fact that both parents work is not an excuse for parents to not be involved in parenting their children to learn respect, behavior in public, focus on goals etc.
Unfortuntately, both parents working causes less time for parents to carry out that responsibility, but nevertheless, obviously they are not carrying out their responsibility to their children, or else fucking it up like the parents who were convicted when their son did some killing with a gun he shouldn't have had.
I came across this cartoon a while back...(the text in the White cloud is a bit fuzzy-- for both pictures it says: "EXPLAIN THESE BAD GRADES"):
__________________________________
THEN AND NOW
Fortunately, we were never subjected to a recitation of the Lord's Prayer or any other prayers in school, and I was in school before the Supreme Court case that brought an end to school prayers. I'm sure that my Greatest Generation parents weren't either.
Well I also went to school before the precedent SC case and I wasn't emotionally scarred or educationally stunted by reciting the pledge of allegiance and Lord's prayer before class started. I still see many classmates from those days at reunions and other social affairs and we all turned out pretty good.
I even understand and accept the point made by others that posting the 10 Commandments on the wall shows preference and why it would be banned in today's socio-political climate.
That being said, I do not have to agree that "it's better", but I do accept it as the law of the land and respect it.
I remember that we started the day with The Pledge of Allegiance. In the lower grades none of us had any idea what it meant,
Some of the brighter kids develpped the theory that all grownups were a bit weird and did things that made no sense-- but that to avoid "being punitched" we realized it was best to try to figure out what teachers wanted and do what we could to keep them happy.
"the brighter kids" always thought they knew better than their parents or the teachers or the faculty
That has not changed over the decades
And sometimes, the "brighter kids" are right.
I've known a lot of teachers (elementary school level). For the most part they were not too bright. (And several of them were a bit arrogant-- thinking that they knew more than ordinary people,
Some school principals should highlight those commandments that Trump has violated when they display the Commandments for returning students.
Ten Commandment Trump Bingo?
The best quote of the week. Maybe the best quote of the year.
Trump discussing the 10 Commandments while addressing evangelical Christians at a meeting yesterday:
Truly incredible.
A hypocritical dictate from the tongue of a criminal - teach the kids, felon, teach the kids.
I like fact that he is acting as if he is the first person ever to read the 10 Commandments. Amazing.
Well, it's necessary for him to at least prove that he can read, maybe he can even remember, but when it comes to following - there's more than one Commandment he's already transgressed.
Someone probably read it to him.
He was fixated on 5
while ignoring 7 Adultery
Cant make this shit up!
He's asking a group of evangelical Christians if any of them has read the 10 Commandments! A complete buffoon.
Yeah, that's what I meant with my comment about "following".
What a putz.
That's putting it mildly.
Expressed a little differently, "What a schmuck!".
Putz, schmuck. Pretty much the same thing. What we know is he's a little petzl, or petseleh if you like.
Yeah, probably more accurate if we're talking about measurement.
It's the same number as his I.Q. Somewhere between 0 and .00001. Although his latest I.Q. test results were in negative numbers.
Nope-- no one has ever read that incredible stuff.
Well, at least not until Trump came along--- and enlightened us all.
Trump is great-- and clearly should be worshipped!
A "Trump joke":
Two Corinthians walk into a bar. The bartender looks up and sez __________.
truly incredible.
Trump is pretty amazing...in fact, I don't know who is more incredible-- Trump himself-- or the many Trump sycophants. Make America great again?
WHEN WAS AMERICA GREAT?
#maga #JordanKlepper #trump #incredible #humor #satire #sycophants #convictedfelon #video #reels
Krishna, please describe the YouTube you posted.,
Uncork the Dom Perignon, one of my articles earned more than 100 comments.
Congratulations!
BTW I just checked-- there's been a 10% increase in that number ...
Is that where they got the expression "drawing lots"?
We're now up to 118!