A new bill mandating the Ten Commandments be displayed in classrooms in Louisiana sparked anger across social media on Wednesday. People called the bill “bizarre,” and the ACLU told Newsweek that the church and state should be separated.
Following Louisiana Republican Governor Jeff Landry’s enactment of the bill on Wednesday, some people went to X, formerly Twitter, to oppose it and draw attention to lawmakers and politicians. X user Spiro Ghost commented, “Bizarre, but especially so since their cult leaders constantly violate them.”
As per the bill, all public classrooms must have a poster-sized display of the Ten Commandments in a “large and easily readable font” by 2025. According to the Associated Press, the bill did not receive final approval from Landry, and the time to veto it has run out. Proposals have been made to require the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms in Texas, Oklahoma, and Utah; thus, Louisiana is not the first to enact that bill.
The legislation makes Louisiana the first state to mandate the Ten Commandments display. The displays will also be accompanied by a four-paragraph “context statement” explaining how the Ten Commandments “were a prominent part of American public education for three centuries.”
According to the bill, the posters would be paid for through donations and not be implemented using state funds. However, opponents of the bill are also urging politicians and lawmakers to abide by the Ten Commandments.
X user Ishmael Mayhew commented, “They should also require the politicians who pushed for this to follow those commandments.” However, others praise the bill as one political pundit, and a MAGA fan commented on X, “Absolutely! We are One Nation under God.”
The American Civil Liberties Union, the Americans United Separation of Church and State, the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana, and the Freedom from Religion Foundation have announced they will file a lawsuit to challenge the bill, claiming it violates the First Amendment and long-standing Supreme Court precedent.
“We are preparing a lawsuit to challenge H.B. 71,” the parties announced in a joint statement. The law violates the separation of church and state and is unconstitutional. The First Amendment guarantees that everyone gets to decide for themselves what religious belief, if any, they want to uphold and practice without government interference. Politicians have no business forcing their preferred religious doctrine on students and families in public schools.
“Despite the religious diversity of Louisiana’s communities and public schools, H.B. 17 would force school administrators to support particular religious views that individuals of all faiths and no faith do not hold.
“Every student should be free, safe, and welcome to public schools. H.B. 71 would undermine this critical goal and forbid schools from offering all students equal education regardless of their faith. We won’t permit Louisiana lawmakers to restrict these religious freedom rights.
Alanah Odoms, the executive director of the ACLU of Louisiana, emailed Newsweek to state that the bill infringes on the right to freedom of religion.
“The separation of Church and state is a cornerstone of our nation’s democratic principles, even though faith plays a vital part in the lives of many. Under Governor Landry’s mandate, the Ten Commandments must be displayed in every public classroom. According to Odoms, it violates religious freedom and infringes upon the parent’s and student’s constitutional rights.
State Representative Dodie Horton, the Republican sponsor of the bill, claimed, “It doesn’t preach a certain religion, but it shows a moral code we all should live by.” We must restore the Ten Commandments to a prominent place given all the garbage our children are exposed to in the schools these days,” Horton added.
Although the screens are anticipated to be used in 2025, legal actions to overturn the legislation are also expected.
