The required text prescribed in the new law and used on many monuments around the U.S. is a condensed version of Scripture with ties to “The Ten Commandments” movie from 1956 and commonly associated with Protestants.
The directive is the latest salvo in an effort by conservative-led states to target public schools: Louisiana has required them to post the Ten Commandments, while others are under pressure to ban books and lessons about race, sexual orientation, and gender identity.
The high court determined the school board's vote to approve the application by the Catholic Archdiocese for the St. Isidore of Seville Virtual Charter School violates both the Oklahoma and U.S. constitutions, as well as state law.
'This is religious favoritism, and it is not only dangerous, but runs counter to my religion and faith,' said the Rev. Jeff Sims, a Presbyterian Church (USA) minister and a plaintiff in the case.
Contributing writer Greg Mamula walks through the various biblical, theological, and civic concerns raised by Louisiana’s attempt to mandate display of the Ten Commandments 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.
LifeWise Academy’s curriculum was developed in conjunction with the Gospel Project, a Bible study plan produced by an entity of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Expressing concerns about the Establishment Clause is something of a turn for Feucht, who previously said ‘I want a country where Christians are making the laws.’
They would become the first state to require the religious text to be displayed in every public school classroom — in another expansion of Christianity into day-to-day life by a Republican-dominated legislature.
This issue of A Public Witness looks at the problems with recent public school chaplaincy bills by considering what a chaplain really is and what religious freedom actually looks like.