‘The Texas Attorney General’s use of the request to examine documents from Annunciation House was a pretext to justify its harassment of Annunciation House employees and the persons seeking refuge,’ Judge Francisco Dominguez wrote.
Advocates argue the legal strategy that abortion bans violate religious freedom are not yet dead. In both the Missouri and Kentucky cases, appeals are planned.
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.