Louisiana Requires Ten Commandments to Be Displayed in Every Public Classroom
New York TimesJun 25
Louisiana to Require Ten Commandments' Display in Public Classrooms
Image copyright: Drew Angerer/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
Louisiana has become the first US state to make the Ten Commandments display mandatory in every public school classroom.
Gov. Jeff Landry signed the bill — which requires a poster-sized display of the Ten Commandments "printed in a large, easily readable font" — on Wednesday.
The Spin
Conservative narrative
This law is a significant move to reinforce America's ethical foundations and cultural heritage. Historically, the Ten Commandments have shaped American laws and morality, and displaying them acknowledges this legacy. Critics' arguments on church-state separation are moot as the Constitution doesn't explicitly mandate such separation. Louisiana's initiative reflects and strengthens a broader trend of emphasizing the US' foundational educational values.
Progressive narrative
This legislation undermines the separation of church and state by misrepresenting a sacred religious text as a secular historical document. It disregards constitutional protections and, while proponents argue it acknowledges the commandments' influence on Western legal principles, the law mostly promotes a specific religious doctrine. The mandatory display of the Protestant version of the commandments further exacerbates the issue.