Backlash erupts as the state of Louisiana mandates the Ten Commandments in public schools. Surprisingly countless parents and clergy members are not pleased by this and have filed a lawsuit with the courts.
Many church leaders viewed this as a calculated political move rather than a religious one and are taking extreme offense as well as measures.
Inclusivity or Bust
A group of clergy leaders in the Louisiana area say that it is upsetting yet not surprising to those within the community because there has been a steady rise in Christianity throughout the state. Despite supporting Christianity and being practicing Christians they do not support imposing this on the public school system since it deters the inclusivity of the public school community.
A variety of civil liberty groups and religious leaders have collectively rejected the narrative that there should be a Ten Commandments law within the school system. They believe that it imposes the individual and personal rights of every student. Not to mention that it goes against the very foundation that the United States has built its country upon i.e. the separation of church and state.
Take Them to the Courts
Many parents have bound together in the fight against this law and aim to sue the state over such initiatives. According to sources a preliminary injunction to halt the law from becoming a reality is what the clergy leaders and parents wish to request of the courts.
Ideally getting this resolved before the first day of the school year would be the most desirable but the ultimate decision is left up in the air. Having nonreligious families forced to have their children taught religious views, especially during such an impressionable time in their lives seems not only irresponsible but also unfair.
Imposing on Personal Choices
According to reports more than 110 clergy members and counting have gone against the law signed by Gov. Jeff Landry. Many believe that teaching religion is a personal choice to be made within families and should not be given to schools. Additionally, proper religious leaders and institutions are better qualified to teach and relay such religious messages more so than the average school teacher thus giving the latter such power isn’t ideal.
Nonpracticing or nonreligious families are against forcing their children to sit through religious teachings that they don’t necessarily agree with. An abundance of Clergy members also agree that no child should be forcibly required to study religion against their will and beliefs.
Those in Favor of the Law
On the contrary supporters of the law feel as though Christianity is the building block of the US and the Ten Commandments are what laws are based on. For this reason, youths need to learn about in a religiously neutral setting such as public school according to those in favor of the law.
Many compared the Supreme Court rules and regulations to that of the Ten Commandments and the House of Chamber to Moses in the Bible. Whether you agree or not many can conclude that biblical times brought to us some of the first forms of court and order however it may not make the case for teaching religious matters to the masses.
Those Against the Law
Despite countless clergy and residents holding the Ten Commandments near and dear they question if the classroom is truly the right setting to bring these concepts to light. Rev. Jon Parks’ of a local Baptist church in Baton Rouge and a Director of an interfaith organization was quoted by local news outlets as saying that pursuing this law is more of a political strategy to sway conservative votes as opposed to the greater good of public education.
He believes that this move brings religious morality into question. Having the state choose an official way to look at ancient scripture that would be otherwise open to interpretation takes away from the religious freedom to explore and adapt to one’s personal outlook and daily life.
Is the Any “Right” Interpretation?
With all the religious interpretations that exist it seems that the public school systems will be biting off more than they can chew. There is no one version of the Ten Commandments so portraying it in one way causes great harm and offense to various Christians alike not to mention those who practice different religious beliefs entirely.
States looking into passing similar laws to the Louisiana one are not far behind and are growing in numbers, among them Texas, South Carolina, Utah, and Oklahoma.
Historical Significance to Teachings
States looking to pass such laws are yet to be entirely successful in implementing it completely. Those states argue in favor of such Ten Commandments teachings on the basis of historical significance.
Even though some religious texts hold historical value to begs the question does it justify taking such religious education to the next step and does it or doesn’t it to children a disservice to learn a certain religious standard?
Accepting Religious Symbols are One
Although religious symbols can be displayed in a variety when presented in an educational setting, such symbols are suggestive in nature and designed to pressure audiences to accept them.
By law, it is important to respect such symbols and it is allowed in the classroom but teaching it as a standard crosses into new waters. It may even blur the lines even further and cause divides in households more so than they were susceptible beforehand.
At the Crossroads
No matter, if you agree or disagree with religion or whether or not you choose to practice, is your choice, creating laws that force it upon children may open a whole new can of worms.
Like in many religious interpretations and practices, we can all agree to disagree because there may not be just one answer to where to go from here both in and out of the classroom. What we can be certain though is that there is a fight to be had, both biblical and judicial.
