It’s been decades since public schools were ‘allowed’ to display the Ten Commandments, which were fixtures in schools for far longer than they’ve been missing. But that is changing.
Originally published by WND News Center. Used with permission.
State senators in Texas have adopted, 17-12, a plan to have the Ten Commandments displayed in school classrooms.
The plan, Senate Bill 1515, explains, “a public elementary or secondary school shall display in a conspicuous place in each classroom of the school a durable poster or framed copy of the Ten Commandments.”
Sponsor state Sen. Phil King, a Republican, set up the plan to have the document at least 16 inches by 20 inches.
The plan now goes to the state House, and if the Republican-majority body adopts it, it would go to Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, for his signature.
It could take effect as early as Sept. 1
King, during a committee hearing on the plan, cited the Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision in Kennedy v. Bremerton as allowing the posting.
They are part of the American heritage, he said.
The court case involved a football coach who was fired for postgame prayers at midfield. The decision said Joe Kennedy was praying as a citizen, not as a school worker.
“[The bill] will remind students all across Texas of the importance of the fundamental foundation of America,” King said.
Other bills adopted by the Senate would address Bible reading in schools, and “protect the right of school employees to engage in religious speech or prayer while on duty,”
A supporter pointed out, “Our Founders certainly never intended separation of God from government or schools, despite the left’s attempts to mislead people on this fact.”
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said that allowing the Ten Commandments and prayer in public schools was among the ways to prove that Texans “have the right to freely express their sincerely held religious beliefs.”
Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Tennessee are among the states that already allow the Ten Commandments to be displayed in an official capacity.
A blog posting explained, “One of the most progressive school districts in the nation lies in the heart of Texas, the Austin Independent School District (AISD). AISD is known for its promotion of sexual immorality, inviting drag queens to interact with children and holding gay pride marches on school property.
“The taxpayer-funded school district has been under fire over the years from conservatives for a number of sexually-related problems. In 2019, Blackshear Fine Arts Academy hosted a drag queen story hour that featured a drag queen by the name of Ms. Kitty Litter who was convicted of male prostitution in 1996.
“Another elementary school librarian in Austin who is known for hosting drag queens was also caught posting explicit photos of himself at gay events. It will be interesting to see how the school would reconcile such lewd behavior with the new requirement to display the Ten Commandments.”