Louisiana's Controversial New Law: Ten Commandments in Public Classrooms Sparks Debate and Legal Challenges

Baton Rouge, Louisiana United States of America
Kentucky's Stone v. Graham case in 1980 ruled posting the Ten Commandments in classrooms unconstitutional due to religious advancement and lack of secular purpose.
Louisiana is the first state to require Ten Commandments display in public classrooms from January 2023.
The law does not specify funding or enforcement details, leaving it to school boards or local districts.
The new law has drawn criticism and legal challenges from parents and civil liberties organizations like ACLU.
The Ten Commandments are a set of moral principles with instructions on honoring God, respecting others' property, and avoiding idolatry.
Louisiana's Controversial New Law: Ten Commandments in Public Classrooms Sparks Debate and Legal Challenges

Louisiana has become the first state in the nation to require that the Ten Commandments be displayed in all public classrooms, starting from January 2023. The new law, signed by Republican Gov. Jeff Landry on June 19, has already drawn criticism and legal challenges from various groups including parents and civil liberties organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

The Ten Commandments are a set of moral principles from the ancient Hebrews, which include instructions to honor God, respect other people's property, and avoid idolatry. The commandments have been a subject of controversy in education due to their religious nature.

Louisiana is not the first state to attempt such legislation. Over the decades, more than a dozen states have tried similar bills. For instance, Kentucky's Stone v. Graham case in 1980 saw the U.S. Supreme Court rule that posting the Ten Commandments in classrooms was unconstitutional as it advanced religion and had no secular purpose.

The new Louisiana law does not specify how it will be funded or enforced, leaving these details to parish school boards or local districts. It is also unclear what consequences a school may face if they do not comply with the law.

Despite the controversy surrounding this legislation, some argue that displaying the Ten Commandments in classrooms could serve as a valuable educational tool for students. They believe it can foster moral values and promote respect for religious diversity. However, others argue that it violates the separation of church and state and may create a hostile learning environment for students with different beliefs.

The debate over this issue is ongoing, with both sides presenting their arguments based on their interpretation of the law and its potential impact on education.


Article Image
Article Image
Article Image
Article Image
Article Image
Article Image
Article Image
Article Image
Article Image
Article Image
Article Image
Article Image

Confidence

85%

Doubts
  • It is unclear how schools will be funded to implement this law.
  • The consequences for non-compliance with the law are undefined.

Sources

76%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

How will Louisiana's Ten Commandments classroom requirement be funded and enforced?

National Public Radio (NPR) Sunday, 30 June 2024 00:00
  • Unique Points
    • Louisiana has a new law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in all public school K-12 and state-funded university classrooms.
    • ,Louisiana State University has nearly 1,000 classrooms at the main Baton Rouge campus alone and seven other campuses statewide.
    • ,It's unclear what happens if a school doesn’t comply with the law, as there are no listed repercussions in the text.
    • ,Enforcement of the new law could fall to parish school boards or local school districts.
  • Accuracy
    • The law is unclear on how it will be enforced and who will bear the cost of obtaining the posters.
    • Schools have until they will be required to have a poster-sized display of the Ten Commandments in all classrooms by January 2023.
  • Deception (30%)
    The article contains selective reporting as it only reports details that support the requirement of displaying the Ten Commandments in classrooms without mentioning any potential constitutional issues or opposition to the law. It also uses emotional manipulation by implying that those who oppose the law are resisting conservative policies and are harmful to students.
    • But supporters say it is a battle they are willing to fight.
    • Nationwide praise for the law from conservative groups and figures including, most recently, former President Donald Trump... could result in outside financial support for the mandate.
    • Across the country there have been conservative pushes to incorporate religion into classrooms... In Louisiana, the logistics for the new law are still unclear... But it’s unclear whether the new law has any teeth to enforce the requirement and penalize those who refuse to comply.
  • Fallacies (80%)
    The article contains an appeal to authority fallacy when it mentions the praise for the law from conservative groups and figures including former President Donald Trump. This is a fallacious argument because the truth or falsehood of a statement does not depend on who made it.
    • ][The Associated Press] reached out to multiple co-authors of the bill, including Bass and the offices of Attorney General Liz Murrill, Louisiana State Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley and the state’s Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, but did not receive answers to questions about funding. Lawmakers supporting the bill were adamant during debate that the law is clear in saying donations would be used to obtain the posters. Others suggest the law’s language may still allow for the purchase of displays through public funds. ‘Louisiana’s law does not appear to prohibit the use of public funds to pay for the Ten Commandments displays,’ said Rachel Laser, president and CEO at Americans United for Separation of Church and State, who opposes the law. The law says it ‘shall not require’ a public school governing authority to spend its funds to purchase displays. Instead, ‘to fund the displays free of charge, the school public governing authority shall’ either accept donated funds to purchase the displays or accept donated displays. Even with sufficient donations, opponents say the state is still spending money and resources to defend a lawsuit over a requirement that they argue is unconstitutional. But supporters say it is a battle they are willing to fight.[/]
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

52%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Thou shalt not require the Ten Commandments to be posted in public schools

The Hill News Site: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate-seethe-republicans-call-for-israeli-elections/ Glenn C. Sunday, 30 June 2024 12:00
  • Unique Points
    • Gov. Jeff Landry of Louisiana signed a bill requiring the state's public schools, colleges, and universities to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom.
    • The Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits government-sponsored establishments of religion, goes unmentioned in the law's text.
  • Accuracy
    • The law authorizes but does not require displays of the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence, and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787.
    • About 84% of adults in Louisiana identify as Christians while 2% are non-Christians (Jews, Muslims, Hindus); 13% are atheists, agnostics or ‘nothing in particular’; and 6% do not believe in God.
  • Deception (35%)
    The article does not explicitly state a falsehood or misrepresent facts. However, it is deceptive in its framing of the issue by omitting key context and implying that the law's sponsors have purely secular motives. It also presents an inaccurate portrayal of the Ten Commandments' historical role in American public education.
    • In endorsing a law requiring that transgender students be addressed by the pronouns in their birth certificates, Gov. Landry declared, ‘God gives us our mark.’ He deemed legislation allowing public schools to hire chaplains ‘a great step for expanding faith in public schools.’
    • The text of the legislation deems the Ten Commandments a ‘foundational document in our state and national government’ that was ‘a permanent part of American public education for almost three centuries.’
    • The law’s sponsors, moreover, made little effort to hide their religious motives.
    • About 84 percent of adults in Louisiana identify as Christians. That said, many thousands of state residents (including many Christians) may conclude that this new requirement infringes on their freedom of thought and religious rights.
    • The Catechism of the Catholic Church does not include the commandment ‘Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven images.’ The bill, then, might well be interpreted as an endorsement of Protestant theology in a state that has a substantial Catholic population.
  • Fallacies (55%)
    The author commits the fallacy of false dilemma by presenting a binary choice between religious and secular purposes for the display of the Ten Commandments in public schools. The author also uses inflammatory rhetoric by referring to 'Louisiana's religious zealots' and implying that those who support the display of the Ten Commandments are infringing on others' freedom of thought and religious rights.
    • > About 84 percent of adults in Louisiana identify as Christians. That said, many thousands of state residents (including many Christians) may conclude that this new requirement infringes on their freedom of thought and religious rights.
    • , the movement to mandate Ten Commandments texts in public school classrooms is growing.
    • Have we seen the future? Will it unite or further divide us?
  • Bias (10%)
    The author expresses a clear opposition to the display of the Ten Commandments in public schools, stating that it is a religious endorsement and lacks a secular legislative purpose. The author also points out that the bill may be interpreted as an endorsement of Protestant theology in a state with a substantial Catholic population, potentially infringing on religious freedoms.
    • Have we seen the future? Will it unite or further divide us?
      • The law authorizes but does not require displays of the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787. The Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits government sponsored establishments of religion, goes conspicuously unmentioned.
        • The law might well be interpreted as an endorsement of Protestant theology in a state that has a substantial Catholic population, calling to mind James Madison’s prescient warning: ‘Who does not see that the same authority which can establish Christianity, in exclusion of all other religions, may establish with the same ease any particular sect of Christians, in exclusion of all other sects?’
          • The movement to mandate Ten Commandments texts in public school classrooms is growing... Following the passage of this law in Louisiana, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) of Texas vowed to pass a similar bill in his state. Parallel legislation is likely to become law in several other red states.
          • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication

          76%

          The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
          (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

          A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

          Will the Supreme Court allow state governments to religiously indoctrinate students? | Opinion

          The Sacramento Bee Sunday, 30 June 2024 14:07
          • Unique Points
            • The newly adopted Louisiana statute requiring the Ten Commandments to be posted in all public school classrooms is currently considered unconstitutional under current law.
            • "In Stone v. Graham (1980), the Supreme Court declared a Kentucky statute that required posting of the Ten Commandments in classrooms as unconstitutional, stating it advances religion and has no secular purpose."
            • "For 60 years, until Kennedy decision in 2022, the Supreme Court found religious activities in public schools to be unconstitutional."
          • Accuracy
            • In Stone v. Graham (1980), the Supreme Court declared a Kentucky statute that required posting of the Ten Commandments in classrooms as unconstitutional, stating it advances religion and has no secular purpose.
            • The high court’s decisions on Ten Commandment displays are based on a test articulated in 1971 (Lemon v. Kurtzman) which holds that a government action violates the Establishment Clause if it lacks a secular purpose, has the effect of advancing religion or involves excessive entanglement with religion.
            • For 60 years, until Kennedy decision in 2022, the Supreme Court found religious activities in public schools to be unconstitutional.
          • Deception (30%)
            The article expresses the author's opinion that the Supreme Court may allow state governments to religiously indoctrinate students based on recent decisions. The author uses emotional manipulation by stating that it is unfortunate and leaves the issue's resolution uncertain. The article also engages in selective reporting by only mentioning decisions that support their position, while ignoring those that do not. For example, the author mentions Stone v. Graham and McCreary County v. ACLU but fails to mention other cases like Engel v. Vitale which upheld the prohibition of school-sponsored prayer in public schools.
            • Unfortunately, however, the conservative Supreme Court’s recent decisions rejecting a clear separation of church and state leave the issue’s ultimate resolution uncertain.
            • My hope is that the Supreme Court won’t overrule Stone v. Graham and that it will instead apply it to declare the Louisiana law unconstitutional.
            • The problem is that it is impossible to know what the ‘Founding Fathers’ thought about Ten Commandment displays in public schools or football coaches praying on the field.
          • Fallacies (80%)
            The author makes an appeal to authority by citing previous Supreme Court cases and the opinions of justices. However, the author also provides clear reasoning and evidence to support their argument that Ten Commandments displays in public schools are unconstitutional under current law.
            • ]The preeminent purpose for posting the Ten Commandments on schoolroom walls is plainly religious in nature.[
            • The court explained that posting the Ten Commandments in classrooms advances religion and has no secular purpose.
            • In fact, the court's Ten Commandment decisions in Stone v. Graham and McCreary County v. ACLU applied the first part of this test and concluded that there is no secular purpose for putting this religious text in classrooms or in government buildings.
          • Bias (80%)
            The author expresses a clear bias against the display of the Ten Commandments in public schools, stating that it is 'religiously indoctrinating students' and that it violates the separation of church and state. The author also expresses a preference for maintaining the current legal precedent set by Stone v. Graham, which declares such displays unconstitutional.
            • My hope is that the Supreme Court won’t overrule Stone v. Graham and that it will instead apply it to declare the Louisiana law unconstitutional.
              • The problem is that it is impossible to know what the ‘Founding Fathers’ thought about Ten Commandment displays in public schools or football coaches praying on the field.
              • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                None Found At Time Of Publication
              • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
                None Found At Time Of Publication

              91%

              The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
              (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

              A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

              OPINION: Let’s be good people, for God’s sake (and our own)

              Alaska Dispatch News Elise Patkotak Saturday, 29 June 2024 00:00
              • Unique Points
                • Louisiana has become the first state to require that the Ten Commandments be displayed in every public school classroom under a bill recently signed into law by Republican Gov. Jeff Landry.
                • If we hang these commandments in classrooms, we should rotate them with the ‘commandments’ from other dominant religions in America.
              • Accuracy
                • Louisiana has a new law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in all public school K-12 and state-funded university classrooms.
              • Deception (80%)
                The author expresses her opinion on the display of the Ten Commandments in public schools and suggests rotating them with commandments from other religions. She does not make any false statements or manipulate emotions, but she does use selective reporting by only mentioning certain commandments that support her argument and ignoring others. She also implies that all major religions have similar moral codes, which is true but not the main point of the article.
                • Some look kind of familiar, don’t they?
                • If we hang these commandments in classrooms, we should rotate them with the ‘commandments’ from other dominant religions in America, so that everyone gets a chance to see just how alike we are in what we think is important.
              • Fallacies (100%)
                None Found At Time Of Publication
              • Bias (100%)
                None Found At Time Of Publication
              • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                None Found At Time Of Publication
              • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                None Found At Time Of Publication

              95%

              The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
              (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

              A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

              Louisiana requires Ten Commandments in schools: Where do other states stand?

              USA Today Thursday, 27 June 2024 00:00
              • Unique Points
                • Louisiana will require the display of the Ten Commandments in all public classrooms starting January 2023.
                • Louisiana is the first state to pass such legislation in the nation.
              • Accuracy
                • The new law was signed by Republican Gov. Jeff Landry on June 19, 2023.
              • Deception (100%)
                None Found At Time Of Publication
              • Fallacies (100%)
                None Found At Time Of Publication
              • Bias (100%)
                None Found At Time Of Publication
              • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                None Found At Time Of Publication
              • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
                None Found At Time Of Publication