The state of Louisiana has ordered public schools to display a poster of the Ten Commandments from the Holy Bible in classrooms.
Jeff Landry, Louisiana’s Republican governor, signed the law on Wednesday, June 19, 2024. The measure is the first of its kind in the United States and has been met with push-back from liberals who have asserted that they will challenge the law.
The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, known as the Establishment Clause, states that ‘Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.’ This makes it difficult for liberal civil societies to accept the new law, as it is seen as discriminatory and contrary to the fundamental rights of citizens.
Four civil liberties groups have indicated that they plan to challenge the law because schools in the state of Louisiana are religiously diverse. A joint statement from the American Civil Liberties Union, the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and the Freedom from Religion Foundation labeled the legislation as ‘blatantly unconstitutional’.
A report by the BBC revealed that the new law requires a poster to include the Ten Commandments in a “large, easily readable font” on a poster that measures 11 inches by 14 inches, with the words as the central focus of the display. A four-paragraph “context statement” will also be included to describe how these directives were an essential part of American public education for almost three centuries. The posters are expected to be displayed in classrooms receiving state funding by 2025, although the state is not providing funds for the posters themselves.
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Republican state lawmaker Dodie Horton has spoken about the importance of returning a ‘moral code’ to classrooms. Similar laws have been proposed by other conservative states such as Texas, Oklahoma, and Utah.
In its ruling, the Supreme Court emphasized that the law ‘had no secular legislative purpose’ and was ‘plainly religious in nature.”
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/Etornam Kumashie
