Unwilling to be outdone by its neighbor to the East, the Texas Senate has passed a bill that would require the Ten Commandments be posted in all public school classrooms. The Louisiana Legislature passed a similar law last year that…
Federal appeals court takes up Louisiana Ten Commandments case
A three-judge panel last week heard oral arguments about a Louisiana law requiring Ten Commandments displays in K-12 and public college and university classrooms. The Jan. 23 hearing in the Fifth U.S. Cricut Court of Appeals in New Orleans came…
Church of murdered pastor supports execution. Another man of God says it should be stopped
Exodus 20 in the Bible lists Christianity’s 10 Commandment. Among them: “Thou shalt not kill.”
Some US lawmakers want more Christianity in the classroom. Trump could embolden their plans
Conservative lawmakers across the U.S. are pushing to introduce more Christianity to public school classrooms, testing the separation of church and state by inserting Bible references into reading lessons and requiring teachers to post the Ten Commandments.
Battle continues over Louisiana Ten Commandments law
All Louisiana school districts must comply with a recent federal court ruling barring classroom Ten Commandments displays despite contradictory guidance from a state official, civil rights groups said in a Jan. 6 letter to district superintendents. Three days earlier, Louisiana…
Court strikes down Louisiana Ten Commandments law
A Louisiana law requiring the Ten Commandments be posted in every public classroom is “unconstitutional on its face” and may not go into effect Jan. 1 as state officials hoped, a federal judge has ruled. U.S. District Judge John W….
Decision on Louisiana Ten Commandments law due by Nov. 15
A federal judge said he will decide by Nov. 15 whether to temporarily block a Louisiana law requiring classroom displays of the Ten Commandments beginning Jan. 1. U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles heard oral arguments Oct. 21 in Roake…
Our most basic freedom — deciding one’s own religion
My most recent column was on Christian nationalism and the threat that movement poses to religious freedom. Some would say that is our most basic freedom — to make our own way through the thicket of religions that clamor for…
Louisiana calls lawsuit aimed at Ten Commandments in classrooms ‘premature’
A lawsuit challenging a new Louisiana law requiring posting the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms is premature because the measure has yet to be implemented, state Attorney General Liz Murrill said. Signed into law June 19, the legislation mandates…
Church/state mandates then and now: A tenuous freedom
Church/state mandates began early in the American colonies. On July 19, 1651, three Baptists — John Clarke, Obadiah Holmes and John Crandall — traveled from Newport, R.I., to Lynn, Mass., and the home of William Witter, who requested their visit…
Ryan Walters descends from the Capitol with new commandments for Oklahoma teachers
The handwriting is on the wall for Oklahoma teachers. Anyone who knows the Jewish and Christian Scriptures would understand that statement is a riff on a well-known passage from Daniel 5:5 where mysterious handwriting appeared on the wall with a…
Plaintiffs ask Louisiana judge to bar implementation of Ten Commandments law immediately
Plaintiffs in the lawsuit against mandatory Ten Commandments displays in Louisiana public classrooms have asked a federal court to bar implementation of the new law as their litigation proceeds. Signed into law June 19, House Bill 71 requires the posting…