The Lege

TechFan88 · Apr 22, 2023

Public schools would have to display Ten Commandments under bill passed by Texas Senate

The Senate also passed a bill that would set prayer and Bible reading times during the school day.

www.texastribune.org

Pretty sure this is against both the US and Texas Constitution.

Stone v. Graham

Facts of the case
Sydell Stone and a number of other parents challenged a Kentucky state law that required the posting of a copy of the Ten Commandments in each public school classroom. They filed a claim against James Graham, the superintendent of public schools in Kentucky.

Question
Did the Kentucky statute violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment?

Conclusion
In a 5-to-4 per curiam decision, the Court ruled that the Kentucky law violated the first part of the test established in Lemon v. Kurtzman, and thus violated the Establishment Clause of the Constitution. The Court found that the requirement that the Ten Commandments be posted "had no secular legislative purpose" and was "plainly religious in nature." The Court noted that the Commandments did not confine themselves to arguably secular matters (such as murder, stealing, etc.), but rather concerned matters such as the worship of God and the observance of the Sabbath Day.

By going with the King James, Protestant version they are showing a preference for one religious interpretation over others. As there are Jewish, Catholic, and Protestant versions of the 10 Commandments. This goes against the Texas Constitution.

Texas Constitution

THE TEXAS CONSTITUTION ARTICLE 1. BILL OF RIGHTS

Sec. 6. FREEDOM OF WORSHIP. All men have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own consciences. No man shall be compelled to attend, erect or support any place of worship, or to maintain any ministry against his consent. No human authority ought, in any case whatever, to control or interfere with the rights of conscience in matters of religion, and no preference shall ever be given by law to any religious society or mode of worship. But it shall be the duty of the Legislature to pass such laws as may be necessary to protect equally every religious denomination in the peaceable enjoyment of its own mode of public worship.

TTechU88 · Apr 22, 2023