Louisiana classrooms now required by law to display the Ten Commandments

[essentialsaltes]

LINK

House Bill 71, approved by state lawmakers last month, mandates that a poster-size display of the Ten Commandments with “large, easily readable font” be in every classroom at schools that receive state funding, from kindergarten through the university level.

The legislation specifies the exact language that must be printed on the classroom displays and outlines that the text of the Ten Commandments must be the central focus of the poster or framed document.

In a joint statement prior to the governor’s approval of the measure, 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 said that the bill was “unconstitutional” and that “many faith-based and civil-rights organizations oppose this measure because it violates students’ and families’ fundamental right to religious freedom.”

From the Bill:

The Ten Commandments
I AM the LORD thy God.
Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven images.
Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain.
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
Thou shalt not kill.
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Thou shalt not steal.
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his cattle, nor anything that is thy neighbor's."

 

[BCP1928]

Why that particular version?

 

[AlexB23]

LINK

House Bill 71, approved by state lawmakers last month, mandates that a poster-size display of the Ten Commandments with “large, easily readable font” be in every classroom at schools that receive state funding, from kindergarten through the university level.

The legislation specifies the exact language that must be printed on the classroom displays and outlines that the text of the Ten Commandments must be the central focus of the poster or framed document.

In a joint statement prior to the governor’s approval of the measure, 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 said that the bill was “unconstitutional” and that “many faith-based and civil-rights organizations oppose this measure because it violates students’ and families’ fundamental right to religious freedom.”

From the Bill:

The Ten Commandments
I AM the LORD thy God.
Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven images.
Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain.
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
Thou shalt not kill.
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Thou shalt not steal.
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his cattle, nor anything that is thy neighbor's."

As a Christian, I actually do not like this new bill from down south, as it shoves Christianity down people's throats. Also, if no one can idolize anything, then, schools should take down the flag as well or stop saying the pledge, as a pledge is a form of idolatry. In fact, I do not pledge to anything, as Matthew 5:34 speaks out against making oaths.

*Matthew 5:34: "But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne".

The pledge for the flag reminds me of this 1919-1933 pledge the Germans had to say.
1919-1933 pledge:
"I swear loyalty to the Reich's constitution and pledge, that I as a courageous soldier always want to protect the German Reich and its legal institutions, (and) be obedient to the Reich President and to my superiors."
But hey, people have freedom to pledge, but pledges and oaths should ideally stay out of religious organizations, just as the woke crud (from the far-left) should stay far away from schools and churches.


We can keep some of the rules, such as the ones below, as not everyone worships God or keeps the sabbath. Plus, we can modernize the language into something that 21st century folk understand.

Shortened commandments for all creeds:
Honor your parents.
Do not murder.
Do not commit adultery.
Do not steal.
Do not lie, bully or gossip.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Why that particular version?

Probably no particular reason (but our Bible translation experts can weigh in).

But the law has to be specific, because otherwise classrooms would have "posters of the 10 commandments" like

(well, my classroom anyway)

 

[seeking.IAM]

Placing religious principles in schools seems like a swell idea if you are a Christian while Christianity is the dominant religion in the country. If that ever changes in this country and Christianity becomes a minority religion, we may wish we adhered to separation of church and state. Louisiana is traveling down a slippery slope away from an important founding principle of our country. Someday we may regret it.

 

[AlexB23]

Probably no particular reason (but our Bible translation experts can weigh in).

But the law has to be specific, because otherwise classrooms would have "posters of the 10 commandments" like

View attachment 350405

(well, my classroom anyway)

I am no Bible expert, but people like the KJV for some reason, as it was the most popular Bible for a few centuries up until the late 20th century. I prefer the NKJV (1982), NIV (1970s), ESV (21st century) and NRSV-CE (1960s), as the English is more modern.

Here are the different Bible versions, with the famous John 3:16 verse.

King James Version, KJV (1611)	For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
New King James Version, NKJV (1982)	For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
New Revised Standard Version, NRSV (1989)	For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
New International Version, NIV (1978)	For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
English Standard Version, ESV (2001)	"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

 

[NxNW]

So basically it's another stunt so that when it gets struck down by the courts, they can cry about liberal judges, am I right?

 

[Astrid]

LINK

House Bill 71, approved by state lawmakers last month, mandates that a poster-size display of the Ten Commandments with “large, easily readable font” be in every classroom at schools that receive state funding, from kindergarten through the university level.

The legislation specifies the exact language that must be printed on the classroom displays and outlines that the text of the Ten Commandments must be the central focus of the poster or framed document.

In a joint statement prior to the governor’s approval of the measure, 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 said that the bill was “unconstitutional” and that “many faith-based and civil-rights organizations oppose this measure because it violates students’ and families’ fundamental right to religious freedom.”

From the Bill:

The Ten Commandments
I AM the LORD thy God.
Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven images.
Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain.
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
Thou shalt not kill.
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Thou shalt not steal.
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his cattle, nor anything that is thy neighbor's."

It won't last

 

[Hammster]

Cool.

 

[essentialsaltes]

So basically it's another stunt so that when it gets struck down by the courts, they can cry about liberal judges, am I right?

I hope, but the Roberts court has been encouraging them. If a 'quiet, private' prayer on the 50 yard line surrounded by football teams and parents is okay, then who knows about this?

 

[BCP1928]

I am no Bible expert, but people like the KJV for some reason, as it was the most popular Bible for a few centuries up until the late 20th century. I prefer the NKJV (1982), NIV (1970s), ESV (21st century) and NRSV-CE (1960s), as the English is more modern.

Here are the different Bible versions, with the famous John 3:16 verse.

King James Version, KJV (1611)	For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
New King James Version, NKJV (1982)	For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
New Revised Standard Version, NRSV (1989)	For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
New International Version, NIV (1978)	For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
English Standard Version, ESV (2001)	"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

It was the most popular among English-speaking Protestants, that's all.

 

[AlexB23]

It was the most popular among English-speaking Protestants, that's all.

That is true. But, it is just strange how the KJV stayed popular for hundreds of years.

 

[Brihaha]

That is true. But, it is just strange how the KJV stayed popular for hundreds of years.

It's not really too strange in my view. Which is the view of a reader of my bible. Where else can reading fans enjoy the kind of language spoken in the King James Bible? You can keep your Shakespeare, I'll keep my KJV bible.

 

[AlexB23]

It's not really too strange in my view. Which is the view of a reader of my bible. Where else can reading fans enjoy the kind of language spoken in the King James Bible? You can keep your Shakespeare, I'll keep my KJV bible.

I do have to admit, the KJV does sound beautiful. No other Bible has the poetic quality of the KJV Bible. A Catholic here (as I am a new Catholic) told me about the Douay Rheims Bible as well, and it reads similarly to the KJV version, with classic 16th-17th century English.

 

[jayem]

This is obviously just a stunt to get the issue before SCOTUS.

I live in Missouri, which is solidly conservative. But this could be too much even for us. Here's Article 1, Section 7 of our state constitution:

Missouri Constitution
Article I - Bill of Rights Section 7 Public aid for religious purposes—preferences and discriminations on religious grounds.​

That no money shall ever be taken from the public treasury, directly or indirectly, in aid of any church, sect or denomination of religion, or in aid of any priest, preacher, minister or teacher thereof, as such; and that no preference shall be given to nor any discrimination made against any church, sect or creed of religion, or any form of religious faith or worship.

Requiring the 10C to be displayed in public schools, paid for by public funds, is clearly giving preference to the Bible. Seems to me, this violates our state constitution.

 

[AlexB23]

This is obviously just a stunt to get the issue before SCOTUS.

I live in Missouri, which is solidly conservative. But this could be too much even for us. Here's Article 1, Section 7 of our state constitution:

Missouri Constitution​

Article I - Bill of Rights Section 7 Public aid for religious purposes—preferences and discriminations on religious grounds.​

That no money shall ever be taken from the public treasury, directly or indirectly, in aid of any church, sect or denomination of religion, or in aid of any priest, preacher, minister or teacher thereof, as such; and that no preference shall be given to nor any discrimination made against any church, sect or creed of religion, or any form of religious faith or worship.

Requiring the 10C to be displayed in public schools, paid for by public funds, is clearly giving preference to the Bible. Seems to me, this violates our state constitution.

Missouri has more common sense compared to Louisiana, it seems, at least when it comes to this issue.

By the way folks, here is the entire Missouri Constitution, for those who are interested: https://www.sos.mo.gov/CMSImages/Publications/CurrentMissouriConstitution.pdf?v=202212

 

[driewerf]

Cool.

Unconstitutional, pathetic and childish.

 

[High Fidelity]

Yeah, that’s not constitutional.

If a Blue state mandated Islamic principles on every classroom wall then there would be uproar.

 

[hedrick]

Yeah, that’s not constitutional.

If a Blue state mandated Islamic principles on every classroom wall then there would be uproar.

Of course it's not. But it will be popular with voters.

 

[KCfromNC]

Unconstitutional, pathetic and childish.

Which means it is time for malicious compliance. Hang the poster behind a filing cabinet? Next to quotes from various supreme court cases showing it to be illegal? Put it as one among many in a group of posters with random mythology? The options to make it actually educational seem abundant.