Are the Ten Commandments a Religious Document?

 Are the 10 Commandments a Religious Document?

Turns out, that depends on whom you ask.  Most folks would probably answer yes, but legislatures in Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas are thinking otherwise.

In the opinion of these legislators, the Ten Commandments is an historical document that provides behavioral guidance but not a religious one.  The Supreme Court has ruled in the past that while some of the Commandments provide behavioral guidance (thou shalt not kill, commit adultery, or steal) others are clearly religious in nature, particularly the ones pertaining to worshipping one God, keeping the sabbath and taking the Lord’s name in vain.  

These legislatures want to try another bite out of the apple because they feel emboldened by a much more conservative Supreme Court.  So far the approach is not working in the lower courts.

In Texas, beginning on the first of this month, all schools were supposed to display a copy of the Ten Commandments.  A judge is a US District Court has ruled that doing so would violate the Constitutional requirements that the US cannot establish any one religion and the Free Exercise clause both the first amendment to the Constitution.  He blocked the law from going into effect.  Some have argued that even though the US was founded on Judea Christian values, our nation has citizens of many different faiths and even no organized faith.

Louisiana also tried to require EVERY public school to permanently  display the Protestant version of the Ten Commandments in every classroom.   The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled that law to be unconstitutional.  The ruling is all the more remarkable because the Fifth Circuit is considered to be the most conservative in the nation and its ruling was unanimous.  This Court too, cited the First Amendment Establishment clause.  The plaintiffs were a multifaith group of nine Louisiana families with children in the public school.

If the Ten Commandments are a religious document, then any required display in a public school would be restricted.  The question is still in the judicial system.  How it will turn our- God only knows.