Alabama Joins Louisiana in Requiring the Ten Commandments on Display in Public Schools

Earlier this month, the Alabama legislature passed a law requiring the Ten Commandments be displayed in each history classroom for 5th-12th grade students and in a common area of the school.

This continues a concerning trend of states requiring a religious doctrine be displayed in public schools. Two months ago, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit lifted a preliminary injunction on Louisiana’s version of the law, allowing the state to go ahead with requiring a Ten Commandments display in all public classrooms. Less than a week ago, the same Fifth Circuit upheld Texas's law in a 9-8 ruling, marking the first time a federal appeals court has affirmatively ruled these mandates constitutional.

These mandates are often defended as historical rather than religious, but that framing does not hold up. The version of the Ten Commandments written into these laws is a specific Protestant translation that differs from Catholic, Jewish, and other religious traditions. When the state chooses one version of scripture, it’s not teaching history. The state is telling students and families which religion their government prefers.

Prior to the bill’s passage, Interfaith Alliance of Alabama called on legislators to reject it, citing the very first line of the mandated text, “You shall have no other gods before me,” is itself theological, not historical.

Alabama will likely face a legal challenge, as Arkansas’ Ten Commandment bill was previously blocked by courts. The legal landscape is shifting rapidly, as the Fifth Circuit's recent Texas ruling signals that such blocks may not hold as these cases work their way toward the Supreme Court. Interfaith Alliance will keep organizing with our partners to ensure religious freedom applies to everyone.

Sara Khattak is an Organizing Intern at Interfaith Alliance

The views and beliefs expressed in this post and all Interfaith Alliance blogs are those held by the author of each respective piece. To learn more about the organizational views, policies and positions of Interfaith Alliance on any issues, please contact [email protected].