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Texas Faith Communities Fight Against Mandated Ten Commandment Displays
Texans of all faiths are uniting in filing a lawsuit against Senate Bill No. 10 (S.B. 10), which requires Texas public school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments. The bill specifically mandates the display must be at least sixteen by twenty inches, hung in a "conspicuous space,” and follow a specific phrasing most commonly aligned with Protestant beliefs.
In Rabbi Nathan v. Alamo Heights Independent School District, Jewish, Atheist, Chritsian, and Hindu Texans are challenging the bill's clear threat to a healthy separation of Church and State. The plaintiffs have asserted violations of both the establishment and free exercise clause.
Among the plaintiffs are prominent faith leaders from diverse Texas communities, including Rabbi Mara Nathans and Cantor Seth Ettinger, who hail from Temple Beth-El in San Antonio, Texas. Alongside Nathans and Ettinger is Reverend Cynthia Mood, a Presbyterian Minister.
S.B. 10 is not an isolated incident but rather part of a broader national movement to introduce required displays of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms. Similar mandates have been pushed in Alabama, Missouri and Louisiana.
Still, public school parents are continuously fighting back against these attacks on religious freedom. Just last month, plaintiffs in Louisiana successfully challenged House Bill 71 (H.B. 71), which similarly mandated posting of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms. In staunch support of the lawsuit, Interfaith Alliance signed onto a brief in its favor.
Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, one of the organizations representing the lawsuit, affirmed that “[S.B. 10] is part of the nationwide Christian Nationalist scheme to win favor for one set of religious views over all others and over nonreligion – in a country that promises religious freedom. Not on our watch. We’re proud to defend the religious freedom of Texas schoolchildren and their families.”
The success of Louisina’s appeal offers hope in the fight against S.B. 10, and emphasizes the importance of diverse faith communities uniting together against persistent threats to religious freedom in the classroom. This advocacy will continue in Texas as plaintiffs in Rabbi Nathan v. Alamo Heights Independent School District declare: “Not on our watch.”
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 info@interfaithalliance.org.
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