Texas

Faith and political leaders alike are speaking up in support of returning the Ten Commandments to schools across Texas in July, despite lawsuits trying to stop this historical document from being taught to children. Senate Bill 10 passed earlier this year, mandating that all Texas classrooms display the Ten Commandments as they are seen across the state, particularly on the grounds of the Austin capitol grounds. The Ten Commandments, aside from being the foundation of law and human behavior across Western civilization for the last 3,000 years, are also part of America’s foundational history. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Sen. King Explains How Texas Is Bringing Biblical Values Of Our Founding Fathers Back To Schools LEGALLY) These core laws for life were taught as part of a normal curriculum since before America became a nation, and were only removed roughly 50 years ago thanks to a short-lived legal precedent by the Supreme Court, which was overturned in 2022. What Are Pastors Saying? “As for me I would say that posting the Ten Commandments in the schools will truly promote moral values, provide a historical and cultural context for law and ethics and offer a framework for ethical behavior for the future generation,” pastor Mariya James of St. Stephen Catholic Church in Weatherford told the Weatherford Democrat in July. “Prohibitions against murder, theft, adultery and false testimony are foundational to any functioning society,” he continued. “And this must be reminded to the students often for a healthier society. … The absence of moral guidance in schools could lead to negative consequences, including a disregard for morality and an increase in anti-social behavior.” “It goes back so far,” Northside Baptist Church retired Rev. Van Houser told the same outlet. “These have been the basic tenets for many, many, many generations and civilizations. So I think in that regard they stand as something visual for children to be reminded of, things that regard common decency and basic tenets.” Lawsuits Sue To Stop Ten Commandments Displays The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas filed a suit against Senate Bill 10 in July, claiming that the new law violates the religious rights of students, despite the document technically being historical — not faith based in the context of the Texas law. “The lawsuit is no surprise,” Sen. Phil King told the Fort Worth Report while he voiced a prediction of victory against the ACLU’s position in the suit. “That’s what the left does.” “I feel very confident, if there is a lawsuit on the Texas Ten Commandments, that the Supreme Court will uphold our statute,” King said prior to the lawsuit, a sentiment he echoed in conversation with Million Voices earlier in the year. (EXCLUSIVE: ‘Stand Firm’ Says Sen. Dotson On Bringing The Ten Commandments To Classrooms) “It’s so popular,” King added of the public reaction to the law. “I can’t tell you how many people I’ve run into that bring it up. I think the general public is very excited about it.” “When we were kids, the Ten Commandments were in public buildings,” he clarified. “It was in schools. Everybody just recognized that was just a wonderful statement of morality. It was something that we were taught from day one, just like the Golden Rule.” Legal Precedent For Success Along with the overturning of multiple laws related to the removal of historical religious texts and practices from the public square, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott fought in 2005 to keep the Ten Commandments on the grounds of the state capitol. (RELATED: ‘Separation Of Church And State Is A Lie’: Legal Precedent Collapses Bringing Religious Freedom To US) Abbott won this argument when it landed all the way up in the Supreme Court, so there is huge context for any lawsuits against the Ten Commandments to lose in the country’s highest court. How To Get Involved In Bringing The Ten Commandments Back To Schools Million Voices is the instrumental leader in creating a means of you, our readers, members, and even folks who are only finding us for the first time, to bring the Ten Commandments back to classrooms. Even though there are lawsuits trying to stop the implementation of the posters of the Ten Commandments in classrooms, every classroom can still legally display the posters. But we can’t do it without your help. For generations, schools displayed the Ten Commandments to promote basic moral values—like respect, honesty, and personal responsibility. They weren’t just religious—they were viewed as a foundation for good citizenship and character. Though many were removed after a 1980 Supreme Court ruling, states are now restoring the right to display them again. With your help, we’re putting them back—one school at a time. Click here to join the Restore American Schools movement — and be the boots on the ground while using your voice to protect America’s future.