While the case could eventually end up before the U.S. Supreme Court, for now a federal appeals court has ruled 9–8 that Texas can require public schools to display the Ten Commandments. This latest development reverses a lower court block on the law.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday (April 21) said the mandate does not violate the Constitution or force religious belief on others. The court noted students are not required to follow or affirm the text, reported the Associated Press.
Supporters of this latest ruling reportedly called the decision a major win for religious liberty. Meanwhile, critics — including the ACLU — contended the decision undermines church-state separation. The ACLU and other groups reportedly plan to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. The law reportedly took effect last year amid broader debates over religion and classrooms.
See related links:
Texas can require public schools to display Ten Commandments in classrooms, court rules -Associated Press
Federal appeals court upholds Texas law requiring Ten Commandments in classrooms -CBS News
TexasFederal court upholds Texas law requiring Ten Commandments in public classrooms – Fox News
Texas schools can display Ten Commandments posters, court rules -USAToday
The links above are a sampling of headlines related to the story and are not an endorsement of all viewpoints or reporting.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was compiled from various news outlets by The Baptist Paper.
