The complaint alleges that laws requiring religious texts violate the US “principles of basic religious epidemics.”
A group of American faith leaders have filed a lawsuit attempting to prevent them from demanding a Texas order to be displayed in public classrooms, as detailed in the Old Testament of the Bible.
Their legal challenges on Tuesday come just days after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed the law.
The lawsuit claims that Christian and Muslim faith leaders place nearly six million students in 9,100 public schools in Texas to “a religious duty on a daily basis at school.”
“This is completely inconsistent with the basic religious proofreading principles in which our country was established,” the lawsuit said.
He also said that children attending Texas public schools “follow different beliefs and religions or do not practice religion at all.”
The US Constitution protects the right to practice or not practice religions that do not interfere with the government.
Meanwhile, the concept of “separation between church and state” has long been considered the bedrock principle of American law. Although not directly mentioned in the US Constitution, its roots date back to the US colonial era.
Thomas Jefferson, the country’s third president, used this phrase to discuss the constitution’s establishment clause. This concept is also upheld by several Supreme Court decisions.
Still, a small number of conservative-led states have been trying to pass laws that mix elements of public education and Christian religion.
In 2024, Louisiana became the first state in the United States to mandate 10 commandments in public schools. Last week, a federal court of appeals blocked the requirement.
Arkansas passed similar laws in April, but several groups say they plan to challenge them.
Supporters of these types of law argue that the Ten Commandments have historical significance beyond religious contexts and are based on American society.
Candy Noble, sponsoring the Texas bill, said the requirement for stating the 10 commandments is about “what is historically important to our country, both educationally and judicially.”
In the biblical story, ten commandments were scrolled with two stone tablets and given to Moses by the God of Mount Sinai. Moses was then given instructions to spread the teachings.
Commandments include rules such as “You must not kill” or “You must not steal”, as well as prohibitions against other gods, “The name of the Lord is in vain,” and not respecting the Sabbath.
Texas law requires public schools to display posters or framed copies of the English version of the commandment.
However, translations and interpretations may vary depending on your sect, faith, and language, and may vary from home or place of worship.
Several other groups have also vowed to challenge the law. These include the American Civil Liberties Union in Texas, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), American Unity for the Separation of Church and the Nation, and the Freedom of the Religious Foundation.
In a May statement, the group said the law was “religiously compulsory and obstructed the right to direct religious education for children in families.”
