Few people in the United States – or indeed, in all the Western world – are unaware of the Ten Commandments, the laws given by God to Moses during the Hebrews’ exodus in the Hebrew Bible, known to Christians as the Old Testament.
But at issue in a federal lawsuit filed in San Antonio is whether a law, called SB 10, passed during this year’s regular session of the Texas Legislature requiring that a particular version of the Ten Commandments be posted on placards in every public school classroom in the state is constitutional under the First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of religion.
The bill’s authors and supporters contend that the Ten Commandments are part of the backbone of the Western legal tradition, were crucial to the formation of the United States and are a vital part of the nation’s historical tradition. Critics of the bill point out that neither the Ten Commandments nor any other mention of a specific faith are not found in either the Declaration of Independence or the U.S. Constitution, the country’s founding documents…