More than 20 organizations, headed up by The National Council of Jewish Women filed an amicus brief Monday (Jan. 6) opposing a Louisiana law that would require the display of the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom in the state. The other groups represent Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs. The legislation passed last year.
The Ten Commandments law was temporarily blocked by a federal judge in November. However, the state is appealing the decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit. The brief argues that the law privileges the Protestant Christian interpretation of the Ten Commandments at the expense of other faiths. They also hold that it pressures schoolchildren to venerate a text that may be distinctly different from that of their religious communities.
Darcy Hirsh, director of government relations and advocacy for the National Council of Jewish Women, says “We’re fighting back against the Christian nationalist notion that the Bible is universal.” The Jewish activist also said The arguments that we make in this brief demonstrate that different faith groups view the Ten Commandments differently, and by posting them in state classrooms you’re infringing on the religious freedom rights of the students and families in those classrooms.”
Other progressive groups, such as the Interfaith Alliance, Hindus for Human Rights, Muslims for Progressive Values, and the Sikh Coalition joined numerous jewfish groups in signing the brief. The state requires that the commandments be displayed in each classroom of every public elementary, middle, and high school in the state. These posters were also designed to be placed in public colleges.
This is the first time a state has enacted a mandate in more than 40 years. Less than a week after Gov. Jeff Landry signed the law, lawsuits were filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, and Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Filings were made on behalf of nine families with children in Louisiana public schools, among them members of Jewish, Christian, and Unitarian Universalist faiths.
U.S. District Court Judge John W. deGravelles said the law was “coercive.” He added that There are any number of ways that the state could advance an alleged interest in educating students about the Ten Commandments that would be less burdensome.” He said the law violates the First Amendment’s establishment clause. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill has ordered five districts to implement the mandate. She says that the judge’s decision applies only to those five specifically named in the suit.
The AG added that there were “constitutionally sound ways to implement it.” The amicus brief was prepared by the law firm Jenner & Block. It makes the case that there is no single, agreed-upon version of the Ten Commandments and that the Hebrew Bible and the Protestant Bible contain different formulations of the First and Second Commandments.
They also say that the Ten Commandments are not followed by members of many faith traditions. They wrote that “ … any display of the Commandments is inherently sectarian, because it must choose a translation, ordering, and numbering system that will favor one or more religions, and therefore disfavor other religions.” Ani Zonneveld the founder and president of Muslims for Progressive Values, says that the law was a “slip into theocracy.” She concluded by saying “Seeing it happening in America is very problematic, and for us, it’s a path to becoming a failed state.”