The Ten Commandments enter the classrooms: Trump and his allies push for religious education

A week ago, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed SB-10, a law that mandates the display of the Christian Ten Commandments in every public school classroom in the state. This means the commandments will appear more than 9,000 times, in front of the 5.5 million students expected to enter those classrooms this coming September. Texas thus joins a growing list of Republican-led states which, alongside U.S. President Donald Trump, are pushing for religious education in the nation’s public schools.

“I am the Lord your God. You shall have no other gods before Me…” — begins the Ten Commandments, which are printed in full in the Texas law. Under the legislation, the Ten Commandments must be published in English, without alterations, at a minimum size of 16 x 20 inches — roughly the size of a school chair back. The law, which will go into effect on September 1 with the start of the school year, also allows students and teachers to spend time daily reading the Bible or praying voluntarily, as long as minors have parental consent.

Abbott defended the legislation as a vindication of the foundational pillars of the United States, including “faith and freedom.” Meanwhile, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick said: “By placing the Ten Commandments in our public school classrooms, we ensure our students receive the same foundational moral compass as our state and country’s forefathers.”

The Texas government has pushed similar policies for years. Since 2021, public schools have been allowed to display the national motto, In God We Trust. And in 2024, the state Board of Education approved offering Bible-related classes as part of the elementary school curriculum. While optional, the program offers students who enroll an incentive of up to $60.

However, several families recently filed a class-action lawsuit in federal court in Dallas against SB-10. The group includes Christians, Jews, Muslims, and members of the Nation of Islam. They argue the law violates the First Amendment of the Constitution, which prohibits the government from establishing an official religion or interfering with the free exercise of individual beliefs.

The plaintiffs also argue the posters could pressure students to adopt a specific religious doctrine. According to local media, they are currently backed by organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Freedom From Religion Foundation.

Classrooms or ideological battlegrounds?

In June 2024, Louisiana passed a law similar to the one signed by Abbott. Known as HB-71, the legislation required public classrooms to display the Ten Commandments alongside other historical documents, including the Declaration of Independence. The law was suspended by a federal judge in November, and the Fifth Circuit Court upheld the ruling seven months later. That court has jurisdiction over Texas, leading many to believe that SB-10 may ultimately face the same fate. The judges ruled that Louisiana’s law was “plainly unconstitutional” because it had a religious, rather than educational, purpose.

Similarly, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed a law in April requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public buildings, including schools and libraries. On June 11, the ACLU and seven local families filed a lawsuit against the state. “The right to decide which religious beliefs, if any, to follow belongs to families and faith communities, not the government,” said John Williams, legal director of the ACLU of Arkansas. “We will not allow Arkansas politicians to misuse our public schools to impose scripture on children,” he added.

South Dakota also has a similar bill in progress, currently awaiting final approval. In each case, lawmakers claim that displaying the Commandments is a patriotic act. These efforts are part of a broader campaign to establish Christianity in public spaces — especially in schools. Conservative advocates often cite legal precedents, such as a 2022 Supreme Court case that sided with a high school football coach who argued for his right to pray on the field after games.

Trump has not yet commented on the Texas law. However, he supported the Louisiana law and has encouraged lawmakers in other states to propose similar measures. “I love the Ten Commandments in public schools, private schools, and many other places, for that matter. Read it — How can we, as a nation, go so wrong?” he wrote in an all-caps message on social media. He added, “This may be, in fact, the first major step in the revival of religion, which is desperately needed, in our country.”

Divided opinions

Katherine Benson is Venezuelan, 39 years old, and lives in Dallas with her husband and two children, who are in sixth and seventh grade at a public school. They are a Jewish family. For Benson, teaching Christian principles is essential — even in schools.

“Everything stems from them — even the attitude one should have in life and, in my opinion, legal norms as well,” she says. “Whoever you are, no matter your religion, you should know the Ten Commandments.” She also emphasizes that the 613 mitzvot (Jewish commandments) are derived from them, “which allows us to lead a life more devoted to God and encourage love for others so we can live better in society.”

Shirin Bahavi, 42, was born in Iran and raised Muslim. However, when she arrived in the United States, she distanced herself from that religion. She now lives with her daughter, a 10th grader in a high school in North Texas. For Bahavi, the presence or absence of the Christian commandments in classrooms is irrelevant.

“I don’t practice my stupid religion, and I don’t care about others,” she says. “Religion is personal. The way we worship and pray to God is up to us. That’s why I’m against any religious imposition.” In her experience, teaching certain religious values in school doesn’t necessarily influence how a child will behave as an adult.

“When they told me about the new law, I looked for an article related to the topic and posted it to the WhatsApp group for my 10-year-old son’s classroom, who will be starting fifth grade in September,” recalls Magda, a 37-year-old migrant living in Texas who requested anonymity due to her legal status. She says the issue sparked intense debate, from a mother who wrote “Hallelujah” to a father who quoted Karl Marx with “Religion is the opium of the masses.”

“I believe the essence of the United States is cultural diversity and freedom of thought,” says Magda. “I don’t have a religious background, but I believe in what is good, just, and noble. That’s what the Ten Commandments and all the world’s religions are about. We shouldn’t pigeonhole them; we just need to pass them on to our children based on our beliefs, respecting each one.”

Meanwhile, a substitute teacher at an elementary school in Houston, who also asked for anonymity, believes that “educating and indoctrinating are very different things.” “Instilling messages without critical analysis and personal learning is a mistake; it involves repeating empty messages and segregating those who don’t practice the religion. Educating the new generations is key, but imposing a specific doctrine violates individual freedom and, therefore, violates the First Amendment,” she points out.

In the Louisiana case, the Fifth Circuit ruled that forcing a religious text into public classrooms is unconstitutional. If the Dallas court rules against the new Texas law, the case will likely go to the Supreme Court. If the high court sides with Texas, the state could become a model for others. If not, the religious push may be temporarily stalled.

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