Image Credit: Hamilton County Schools & Canva.
Article by Olivia Lupia, Tennessee Conservative News –
Capitalizing on a bill passed earlier this year encouraging schools to display the Ten Commandments and other U.S. foundational documents, the Hamilton County School Board approved the displays in a partisan vote last week, with both Republicans and Democrats citing their faith as the impetus for their vote.
The law, signed by Gov. Lee in May, is permissive, empowering each school board to make the decision at the local level whether to showcase documents including a part of the Declaration of Independence mentioning God, the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, Tennessee Constitution, and Ten Commandments.
Districts choosing to post the documents must adhere to certain requirements from the legislation like text size, verbiage, and being placed in “prominent” locations. The state law followed the overturning of legal precedents banning the documents from schools being by high federal courts, with some states even securing the right to enforce requirements schools to post the Ten Commandments in schools instead of making it optional.
During the Hamilton County board meeting last week, all six Republican members voted in favor of requiring the documents to be displayed, while all four Democrats voted against the proposal. The division seemed to mostly revolve around the Ten Commandments, with several members arguing it should not be considered “founding documents”.
“When I look up United States founding documents, the three things that pop up are the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. The 10 Commandments aren’t on there at all. So, interestingly enough, the Bill of Rights says freedom of religion, and I don’t know…I go to church and I take my kids to church, but this isn’t about my personal views. I’m just concerned about the text, the verbiage on there. It says, ‘United States founding documents.’ I don’t think [the Ten Commandments] are three of the United States founding documents,” argued one Democrat member.
The board’s attorney, Scott Bennett, reiterated that courts have recently ruled that displays of religious documents like the Ten Commandments in schools should be allowed so long as the government isn’t endorsing or establishing an official religious practice, adding that the Tennessee law’s intent is to use such documents in an educational capacity for history, culture, and heritage.
“There are lots of references to religious language in the public domain,” Bennett said, specifically citing “In God We Trust” inscribed on government seals and coins. “So the court has said that that’s really part of our fabric,” he stated.
Other members argued that mandating the display instead of making it optional for schools could open the district up to lawsuits. “At this time, when the board has already made painful decisions because of a budget deficit, choosing to spend money defending an unnecessary lawsuit would be profoundly irresponsible. Those tax dollars belong in our classrooms,” said one member.
On the flip side, another member defended the documents, saying, “We start our board meetings every meeting with the pledge to the flag, the Pledge of Allegiance, and it says, ‘One nation under God.’ And the reality is, our nation is a country founded on biblical, godly principles, many of which our founding fathers believed were not just a source of truth, but it was a guiding book for them and how they make decisions. When I look at this, I am a believer. I believe in the 10 Commandments. I try to raise my kids to know the 10 Commandments. I view this as just a great way for any kid, regardless if he believes in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior or not, to practice good principles. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not covet. I mean, these are all good matters of exercise for any kid in society. So I think it’s something that would positively benefit people.”
With the 6-4 vote in favor, Hamilton County now joins several other districts which have also voted to approve the displays, though they are facing scrutiny from several anti-religious organizations including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and the Freedom from Religion Foundation specifically over the Ten Commandments.
A joint statement from the groups said, “Forcing biblical scripture on public-school children violates families’ religious freedom. Families and faith communities, not the government, get to decide what role religious doctrine and belief play in their lives. We are committed to protecting students’ and parents’ constitutional rights and are launching an investigation of every school district that foolishly accepts the state’s invitation to trample those rights. We urge families who will be affected by these religious displays to contact our organizations.”
No lawsuits have been filed against any of the districts or the state, but even if they are the chances of success are likely diminished as federal courts have recently stood on the side of such laws across the country.
Sources:
TennesseeConservativeNews.com.
TennesseeConservativeNews.com.
About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
One Response
See you in court.