Schools in Louisiana must display Bible's 10 Commandments

A new law in Louisiana requires every state school classroom to display the Bible’s 10 Commandments.

Jeff Landry, the Governor of the ultraconservative southern US state, signed the law on Wednesday in a move that has reignited the debate over separation of church and state.

“If you want to respect the rule of law, you’ve got to start from the original law given – which was Moses,” said Mr Landry, referring to the figure who, according to the Bible’s Old Testament, received the directives from God.

The legislation, the first of its kind in the US, mandates that the biblical text be on display starting in 2025 in all public classrooms from kindergarten to state-funded universities.

The law requires the 10 Commandments to be displayed as a poster or framed document “and shall be printed in a large, easily readable font”, the bill’s text reads.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) responded to the legislation by indicating it would take the case to court.

“The law violates the separation of church and state and is blatantly unconstitutional,” the organisation said in a statement.

The First Amendment of the US Constitution forbids the establishment of a national religion or the preference of one religion over another.

Louisiana’s controversial new law, in a state deep within the US “Bible Belt”, comes during a new era of conservative leadership under Mr Landry.

Republicans hold a supermajority in the legislature, as well as every statewide elected position, paving the way for lawmakers to push through a conservative agenda.

Updated: June 20, 2024, 1:44 PM