Texas is poised to become the latest flashpoint in America’s cultural battle over values and education, as lawmakers move to enact legislation that would mandate the display of the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom across the state. Senate Bill 10, having passed both chambers of the state legislature, now awaits the signature of Republican Governor Greg Abbott.
If signed into law, the measure will impact over five million students and require that each classroom prominently feature the Ten Commandments on posters or framed copies measuring no less than 16 inches wide by 20 inches tall. The proposed law follows Louisiana’s passage of a similar statute in 2024, which is now tied up in litigation. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has already declared its intention to sue the state of Texas, calling the bill a violation of the First Amendment.
Despite the legal threats, school districts are already preparing to comply. Abilene ISD Superintendent Dr. John Kuhn told local media, “If there’s a law that says we must post the Ten Commandments in our classroom, we’re gonna abide by that law. We’re not lawbreakers.”
The debate, however, goes beyond legal precedent. Supporters argue that the Ten Commandments are foundational to American moral and legal tradition — not merely religious symbols, but historical and cultural anchors that once united communities around core ethical principles.
“Do not steal,” “do not lie,” and “honor your father and mother” are hardly radical ideas. And yet, when these principles are proposed for classroom walls, groups like the ACLU respond with lawsuits — while remaining silent on the divisive, politically charged ideologies being introduced under the banner of equity or identity.
This isn’t about the separation of church and state; it’s about whose ideology gets a platform. The same voices that scream “indoctrination” at the sight of Scripture have no issue with teachers boasting about grooming students into ideological conformity.
As highlighted in a 2023 video released by the Texas Public Policy Foundation, the so-called educational focus has shifted dramatically — from reading, writing, and arithmetic to gender identity seminars, anti-parent activism, and radical social engineering.
Texas classrooms are now battlegrounds. Reading proficiency hovers around 30%, and only a fraction of students perform at grade level — yet some educators are more concerned with pushing agendas than preparing children for real-world success.
So when critics scoff at displaying the Ten Commandments, the question isn’t whether students will be influenced — the question is by what.
