Public elementary and secondary schools in Texas may soon be required to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms, pending the approval of Senate Bill 10...
FILE - This 5-foot tall stone slab bearing the Ten Commandments stands near the Capitol in Austin, Texas, in this July 29, 2002 file photo. Public elementary and secondary schools in Texas may soon be required to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms, pending the approval of Senate Bill 10 by Governor Greg Abbott.
The bill, which has passed both chambers of the Texas Legislature, mandates that schools display a poster of the Ten Commandments at least 16 inches by 20 inches in size and accept any donated copies. Representative Phil King, who authored the bill, said that displaying the religious text would improve the younger generation's morals. State Representative Mary Gonzalez, who represents parts of Far East El Paso voted against the bill, expressing concerns about the role of educators in religious discussions. "I think that if you have a student who has one belief and the student who has another belief and there's questions about the 10 commandments on the wall, now teachers have to stop what they're doing and help navigate this more difficult conversation that should be had at home," Gonzalez said. Representative Vince Perez, who represents El Paso, attempted to amend the bill to include all versions of the document, but the House ultimately chose the Protestant version.I think it sets a dangerous precedent when you have the state government promoting one specific type of religion and that's really what concerns me.One El Pasoan, who attended public school, questioned the necessity of the religious text, saying, "It's like 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?' As far as structure and discipline, there's other ways to go about it than the Ten Commandments, I think." Another said adding the religious text to classrooms is not a bad idea, as long as it's not forced on students. They expressed conditional support, stating, "It's a good way, it's like a good stepping stone. But I don't think it has any correlation entirely with kids being good, because at the end of the day it's all up to the parents as well, and not just what the Bible says."Further updates will be provided as they become available.
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