Thou shall not mix church and state

It is very worrisome that Republican lawmakers in Texas want to make their state more like a theocracy, even if they have to deny the Constitution to do so.

Texas Senate Bill (SB) 1515 requires elementary and secondary school classrooms to display posters of the Ten Commandments in a conspicuous place. The legislation passed the state Senate on a 17-12 vote and is now headed to Texas’ House of Representatives.

The bill was authored by Sen. Phil King, who according to CNN said the bill will restore religious liberties that were lost and will remind Texan students of the importance of a fundamental foundation of America.

Setting up the Ten Commandments in secular schools for children to see is indoctrination. The first four commandments go against the First Amendment of the Constitution, so there is no basis that the Ten Commandments are the foundation of American law.

Only three of the Ten Commandments are actually in American law: murder, theft, and perjury.

The original punishment for blasphemy and breaking the sabbath was public stoning, which is as archaic as the King James English that this law would require the commandments to be displayed in. 

If you personally follow the Ten Commandments, that is perfectly reasonable, but others should not be forced to accept the seven commandments that are not in American law.

SB 1396, a bill that would require time for students and employees to pray and read the Bible on each day of school, also passed with a 17-12 vote. 

It is incredibly frustrating to see lawmakers attempt to take away religious liberties in the name of religious freedom. What these Republican lawmakers are doing is essentially installing a Protestant version of Sharia. The Bible is not American law and it never will be. 

I find it heartbreaking that the separation of church and state is blatantly being ignored all because it is based on Judeo-Christian values. If the Eightfold Path or the Wiccan Rede were required to be displayed in classrooms there would be rightful protests. If Muslim lawmakers tried to require Islamic prayers in classrooms these same lawmakers would call it out for the attack on religious liberty that it is.

Following the passage of the two bills Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said in a statement, “Allowing the Ten Commandments and prayer back into our public schools is one step we can take to make sure that all Texas have the right to freely express their sincerely held religious beliefs.”

Prayer was never illegal in public schools; only forcing students to pray in school was ruled unconstitutional in 1962. 

It is infuriating and devastating how these lawmakers are getting away with disregarding the Constitution they claim to respect. Religious freedom will slowly die in Texas if nothing is done about this. That is not something I or anyone who cares about freedom wants to see.

Nico Brazill can be contacted at

nbrazill@kscequinox.com