Arkansas Ten Commandments Law Struck Down

Last month, in a win for religious freedom advocates, a federal judge struck down a law passed in Arkansas requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in schools. This particular law was especially onerous in that it required schools to display the Ten Commandments, rather than simply allowing them to do so. It should be obvious that this is a complete affront to Americans who follow religions other than Christianity, or for that matter no religion at all.

Last year, seven Arkansas families of various religious and nonreligious backgrounds filed a lawsuit challenging the state’s new law requiring all public elementary and secondary schools to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom and library. The lawsuit named six school districts in Arkansas as defendants.

While it is unclear how many school districts or publicly-funded universities have hung up posters, local media outlets have cited multiple examples over the past five months. That includes the Ten Commandments being posted at the University of Arkansas on the Fayetteville campus, the Arkansas Advocate reported in October. Proponents of the legislation say the Ten Commandments have historical significance and are part of the foundation of U.S.

On Monday, U.S. District Court Judge Timothy L. Brooks said in his written judgment that “nothing could possibly justify hanging the Ten Commandments—with or without historical context — in a calculus, chemistry, French, or woodworking class, to name a few.” Brooks, who was nominated by former President Barack Obama, went on to write that there is “no need to strain our minds to imagine a constitutional display mandated” by the 2025 law; “One doesn’t exist,” he wrote.

Let's be clear on what this law is mandating. Over the last twenty years or so, Ten Commandments laws have centered around the display of movie props from the Charleston Heston film The Ten Commandments. That is not a joke. It is not a snark. It is a fact. The Ten Commandments tablets that Poor Oppressed Christians keep trying to force on everyone are just publicity props from 1955. Imagine writing a law mandating the display of literally any other prop from any other film to get an idea of how ridiculous this legal push is.

And of course the law was struck down on constitutional grounds. Any law that acts to establish a particular religion is unconstitutional, based on what the words in the establishment clause mean. And this one goes beyond the usual version granting permission to put up one of these props with a legal requirement that it be done. This ruling would be an absolute slam dunk if not for the Poor Oppressed Christians whining about being oppressed by "Pagans" who don't have even a tenth of their numbers.

On April 14th the Attorney General of Arkansas announced that he planned to appeal the ruling. So the fight with these idiots goes on.