A federal judge in San Antonio has blocked a new state law that makes it mandatory for public schools to display a poster of the Ten Commandments in classrooms starting on Sept. 1, the San Antonio Express-News reported on Wednesday.
U.S. District Judge Fred Biery issued the ruling Wednesday after more than 12 hours of hearings the past few days, writing that the law was plainly unconstitutional.
The judge stated that it was coercive in that it exposed children to what he called a state-approved Christian version of the biblical document.
“For those who disagree with the court’s decision and who would do so with threats, vulgarities and violence, grace and peace unto you,” Biery wrote in his conclusion. “May humankind of all faiths, beliefs and non-beliefs be reconciled one to another. Amen.”
The case is expected to be appealed to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Texas is the third state to have a Ten Commandments law blocked by a court and is the largest one to attempt such a requirement, according to The Washington Post.
The legal fight over the issue is expected to eventually go before the U.S. Supreme Court.
The federal judge said the founders of the nation were clear regarding religion and its relationship to the government, citing the section of the First Amendment that states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,” according to the San Antonio Express-News
Defendants said the Ten Commandments are not only the root of U.S. laws, they are a foundational part of the Jewish and Christian faiths and are crucial to cultivating good morals for children in schools.
William Farrell, with the Texas attorney general’s office, argued that the Ten Commandments should be prominently displayed because they are the foundation of the history and heritage of the United States.
Plaintiffs include parents from Jewish, Christian, Unitarian Universalist, and Hindu faiths or those who do not identify as religious and were represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, and the Freedom from Religion Foundation, The Washington Post reported.
“Today’s ruling is a major win that protects the constitutional right to religious freedom for Texas families of all backgrounds,” said Tommy Buser-Clancy, senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Texas. “The court affirmed what we have long said: Public schools are for educating, not evangelizing.”
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