by Jorge Gomez • 5 minutes
The Texas Senate recently passed SB 10, legislation that would require the posting of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms.
“Displaying The Ten Commandments in Texas classrooms is consistent with Supreme Court decisions that recognize our religious heritage and the best of the nation’s history and traditions,” said former state Rep. Matt Krause, an independent legal and policy advisor to First Liberty.
“The Ten Commandments are a symbol of law and moral conduct with both religious and secular significance which provide valuable lessons for students,” Krause added. “We applaud Texas legislators for taking this bold step for religious liberty.”
Krause testified before the Senate Committee on Education in favor of the bill. He was joined by our friends and American historians David and Tim Barton of WallBuilders, an organization dedicated to preserving our country’s forgotten history and heroes, with an emphasis on the moral, religious and constitutional foundation on which America was built.
Krause joined First Liberty Live! this week to discuss the bill. He explains why it’s constitutional to display the Ten Commandments and other historic religious symbols in public schools. Watch below:
Former First Liberty client Coach Kennedy also testified in support of the Ten Commandments bill. He emphasized that the proposal offers an opportunity to correct the stifling of religious expression in public education.
“People have so much fear over religion, but that’s not what our education system is about,” Coach Kennedy told the Senate Committee on Education. “The opportunity for people to pray and see the Ten Commandments, these are the fundamentals that we’ve had since the beginning of our country.”
Thanks to First Liberty’s Supreme Court victories, a seismic change to religious freedom law is taking place.
First Liberty’s landmark Supreme Court victories for Coach Joe Kennedy and the Bladensburg Peace Cross made it clear that religious expression and imagery on public property is constitutional and consistent with our nation’s history and tradition. In American Legion v. American Humanist Association, the Supreme Court noted that the Ten Commandments “have historical significance as one of the foundations of our legal system.”
In Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, the Court eliminated the Lemon test, a legal precedent that stifled religious freedom for decades. With that precedent now gone, other cases grounded in Lemon’s framework are no longer controlling, such as Stone v. Graham, a 5-4 decision that banished Ten Commandments from schools.
“The Ten Commandments are part of our Texas and American story,” said state Sen. Phil King, who introduced the bill. “They are ingrained into who we are as a people and as a nation. Today, our students cry out for the moral clarity, for the statement of right and wrong that they represent. If our students don’t know the Ten Commandments, they will never understand the foundation for much of American history and law.”
The Senate also passed SB 11, which would allow schools to designate time during the school day for prayer and Bible reading.
“In Texas, our schools are not God-free zones. Bill 11 is about providing a space for free expression of our religion in public schools and open-enrollment charter schools,” said Sen. Mayes Middleton, who introduced the proposal.
“The bill does not make participation in prayer or reading religious texts compulsory,” Sen. Middleton emphasized during a floor debate. “The period provided under this bill does not replace or supplant any elective course or classes that a student may take as part of their education. It is simply meant to allow a time for students and faculty to express their religion freely.” Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick—who serves as president of the Senate and sets the legislative agenda—said that both bills would be a priority during the current session.
“I prioritized SB 11 to make sure religious freedom is not infringed upon in Texas, ensuring our students and educators have the right to pray on school grounds,” he said.
“By placing the Ten Commandments in our public school classrooms, we ensure our students receive the same foundational moral compass as our state and country’s forefathers,” Patrick said in reference to SB 10.
My statement on the passage of Senate Bill 11, Protecting the Freedom to Pray in Schools: #txlegehttps://t.co/1qgBRSB59B pic.twitter.com/1OlkGMLCCc
— Office of the Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick (@LtGovTX) March 18, 2025
Religious Expression in the Public Square Embodies the Best of America’s Traditions
Many opponents often argue that restoring the Ten Commandments, In God We Trust or other religious messages to public property is “coercive” or “forcing religion onto others.” But that’s simply not the case.
To be clear, government should not and cannot coerce any citizen toward religion. But it also cannot and should not inhibit religious freedom and expression.
Not every citizen in our country is religious or of the same faith tradition. While we have different beliefs, this does not mean that government can hide the religious parts of our history and heritage. Doing so is discriminatory and runs afoul to what religious liberty is about. Bottom line, it’s a great disservice to our country when government decides to censor public religious displays.
Displaying the Ten Commandments in public spaces such as state capitols benefits everyone because it reminds us of the foundations on which our country is built.
As the Supreme Court has explained, the Ten Commandments “have an undeniable historical meaning,” including “historical significance as one of the foundations of our legal system,” and such “acknowledgments of the role played by the Ten Commandments in our Nation’s heritage are common throughout America.”
Public displays of faith and religion are a part of our history and tradition. They embody the best of America’s ideals and our founding principles.
The Battle for Religious Freedom Isn’t Over
We’re witnessing incredible momentum for religious freedom. Faith and religious expression are being restored in states across America. But the fight for religious liberty is far from over.
Our opponents are relentless and already responding with legal attacks. Many of these groups are incredibly well-funded—and you can be sure their attacks will not stop anytime soon. This is a fight that will only intensify.
The enemies of freedom will likely challenge many of these advances for religious freedom. Many of the positive actions could end up being litigated and tied up in lengthy and tough legal cases. Or there could be courts that strike them down.
We’ve opened up great opportunities to restore faith across America. We are at the beginning of some huge legal battles about the future of our freedoms.
Please give to First Liberty today. Your gift is essential in this fight—it’s the difference maker that will help us win more cases and continue changing the future of our country.
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