Texas can require schools to hang a copy of the Ten Commandments, a federal appeals court has ruled.
The 9-8 decision by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the Texas law and opened the door for similar proposed requirements in other states, the Associated Press reported. Critics of the law said that it violated the separation of church and state and could coerce children into adopting religious beliefs.
In the ruling, the court noted the limited nature of the exposure to the document. "To Plaintiffs, merely exposing children to religious language is enough to make the displays engines of coercive indoctrination. We disagree," the court stated in a passage of the ruling.
The law does not authorize religious instruction or allow teachers to contradict children's religious beliefs (or their parents'). "No child is made to recite the Commandments, believe them, or affirm their divine origin," the ruling adds.
The ACLU, which represented the litigants in the case, said they planned to appeal and that the decision trampled the First Amendment.
"We are extremely disappointed in today's decision. The Court's ruling goes against fundamental First Amendment principles and binding U.S. Supreme Court authority," the organization said in a statement after the ruling.
The Texas law provided two ways for schools to hang posters of the Ten Commandments. One is through a donation, and the second by using district funds, noting that they are not required to do so.
After the law was passed, parents of various religious backgrounds sued several Texas school districts, saying that it violated their rights and was akin to indoctrinating their children.
"The First Amendment safeguards the separation of church and state, and the freedom of families to choose how, when and if to provide their children with religious instruction. This decision tramples those rights," the ACLU said. "We anticipate asking the Supreme Court to reverse this decision and uphold the religious-freedom rights of children and parents."
Others, however, hailed the decision.
"This is a major victory for Texas and our moral values. My office was proud to defend SB 10 and successfully ensure that the Ten Commandments will be displayed in classrooms across Texas," Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said. "The Ten Commandments have had a profound impact on our nation, and it's important that students learn from them every single day."
