With Governor Jeff Landry's (R) signature of approval, Louisiana recently became the first state to require that a poster of the Ten Commandments, in "large, easily readable font," be on display in all public classrooms, from kindergarten up through state-funded universities.
Brad Dacus, founder and president of the Pacific Justice Institute, says it is a positive move forward "not just for the people of Louisiana, but really for the rest of the United States."
He believes other states will follow in Louisiana's footsteps and establish this as a regular part of public education.
"In a society where public education has minimized the origins of Western law and Western values, this will provide a reference point for students to understand where we came from," Dacus submits.
Opponents claim that displaying the Ten Commandments opens the floodgates for every religion in the world to have their beliefs posted in the classroom, but Dacus says the difference is the biblical guidelines are undoubtedly the foundation of American's laws.
As for passing the Supreme Court's Lemon Test, which has now been replaced with the question of "does the government action constitute an intended endorsement of a particular religion," the attorney points out that the Ten Commandments are widely recognized as a matter of history and heritage.
"It is something that is recognized by Christians, by Jews, by Muslims, Baha'i, [and] universalists," he lists. "So, there is no particular religion being endorsed or proselytized by the display of the Ten Commandments. Instead, what we have is education, understanding, [and] awareness of where we are and where we came from as a society."
That, Dacus says, benefits all Americans, particularly for America's children.
In Tennessee, Governor Bill Lee (R) has signed a joint resolution, which both chambers overwhelmingly approved, asking citizens to pray and fast for 31 days.
"This is the month of our independence," state Representative Jason Zachary (R), who co-sponsored the resolution, says of July.
"We're following Pride month, and that was part of the conversation -- how we reclaim our nation," he recently told Washington Watch. "The way we as believers approach that is through prayer. We know that we're facing an enemy who is looking to steal, kill, and destroy. We serve the author of all things, the King of Kings, and so, it's basically 2 Chronicles 7:14."
"We're simply asking the people of our state to join us in calling out, asking the Lord to hear us from Heaven, as He says He will, and to forgive us of our sins and heal our land," he continued.
House Joint Resolution 803 calls for designated times of corporate prayer on courthouse steps.
"We had some churches that jumped out in front of this and kicked this off Sunday," the representative reported. "The church I go to is … going to implement it through the Sunday School classes."
Rep. Zachary believes Gov. Lee, who called on citizens to fast and pray during COVID, loves the Lord. This resolution, he said, "kind of follows that model" from the pandemic.
The Christian legislator recognizes that the so-called Bible Belt operates a little differently than other areas of the nation, but still, he is encouraged by the positive response he has seen in his state.
