This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Officials from Louisiana are asking a federal appeals court to protect their ability to have public school classrooms display the Ten Commandments, a key component among the ideas and beliefs on which the nation was founded.
The state already has adopted such plans for its schools, although there is flexibility in the requirement that schools display posters including the Ten Commandments that acknowledge their influence on American law and history.
However, the ACLU sued and a federal judge put a hold on the law.
Now, represented by Becket, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill and Louisiana Solicitor General Ben Aguiñaga are asking on behalf of the state for the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans to protect its rights.
"If the ACLU had its way, every trace of religion would be scrubbed from Louisiana's public square," explained Becket senior counsel Joseph Davis. "Thankfully our Constitution says otherwise: Louisiana is allowed to acknowledge every aspect of our history and culture—including the Ten Commandments."
The Becket report on the dispute explained religious symbols have been a fixture of American public life since before the Founding.
"Just after declaring Independence, the Continental Congress tasked Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams with designing a national seal. Though the Great Seal eventually adopted a different design, all three proposed overtly religious designs drawn from the Hebrew Bible," Becket said.
"Over the centuries, many state and local governments have followed the Founders' lead by including religious elements in their flags, seals, and buildings to commemorate history and culture and to acknowledge the beliefs of their citizens. Among the most enduring of these religious symbols is the Ten Commandments, which is even featured prominently on the walls of the U.S. Supreme Court."
Louisiana's law has schools display the Ten Commandments with a context statement explaining the history of their presence in public education.
Schools may choose to incorporate the Commandments alongside other historical documents, like the Declaration of Independence and the Mayflower Compact.
The ACLU's contention is that knowledge of such facts will harm children.
"Yesterday we filed our opening brief in the Fifth Circuit defending Louisiana's Ten Commandments law," said Murrill. "As we have illustrated in our briefs, there are numerous ways for our schools to constitutionally implement the law. And this should not be controversial: As the Supreme Court has said, the Commandments have historical significance as one of the foundations of our law. We look forward to the Fifth Circuit's decision in this case."
The case is to be heard by the appeals court on Jan. 23.
