Legislative package revives disputes over religion in public schools, timing of vote draws scrutiny
On Saturday, May 24, 2025, the Texas House gave preliminary approval to a bill requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every public school classroom across the state, prompting heated debate both over the legislation itself and the decision to vote on it during the Jewish Sabbath.
A video of some of the exchange on the Sabbath is here:
The bill mandates that schools post a 16-by-20-inch framed version of a specific English translation of the Ten Commandments in a prominent classroom location. During debate, Democratic Representative James Talarico, a seminary student, questioned the appropriateness of taking action on a religious measure during the Sabbath, asking whether it conflicted with the very commandments the bill promotes. “It’s deeply ironic,” Talarico said on the House floor, emphasizing the religious significance of the day for many Texans.
Republican Representative Candy Noble, the bill’s sponsor, responded by noting the vote had been delayed due to procedural maneuvers earlier in the week and that the timing was not deliberate. She defended the bill as a reflection of the nation’s foundational values: “This is part of our heritage,” Noble said.
The Ten Commandments legislation is part of a broader package of religion-related bills under consideration this session. Lawmakers also passed a measure permitting Texas public schools to designate time each day for voluntary prayer or religious study. The bill does not mandate participation but allows school districts to set aside time for such activities, raising new constitutional questions about religious expression in public institutions.
These proposals come at a time of shifting judicial precedent. In Stone v. Graham (1980), the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a similar classroom display requirement as a violation of the Establishment Clause. However, the 2022 decision in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, which upheld a public school coach’s right to pray on the field, has encouraged lawmakers in Texas and other states to revisit religious expression in schools.
Supporters of the Ten Commandments measure, including many Republican legislators, argue the displays highlight the historical influence of Judeo-Christian ethics on American law and morality. Critics, including the ACLU of Texas and Americans United for Separation of Church and State, counter that the law endorses a particular religious tradition in a public setting and risks marginalizing students of different faiths or no faith.
If enacted, Texas would be the first state to mandate such displays since the Supreme Court’s 1980 ruling. The daily prayer time bill now awaits Governor Greg Abbott’s signature. The Ten Commandments bill must receive final House approval before proceeding to the governor, who has expressed past support for similar initiatives. If signed into law, court challenges are expected.
Commandments Without Grace: When the State Preaches Law but Forgets Mercy
Texas lawmakers are advancing a bill requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every public school classroom—an act some see as moral guidance, others as government endorsement of religion. But for students who actually read what’s on that poster, the implications might run deeper than intended.
One commandment reads: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” Ironically, the Texas House advanced this legislation on a Saturday—the Sabbath for Jews and Seventh-day Adventists—while pushing a bill many believe blurs the line between church and state. That timing didn’t go unnoticed.
Critics point out that in the New Testament, Jesus intensifies the law. It’s not just about actions—it’s about intent. If you hate in your heart, you’ve committed murder. Lust in your thoughts? That’s adultery. And yet, the same Jesus also offers something the law doesn’t: forgiveness. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us,” says 1 John 1:9.
That kind of grace isn’t part of this legislation. Texas schools will post the law, but they won’t post the mercy. Once a student breaks a rule—at school or in life—there’s no promise of redemption written on the wall. Only consequences.
For Seventh-day Adventists and others long warning of government entanglement with religious mandates, this moment feels familiar. They’ve argued for decades that once the state starts prescribing doctrine—even doctrine many agree with—it sets a precedent where enforcement and belief become dangerously intertwined.
Putting the Ten Commandments in classrooms might begin as a nod to heritage. But it walks a fine line: preaching law without grace, and tradition without context.