Who’s Afraid of the Ten Commandments?

On Tuesday, the full, 17-judge U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit heard consolidated oral arguments in a crucial case that is all but guaranteed to make it to the U.S. Supreme Court. The predictable controversy surrounding the litigation, which involves similar but distinct mandatory Ten Commandments display laws arising out of Texas and Louisiana, is revealing as to just how far America has fallen from its Founders’ vision.

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In 2024, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry signed into law a bill requiring that the Ten Commandments be displayed in every public school classroom — from kindergarten through the university level — throughout the state. As Landry explained at the time, “If you want to respect the rule of law, you gotta start