Miss Nelson Is Missing: Texas Mandates the Ten Commandments Into Classrooms—Here’s Why That’s a Problem
I’m sure you’ve heard about the new Texas law set to go into effect on September 1st. It mandates that all public school classrooms display the Ten Commandments, making Texas the largest state in the country to impose such a requirement.
Imagine you’re in school, and your teacher asks the class to draw what they think a “nice day outside” looks like. Many draw a sun tucked into the corner of the page. Some draw rainbows. A few just draw a big blue sky. And that’s okay because as everyone has their own idea of nice day it’s pretty much on the same track.
Though the next day in class, that same teacher changes. Suddenly, they walk in, slap a poster on the board, and says:
“Everyone must color this exact picture of my favorite day—no matter what you believe or like.”
That’s what this law feels like. The Texas government stepping in the next like a bossy teacher, erasing freedom of thought and replacing it with one fixed message.
Separation of Church and State 101
The separation of church and state—what we call secularism—isn’t some fringe idea. It’s been debated for centuries. An international idea shared. It’s even a law in the U.S. Constitution.
And while the phrase “separation of church and state” doesn’t literally appear in the Constitution, the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause and Free Exercise Clause are rooted in that very principle. Together, they stop the government from forcing religion onto people—or blocking them from practicing freely.
It’s a two-way protection: keeping government out of religion and religion out of government.
Religion Isn’t the Problem—Control Is
Secularism doesn’t mean people shouldn’t be religious. Quite the opposite. Religion and spirituality are deeply important to healthy societies. They give people meaning, purpose, guidance—and build community.
But what secularism does say is that it should be up to you. Your faith (or lack of it) is yours to define.
Individual autonomy should be hands-off to the government. Yet here are in present day talking about an issue from centuries ago.
The Slippery Slope In Action
Right now, under Trump’s administration and the right-wing “Project 2025” playbook, we’re watching personal liberties also in our state government erode overnight in real time.
They’ve already stripped away abortion rights. They’re reshaping media to suit conservative agendas. And now, they’re pushing religious doctrine into public schools in Texas.
And when the checks and balances are this off-kilter, we have to ask ourselves: if the state can hang religious rules in our classrooms today, what else will the Trump administration, Abbott and the others feel entitled to take away tomorrow?
I like the Ten Commandments back in the classroom. There’s documented facts that when these were displayed in schools there was less violence in the world. They are to Christian’s, the way we should live and to non-Christian’s it’s just common sense to follow these ways of living a good life.