I have lived in seven states over the span of my 65 years. For eight of those, I was privileged to have lived in the state of Utah. As the world knows, Utah is primarily populated with people who descend from members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints who immigrated to the area in the 1800’s to establish themselves as free people devoted to the teachings of Joseph Smith. You cannot live in Utah without influence from the church or its people. That said, because it is a state in a country of 49 others federal laws are obeyed and it is culturally very much blended in with the rest of America. A lot of people like us who are not members of the church live in the state and know well the constant tension that exists in creating laws for all of the people of the state when so many people are strongly influenced by one religion. There were some interesting realities for us living and working there within this framework but the one thing that mattered and held us together as residents of Utah, was the reality that we were all Americans. Laws that are passed are done so with that in mind and religious mandates are left to the religious leaders to issue to their own followers.
A few years ago, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints issued a mandate for its members to display The Family Declaration in each of their homes. When the annual conference where this announcement was made was over, Mormons went to work in droves creating, purchasing and displaying The Family Declaration. It is just how life is when you adhere to a religion led by authorities you trust. For my husband and I as outsiders experiencing this what we discovered is that we could determine the level of devotion a family had to the church by how they obeyed this mandate. If The Declaration was a large, expensively done work of art and centered above the fireplace in the living room? Devout. If it was displayed on an 8×10 framed print in the hallway, still devout but held to more privately. If someone just had it as a magnet on the fridge? Well, maybe it was a gift from a devout and concerned Grandmother. At the end of the day, you knew it was important to the church members and that it was left up to them to determine how important. I share this because for all intents and purposes, the intent of the newly established law requiring that The Ten Commandments be placed in every Texas classroom is just like that of The Family Declaration mandate in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Except, that this declaration is a genuine law in Texas. A law with no teeth, but a law nonetheless.
The Texas Law that requires The Ten Commandments in every public classroom is truly the most pretentious law I have ever witnessed being made while living here. It is just smoke and mirrors. There is no substance to the law without private donations from the public for the required posters. In other words ZERO state funds are being spent on the pastors because…that would be illegal under the US Constitution. The money has to come from private donations. Insert head slap.
The reality on the ground here in the great state of Texas is that local school districts have been bleeding cash under Greg Abbott and Dan Patrick’s leadership. The passage of school vouchers – a legit law that gives tax dollars for private education, has made it even worse. Across the board Texas public schools are operating on thin ice. The organization I’ve posted here is raising funds for the project but their task is monumental. Texas is a huge state. Added to that, the law requires that before a district can hang a single poster, the district has to have one for each and every classroom. Seriously. Our local district stretches across 200 square miles, has 49 campuses and 42,000 students! Thus far, not a Ten Commandments poster in sight. It’s this way with most Texas ISD’s. the law is a joke.
This law is Texas machismo on full display. Projected as a major accomplishment, it is almost entirely nothing at all. Projected as bold, Christian leadership, it is really just whimpy legislation designed to be contentious. It is designed to look like Texas won the ideological war between the separation of church and state when in reality it will always be fighting it. Again, this law is entirely unable to be enforced until a district has all of the posters in hand purchased by private citizens and donated to the district. Thus far there are only a small number who do have them on display and the law suits against the ones who have tried to put them up have sprung up so quickly that superintendents are taking them down until the lawsuits are worked through in the courts. This, my friends is Texas politics and I for one am ready for something else.
Jane Getting Real 