Religious Pluralism, Governance and State

“The secular state is the guarantee of religious pluralism. This apparent paradox, again, is the simplest and most elegant of political truths.”- Christopher Hitchens. Oftentimes when we speak of the separation of Church and State we look to the United States of America as the shining example. The Separation of Church and State is a phrase that refers to the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. The phrase dates back to the early days of U.S. history, and Thomas Jefferson referred to the First Amendment as creating a “wall of separation” between church and state as the third president of the U.S.A. The separation of church and state means that the government cannot tell religious organizations how to act. It also means that religious organization cannot tell the government what to do. While the words "separation of church and state" do not appear in the U.S. Constitution, the concept is enshrined in the very first freedom guaranteed by the First Amendment: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." The opening lines of the First Amendment prohibit the government from creating an official religion or favoring one religion (or non-religion) over another. It can be argued that by removing the government's ability to give preferential treatment to one religion (or religion in general), the separation of church and state promotes religious pluralism. The belief in the separation of church and state did not originate in the United States. It was developed in Europe during the Enlightenment and espoused by a number of prominent thinkers, including John Locke and Voltaire. Once again all eyes are on the United States of America as the presidential election between former president Donald Trump and vice president Kamala Harris is shaping up to be rather interesting as it is divisive. To what extent will religion play a part in the presidential election? Ten Commandments Law in Public Schools in Louisiana. Louisiana is the first US state to require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in schools. Every public classroom in Louisiana, from elementary schools to colleges, will be required to display the Ten Commandments starting in January 2025 under a new law signed by Republican Governor. Jeff Landry on June 19. Across the country there have been conservative pushes to incorporate religion into classrooms. Not surprisingly, there is already a legal challenge in Louisiana regarding the Ten Commandments to be displayed in classrooms. Unless a court halts the legislation, schools have just over five months until they will be required to have a poster-sized display of the Ten Commandments in all public schools' K-12 and state-funded university classrooms. However, it is yet to be seen whether Louisiana’s new law has any teeth to enforce the requirement and penalize those who refuse to comply. Of note, Louisiana's 2020 teacher of the year, Chris Dier, said he doesn't intend to post the Ten Commandments in his classroom. "I don't believe in doing something that is unconstitutional and harmful to students," said Dier, who teaches at a New Orleans high school. It's unclear whether failure to comply will result in punishment as the language in the law does not list any repercussions. Interestingly, although Jamaica has no official religion, the island is often referred to as having the most churches per square mile. Christianity is the dominant religion, however, Jamaica is a secular society that promotes religious tolerance and pluralism. The Constitution guarantees freedom of religion. In Jamaica it has become customary for public schools to conduct general devotion at the start of the day. Those students who are not Christians, for example Rastafarians, are not forced to participate in devotional exercises in our public schools. Funding. Louisiana has more than 1,300 public schools. Louisiana State University has nearly 1,000 classrooms at the main Baton Rouge campus alone and seven other campuses statewide. That means thousands of posters will be needed to satisfy the new law. The Louisiana Department of Education is required by the new law to identify and post on its website resources that can provide the posters free of charge. Lawmakers backing the bill said during debate in May that the posters or funds to print them will likely be donated to schools in this deep Bible Belt state. Interestingly, praise for the law from conservative groups and figures include, former President Donald Trump. Even with sufficient donations, opponents say the state is still spending money and resources to defend a lawsuit over a requirement that they argue is unconstitutional. When Were the Ten Commandments Written?. Most Bible scholars believe they were written between 1600 and 1300 B.C. The Ten Commandments were written in stone (Exodus 31:18) after the nation of Israel was freed from slavery in Egypt. The Ten Commandments were written by God upon two tablets of stone and then given to Moses on Mount Sinai. The record of the Ten Commandments can be found in the Bible, both in Exodus 20:2-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21. Faith Based Values. Are we witnessing a return to old fashion Bible based principles in the United States of America especially in those States that are led by Republicans? In 1962 the U.S. Supreme Court banned school-sponsored prayer in public schools stating that it violated the First Amendment. However, students are allowed to meet and pray on school grounds as long as they do so privately and do not try to force others to do the same. While in office Donald Trump defended students who felt that they could not pray in their schools. Trump also warned school administrators they risk losing federal funds if they violate their students' rights to religious expression. Trump said the government must "never stand between the people and God" and said public schools too often stop students from praying and sharing their faith. These actions are why Trump is hugely popular among the evangelical Christian groups located primarily in Bible belt states. The Bible Belt is a region of the Southern United States where socially conservative Protestant Christianity plays a strong role in society, notably in voting and cultural values. The states referred to as Bible Belt include: Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas, South Carolina, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, and Oklahoma. Presidential Election. The overturn of Roe versus Wade by the Conservative leaning US Supreme Court is also attributed to Trump. Given that women’s reproductive right is just one of the issues on November’s president ballot it will be interesting to see the demographics regarding women voters. Will women abandon Trump in the upcoming elections? Will females vote overwhelmingly for Harris in the hopes that she will fight for their reproductive rights. To what extent will Harris' vice presidential pick of Tim Walz, governor of Minnesota change the course of November’s election? Without a doubt the Republican Party led by Trump is more conservative while the Democrat Party led by Biden and Harris is more liberal in their views. What will the US Supreme Court rule as it relates to Louisiana’s Ten Commandments Law in public schools? Finally, despite the fact that school prayer is banned in public schools all presidents since then have acknowledged the divinity of God in their various addresses to the nation. In the words of Justice Hugo L. Black, the First Amendment has erected a wall between church and state. That wall must be kept high and impregnable. Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues. waykam@yahoo.com @WayneCamo ©