On Friday, the public gave spirited testimony on a bill requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public schools.
The Senate Judiciary Committee heard more than an hour of testimony on Senate Bill 114, sponsored by Sen. Bob Phalen, R-Lindsay. If passed, the bill would require a copy of the Ten Commandments to be displayed in each public school and classroom.
In 1980, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled a Kentucky statute requiring school officials to post a copy of the Ten Commandments violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. The high court noted in the ruling the document was clearly religious in nature and was not being posted for a non-religious educational reason.
Phalen directly addressed during the hearing, noting the modern court is politically different from the 1980 court.
“It is now a new day for religious freedom in America,” said Phalen. “The Supreme Court’s approach on religious displays has evolved over time.”
Supporters of SB 114 who testified said the Ten Commandments should be treated as a document of historic significance. They also noted the prevalence of God and religious references in the United States, including the depiction of Moses on the U.S. Supreme Court building.
“God is mentioned in our Declaration of Independence, it’s on our money, in music like God Bless America, it’s in our literature and it’s in the pledge to the flag,” testified former Republican State Senator Keith Regier. “Why would we not mention god in our schools The courts need to understand that by removing God they are replacing it with nothing.”
Opponents of the legislation said it infringed on the religious freedoms of students, citing the 1980 Supreme Court decision and noted if passed the law would likely be challenged in court.
“America was founded on the principles of religious freedom and its founding fathers strived to create a government that protected its people from the same persecution it experienced,” said Capital High student Charles Snellman. “I’m afraid that this bill undermines religious freedom to Christian and non-Christian students alike all across Montana.”
SB 114 passed out of committee on a party-line vote with Republicans in favor and Democrats opposed.
