Louisiana’s law requiring the Ten Commandments to be posted in public school classrooms hit its latest obstacle, a panel of federal judges at the Fifth US Circuit Court of Appeals:
‘A three-judge panel at the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upholds a lower court’s ruling that Louisiana’s law requiring the Ten Commandments be posted in every public school classroom is unconstitutional. ‘Loyola University New Orleans law professor Dane Ciolino says the ruling should come as no surprise. ‘“The United States Supreme Court in 1980 ruled that it was unconstitutional to post or require the posting of the Ten Commandments in public schools. That violates the establishment clause of the First Amendment,” says Ciolino’ (Andrew Greenstein, ‘5th Circuit Panel: Louisiana’s Ten Commandments law is unconstitutional,’ louisianaradionetwork.com).
As we have been saying, the First Amendment of the Philadelphia charter has no bearing on religious settlements that States and local communities adopt for themselves. But let us accept for the sake of argument that this view of the First Amendment is correct, that State and local governments must have an absolute neutrality toward religion, neither approving nor disapproving any of them. What would be the result of that? Would it really lead to a healthy society? Minnesota gives us a definitive answer, and the answer is No, it does not lead to healthy society.
‘The Minnesota Capitol has displayed a plaque thanking Governor Tim Walz for allowing the promotion of Satanism at the building which reads, “Satan has a special place for you.” ‘“The Democratic Coalition of Satan Worshippers thanks Gov. Tim Walz for not standing in the way of spreading Satanism at the State Capitol Building. Satan has a special place for you,” read a plaque displayed upon a table in the lower-level East Hall of the Minnesota State Capitol, as shown by video footage from state Representative Pam Altendorf. ‘ . . . The plaque thanked Walz for allowing a satanic display in the State Capitol last year featuring an upside-down pentagram, a phoenix, and a “prayer” card with the words “You Are Your Own God” printed on it. ‘The satanic non-profit group called Cerberus Ministries was granted a permit by the Minnesota Department of Administration to install its display from December 13 through December 27. The department said it could not deny the group’s request because it is “protected speech” under the First Amendment. ‘At the time, Walz’s office stated, “The Governor does not agree with the display and did not approve it. But the First Amendment means that he does not police speech in the State Capitol. That’s true whether it’s a religious display, a political protest, or a Minnesotan advocating for a policy”’ (Emily Mangiaracina, ‘LOOK: Minnesota Capitol displayed satanist ‘thank you’ plaque for Gov. Tim Walz,’ lifesitenews.com).
There was a time, prior to the cultural revolution of the 1960s and the mass immigration from non-European, non-Christian countries that began about that same time, when religious neutrality implied the broad unofficial acceptance of a Christian culture, with the understanding that no denomination would be elevated above another in an official way. That no longer applies to the time in which we live.
The enemies of Christianity are now exploiting the language adopted to foster goodwill amongst Christian communities (free exercise of religion, free speech, etc.) to undermine those same communities – every last one of them. It is time the Christians in Louisiana and the other States woke up from their slumber and took appropriate action.
Our constitutions were not meant to be fixed forever. They were meant to be amended to meet challenges that arose:
‘If in the opinion of the people the distribution or modification of the constitutional powers be in any particular wrong, let it be corrected by an amendment in the way which the Constitution designates’ (George Washington, ‘Farewell Address,’ ucsb.edu).
Undoubtedly, we are faced with a considerable wrong today. Freedom of religion is being weaponized to overthrow and pulverize what remains of the Christian culture of the various States and to replace it with something entirely antithetical to the Church.
The solution is not religious neutrality. A culture cannot exist apart from an officially recognized religion that the greater part of the citizens believe and practice. Such a thing never was and never will be. And the results of a policy of neutrality are now clear for anyone to see: open satanism in Minnesota, Kansas, New Hampshire, and other State capitols.
Southern culture and the cultures of the rest of the States rest on the foundation of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. In order to put an end to the malevolent mischief of the Satanic Temple and other enemies of the Church, our constitutions, State and federal, must be – not perhaps, not maybe after some relaxed discussions – must be amended to recognize Christianity as the official religion underlying our various cultures and governments. That can be done in non-denominational language. What cannot be done is the maintenance of the status quo vis-à-vis religious neutrality. If that paradigm persists, the enemies of Christians will go from strength to strength, while the Church retreats weakly into the shadows.