Reply to Louisiana orders every classroom to display Ten Commandments

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]There is a large difference between having a Congressional chaplain that leads optional services for the chambers of Congress vs the state of Louisiana dictating that one religion's scripture or religious directives be posted in all public classrooms.

The Congressional chaplain is not only responsible for leading Christian prayers, but also for tending to the ministerial needs of all Congressmen.  The office of the Chaplain is non-denominational and nonsectarian.  While all appointed chaplains to date have been Christian, there have been many guest chaplains of many different religions and denominations that have come and held services within their religions for those who want.  The office of the chaplain is responsible for handling requests from any sitting Senator or Representative regardless of Faith.  So Jewish members can request rabbinical support for Jewish holidays, Muslims can make requests for Eid and so on.  And if a non-Christian would like a non-Christian prayer or to invite a non-Christian chaplain to host a prayer or similar invocation for a particular holiday or event, then they do so that Chaplain's office and the Chaplain and staff will work to honor the request.  This is entirely in the spirit of the respect for different religions.  The majority is Christian and so standard services are Christian.  However, the minority is respected and their requests are respected, especially when events of Faith pertinent to them come up.

However, Louisiana is doing the opposite.  They want to put up religious directives for one religion only on the walls of every school.  This is the government establishing a religion, which is against a violation of 1A.  If there were a means whereby members of minorities could request that similar signs for their religions be posted in all classrooms for holidays and special events, then it would be acceptable.  But there is no way that they are putting up special notes for Passover or Eid on all walls for students of those religions.

Congress said that they have an office to address all religious requests from anyone, including minorities.  Louisiana is saying you need to be part of the majority and that we only teach to the majority.  Those in the minority need to follow the majority or be ignored.   Completely different messaging.  The former is Constitutional and the latter is not.[/quote]

“While all appointed chaplains to date have been Christian”

Because the majority of elected government officials are Christian.
[/quote]

Of course, but there is still an office that is non-sectarian and non-demoninational that is there for minority requests.  They acknowledge the majority while offering a path for minorities.
Unlike the 10 commandments on the wall, there is no way for minority religions to have their own moral messages posted for the respect of minorities.  There is no path for requesting similar services for minorities in Louisiana's proposed law.  It completely ignores one of the founding tenets of creating our new nation, for religious minorities to escape from the oppressiveness of the religious majority and the lack of respect for minority religions.  They fled so that as a minority, they could still practice their religion and have their religion represented.  Louisiana is saying if you aren't part of the religious majority, we don't care about you.

Louisiana's actions are about as un-American as you can get.[/quote]

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