A federal judge has temporarily halted enforcement of an Arkansas law that would require public schools to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom and library, a decision that has stirred fierce debate about constitutional rights and the future of faith in American education.
U.S. District Judge Timothy Brooks, appointed by former President Barack Obama, issued a preliminary injunction Monday blocking the law’s implementation in four school districts: Fayetteville, Bentonville, Siloam Springs and Springdale. The ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by a coalition of multi-faith families who argued that the law infringes on their religious freedom and parental rights.
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“Why would Arkansas pass an obviously unconstitutional law?” Brooks wrote in his decision, according to KUAR. “Most likely because the state is part of a coordinated strategy among several states to inject Christian religious doctrine into public-school classrooms.”
The law in question — Act 573 — was signed earlier this year by Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders. It requires the Ten Commandments to be prominently displayed in all public school classrooms and libraries across the state. Supporters of the law argue that it reflects the historical foundation of American values, law, and moral order, a foundation that has contributed to the country’s rise as a global superpower.
“Act 573 is not neutral with respect to religion,” Brooks claimed, noting that the law “requires that a specific version of that scripture be used, one that the uncontroverted evidence in this case shows is associated with Protestantism and is exclusionary of other faiths.”
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The lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, and the Freedom from Religion Foundation. The plaintiffs sought a preliminary injunction to pause the law’s rollout while legal proceedings continue.
“Permanently posting the Ten Commandments in every classroom and library, rendering them unavoidable, unconstitutionally pressures students into religious observance, veneration, and adoption of the state’s favored religious scripture,” the lawsuit stated. “It also sends the harmful and religiously divisive message that students who do not subscribe to the Ten Commandments … do not belong in their own school community.”
But supporters of the law — including Attorney General Tim Griffin, whose office is reviewing the judge’s decision — view the Ten Commandments not only as religious texts but as moral principles that helped shape the American legal and cultural fabric.
Critics of the injunction say the backlash against the display of the Ten Commandments and public prayer is yet another example of secular overreach. For generations, these moral laws and the right to pray were staples in classrooms across America, guiding young minds and reinforcing a shared sense of responsibility, respect and civic virtue.
“Removing these guiding principles from our schools hasn’t made us freer, it’s made us more fractured,” said one Arkansas parent in support of the law. “We’re seeing the results in rising violence, division, and a loss of purpose among our youth.”
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Though the injunction currently only applies to four districts, the legal battle is far from over. Similar laws in Texas and Louisiana are also facing legal scrutiny, with a Louisiana appeals court recently ruling against its classroom mandate.
Still, many Christians and advocates for religious liberty remain undeterred. Scripture teaches perseverance in the face of opposition, and this moment is no different.
As the apostle Paul reminded early believers in Galatians 6:9, “Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” The fight to restore prayer and biblical truth in America’s classrooms continues — one ruling, one law and one heart at a time.
James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.
