Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and a group of congressional Republicans have filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in support of a Texas law requiring public schools to display the Ten Commandments.
Roy, joined by House Speaker Mike Johnson, Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, and 43 other members of Congress, argued that the displays reflect the historical and legal foundations of the United States.
The brief comes after a federal district court blocked the law, ruling that it “impermissibly takes sides on theological questions and officially favors Christian denominations over others.”
Roy said the displays “affirm that we are a Judeo-Christian nation, upholding our historical and moral heritage and proclaiming the Ten Commandments as a guiding path for a righteous way of life.”
Speaker Johnson described the Ten Commandments as “essential building blocks for Western civilization and deeply embedded in the history of this country.”
Cruz, who was Texas solicitor general when the Supreme Court upheld a display of the Ten Commandments at the state capitol in 2005, said such displays “reinforce the founding principles for current and future generations and are crucial to shaping a shared civic culture.”
Sen. Cornyn said the law “ensures students are reminded of the Judeo-Christian values that have shaped our state and nation.”
The case was brought by families of various faiths, led by Rabbi Mara Nathan of Temple Beth-El in San Antonio.
Opponents argued that the law favors a Protestant interpretation of the Ten Commandments and may conflict with the religious beliefs of students from other faiths, including Judaism.
The Fifth Circuit is expected to review the case in the coming months.
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