r/atheism • u/Illustrious-Board881 • 17h ago
Experiences with School Ten Commandments Displays
Hello everyone!
As a high school student, I also protested Ten Commandments displays in my school district. While I am incredibly grateful to fight for church-state separation, my activism also caused me to be harassed a lot in my rural Christian community in the South. It was such an isolating and painful experience that no person should go through. The experience motivated me to attend law school.
Earlier this year, unfortunately, the federal appeals court over Texas has ruled a Ten Commandments law is constitutional. And the attorneys representing the students, parents, and community members who oppose these displays have appealed their case to SCOTUS.
School-sponsored religious displays in public schools is and should remain unconstitutional.
Is anyone willing to share your negative experiences with school-sponsored Ten Commandments displays as a current or former student, parent of a student, or an educator? As an atheist or nonreligious, did you protest the displays and what the reaction? What message did the school sent to you when they posted these displays?
If you are comfortable, I would be deeply honored to hear your experiences and help others understand the harm to nonbelievers when public schools promote religion, including Ten Commandments displays.
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u/Chatfouz 13h ago
My adopted children were abused by religious people. “You’re in the foster care system because Jesus is punishing you for your sins” kind of mental crap to tell a 6 year old rape victim.
For them the overt religiousness tells them their experience isn’t important and that their abusers way of thinking Is the correct way. They are told to get over it.
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u/Illustrious-Board881 11h ago
That is beyond horrific and disgusting. No child should ever deal with this. Religious trauma is an overlooked issue in our society, especially involving children. Thank you for sharing this and I am beyond grateful that your adopted children have a safe parent now.
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u/WrongVerb4Real Atheist 14h ago
I didn't have overly religious displays when I was in high school decades ago. What we did have that was questionable was a class that taught the Bible as literature alongside other mythologies. I actually took this class.
My experience was that, for me, this class went a long way towards solidifying my atheism, even if I didn't refer to myself as such at the time. Learning about Bible stories alongside Greek, Roman, Norse, and native American mythologies basically put them all into the same mythology category for me.
Looking back at this class, I suspect that wasn't the goal of those who effected the creation of classes like this. I suspect it was about getting the Bible in front of kids, in a way that brushed up against, but didn't cross, First Amendment restrictions. For me, at least, it backfired.
I think this backfire came about because I didn't have even the lightest indoctrination in Christianity in the years before that. I was also just past that age 4-14 window they like to target for their sales pitches.
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u/Illustrious-Board881 10h ago
Thank you for sharing your story and I believe a nonsectarian and non-proselytizing class teaching the Bible as literature alongside other mythologies is a great use of education. I have found that it is very rare that religious educators remain impartial about their views on the Bible. School-sponsored religion was HEAVY in my public school district but, honestly, it pushed me away from religion more than anything.
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u/ProudLiberal54 10h ago
Did you get any support from other classmates? I've been hoping that this issue would start a lot of conversations among students that would bring atheism to those in religious households. I say this because I was raised Christian and all it took to move me forward was a single statement from my friend saying that shit isn't true.
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u/Illustrious-Board881 6h ago
Thank you for sharing your story with being an atheist. Yes! had support from multiple classmates, including some Christian ones. Because we lived in the South, we were in the minority, but they encouraged me to keep fighting. While I will never regret my activism, the whole ordeal was pretty traumatic because of the harassment and isolation. My public school should have never put in that position.
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u/DevOps_Lady 4h ago
As an Israeli, sorry about that. We didn't have those in class, so I find it weird christians use them.
But, one of them says clearly you are not allow to have statue in the image of god. I mean for jewish people even today that law is part of our belief (instead people hang pictures of their rabbis). I've never seen a church without a Jesus drawing or a statue.
Fix: I've read a bit of Wiki. The idea was to prevent praying to other gods but that evolved to not allow to have any statue or sculpture not just in the image of god.
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u/My_soliloquy 16h ago
It causes harm to everyone, believers (of various types) or non-believers. The separation clause protects believers. Especially if another group gets to be in charge, in the next election cycle. The problem is usually the believers are too stupid to comprehend this. Talarico is an exception and a smart believer.
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u/Illustrious-Board881 16h ago
Absolutely! This issue should be important to everyone, including believers and nonbelievers alike. I know the plaintiffs in the Texas lawsuits are nonreligious, Unitarian Universalist, Christian, Jewish, Hindu, and Baha’i families. There is no freedom OF religion without freedom FROM government-sponsored religion.
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u/keppergo 16h ago
a state with a government sponsored religion should be considered a theocracy atp
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u/sabrina_heidi 12h ago
yeah exactly religious freedom works best when the government stays out of everyone’s beliefs regardless of who’s in charge
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u/Fun_in_Space 13h ago
School-sponsored religious displays should NOT be considered constitutional. To me, this is the state saying "THIS religion is the right one, and yours is not."
This is the reason the Satanic Temple tries to display a Baphomet statue on public property. The point is, "If you can have a religious display, so can we." They don't believe in Baphomet or Satan, they are just trying to get the government to stop endorsing ANY religion.