• Background: Lawsuits over the display of religious symbols on government property shape law
• Debate: Symbolizes America's heritage v. Violates 1st Amendment
• Country Comparison: Varies
• Recent Developments: Numerous cases since 2000

Background

• Numerous lawsuits have been filed over the display of The Ten Commandments and other religious symbols on government property. The Establishment Clause in the First Amendment separates Church and State but displaying religious symbols like the Ten Commandments blends the lines of division.
• The display of the Ten Commandments on government property is apart of larger conflict that defines the role of religion in government.

Debate

• Religious conservatives argue that the U.S. government has a duty to advance the cause of morality in the country. Others claim that displaying religious symbols do not substantially promote religion. Local governments have argued in front of courts that the symbols represent the acknowledgment of the role faith has had in the development of the United States.
• Secularists feel that displaying religious symbols endorses the beliefs of some religions. The Ten Commandments should now be displayed at all because it represents one religion and the United States is a melting pot for people from diversity of faiths. Many prominent religions like Buddhism and Hinduism, for example, even reject the Ten Commandments. Displaying symbols in court rooms implies that each person or case is being judged according to religious doctrine instead of secular law.

Country Comparison

• Many countries have established similar divisions between religious institutions and government. In practice, separation between the two exists to varying degrees.

Recent Legislation

• In 2005, a split Supreme Court handed down two 5-4 decisions over the Ten Commandments. One allowed an exhibit at the Texas capitol another barred others at two Kentucky courthouses. The Court decided that the Kentucky cases represented a violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.
• Since 2003, scores of Ten Commandment battles were seen before high courts. A highly publicized case involved an Alabama Supreme Court chief justice who was thrown out of office for defying a federal judge's order to remove a 2 ton display from state judicial building. The Supreme Court refused to hear his case.