tudents are being admonished to "Honor thy father and mother" but not encouraged to do so with the Constitution of the United States as they return to classes in Jackson County, Kentucky. That's because officials have allowed a group of "volunteers" to post copies of the Ten Commandments in this rural eastern Kentucky's five public schools despite serious legal problems. Betty Bond, principal of Jackson County High School justified the action, saying that it was "an effort to start having good morals in school and making children aware of things how they should act (sic) because of all the violent issues that have been showing up."

   The move comes despite clear signals from courts that such displays of the Commandments or similar religious documents violate the constitutional separation of church and state. In 1980, the U.S. Supreme Court in STONE v. GRAHAM struck down a Kentucky statute which required posting of the Decalogue in classrooms. The justices noted that the Commandments "are undeniably a sacred text" and "do not confine themselves to arguably secular matters, such as honoring one's parents, killing or murder."

   That has not stopped religious and political groups, though, from attempting to defy or circumvent the intent of the ruling. School officials say that the plaques, erected last Wednesday, were paid for and placed by "volunteers." Associated Press notes, "There was virtually no opposition from the community about the plaques, and students returning to the high said little about them."

   A business teacher at Jackson County High School told the Kentucky Messenger-Inquirer newspaper, "It's like the flag. We've been tearing down symbols that have been in this country for a long time." School District attorney Timothy Crawford expressed concern about the matter, but added: "I don't believe posting the Ten Commandments is imposing anyone's religious views because the kids are not tested on that, the kids are not required to look at it, and the kids are not required to read it, and they're not held accountable for that knowledge."

   But Brad Hughes of the Kentucky School Boards Association said that it is the policy of his group to urge districts to adhere to the Supreme Court rulings and not display sectarian religious symbols. He told reporters that a lawsuit could cost the school district badly needed money.

   School Board officials in at least one other Kentucky district -- Russell County -- have posted the Ten Commandments. Tony Adams, principal of Union Chapel Elementary School told the Messenger-Inquirer that the Decalogue has been on display there "for years" and she's "never received any complaints." Adams claimed, "People in our community would probably be upset if they were taken away."

   In other states, religious groups have become active in attempts to have the Ten Commandments displayed on public property. One group has embarked on an effort to have the Decalogue posted in county courthouses in Wisconsin, Illinois and elsewhere. In Ohio, local church leaders raised money to have Ten Commandments plaques erected outside four high schools, ostensibly to prevent "moral decline." Fundamentalists and evangelicals are also energized by the case of Etowah County Alabama Judge Roy Moore, who has attracted notoriety for his policy of displaying a hand-carved Commandments plaque above his courtroom bench, and opening judicial proceedings with an invocation. Commandments supporters see these cases as part of a larger "culture war" against the increasing secularization of America, and the country's alleged slippage into moral and social decline. The shootings at Columbine High in Colorado last April have also fueled debate, with some arguing that prayer, the Ten Commandments and even religious instruction in classrooms could ameliorate school violence.

   Despite the constitutional prohibition against mixing religious symbols and teachings in public school classrooms, Congress is also encouraging efforts to have the Commandments put on display. In June, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation based on the Ten Commandments Defense Act which allows states to order the display of the Decalogue in public school classrooms and other official government venues. Introduced by Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.) -- a vocal supporter of Judge Moore -- the measure cleared Congress 248-180. Rep. Bob Barr (R-Ga.) justified his vote for the bill suggesting that the Columbine tragedy might not have taken place had the Ten Commandments been displayed at the school.

   Events in Kentucky have also contributed to the current climate of support for displaying the Commandments. Last year, state legislators approved a school prayer bill in response to a shooting at Heath High School in Paducah, Ky. Eight students were shot, three fatally, by a 14-year old freshman identified in early news reports as "a self-professed atheist and an occasional heckler" of a school prayer group. Subsequent evidence, though, revealed that the suspect, Michael Carneal, was from a religious home and may have suffered from mental and emotional troubles.

[text only]