LINCOLN — 45 years ago the US Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling in its Stone V Graham case.
Their ruling was that schools displaying the Ten Commandments were violating the Establishment clause of the constitution.
Now in 2025, some lawmakers are hoping for a second chance for the Ten Commandments.
“Their display may have multiple purposes and represent a common cultural heritage. Under that context perhaps it would be good for our courts to re-examine the topic,” said Senator Dave Murman who introduced LB691.
Even though decades have passed since the 1980 Supreme Court ruling the arguments supporting bringing the Ten Commandments back haven’t changed much.
Supporters argue that the Commandments themselves hold historical value and that following the tenants, such as not murdering or stealing, holds secular value.
“Our founders were faithful men who recognized that god is the divine author of government and the giver of law,” said Stephanie Shade, a testifier from Hastings who supported LB691.
That historical context was something opponents pointed to as well.
They argued that the Bible and Christian influences just one part of the Founder’s vision that included many other secular sources.
“It’s simply not the case. At the constitutional convention the Founders looked to antiquity. They looked to the Greeks and the Romans, they weren’t interested in being bounded by their religious heritage,” said Tyler Lemburg, a Lincoln resident who testified against LB691.
There were several clergy members of different churches, mostly based in Lincoln and Omaha, in attendance at Monday’s hearing.
Surprisingly though the faith leaders were widely opposed to LB691, arguing that displaying the commandments without context wouldn't help students much.
They also pointed out how the Ten Commandments appear differently in different scriptures, despite Murman's bill focusing on the Ten Commandments as found in the King James Bible.
“Putting this on a poster puts this out of context, you will even find two different versions in your Hebrew bible or Old Testament. One in Exodus and one in Deuteronomy,” said Debra McKnight, Reverend at The Urban Abbey in Omaha.
