#24 The Ten Commandments in Classrooms?!

In this episode, I discuss Texas Senate Bill 10, which mandates the display of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms. I explore the implications of this bill, the arguments for and against it, and the broader cultural context surrounding the revival of Christian values among young people. I emphasize the importance of moral principles in education and critique the double standards in cultural acceptance of opposing ideologies.

Takeaways:

• Texas Senate Bill 10 mandates the display of the Ten Commandments in public schools.
• Supporters argue that the Ten Commandments are foundational to American legal and educational systems.
• Opponents claim the bill infringes on religious freedom and violates the separation of church and state.
• The revival of Christianity is being led by young people, which may ensure its longevity.
• Displaying the Ten Commandments can serve as a conversation starter and educational moment.
• Christianity is described as a relationship rather than a religion of rules or posters.
• The Ten Commandments are seen as timeless ethical principles that can guide moral behavior.
• There is a cultural confusion regarding right and wrong in society today.
• Acknowledging the historical influence of the Ten Commandments is not the same as endorsing a religion.
• The discussion raises questions about cultural double standards regarding religious symbols in schools.

https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/texas-ten-commandments-school-bill-2025/

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Chapters

• 0:16 Introduction to Texas Senate Bill 10
• 1:45 Understanding the Ten Commandments and Their Context
• 4:34 The Role of Young People in Religious Revival
• 10:19 Moral Confusion and the Need for Ethical Principles
• 13:21 The Ten Commandments as a Cultural Anchor
• 16:14 Critique of Cultural Double Standards

Transcript

Pedro Espinoza (00:00)
Hi friends.

Hi friends, welcome back to Carry Your Cross. If you're new here, please hit that subscribe button, like, comment, share, so that this podcast can reach more people like you. It truly helps the algorithm, believe it or not. So if you could do that, that would be amazing. Thank you. This is episode 24 and today we will be doing a response to

The Joe Rogan Experience episode 2352. Joe Rogan recently had on James Talarico and he's a Christian Democrat of the House of...

He's a Christian Democrat of the Texas House of Representatives. And in this episode, he makes some pretty wild claims about the bill.

He makes some pretty wild claims about Texas Senate Bill 10, which covers the 10 commandments being posted in classrooms. So we're going to get into what that bill means, how it's interpreted, ⁓ what's required, and sort of my thoughts on some statements that he made. So I'll be sharing a quick clip.

from the Joe Rogan episode and you'll hear my thoughts about it and then we'll carry on with the episode.

So what is Texas Senate Bill 10? Texas Senate Bill 10 mandates that all public school classrooms in the state display copy of the Ten Commandments. Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed the bill into law. The law specifies that the display should be a poster or framed copy no smaller than 16 inches wide by 20 inches tall.

and placed in a conspicuous location. Right? So keep in mind that we're conspicuous. It's going to come into play a little later.

So I just wanted to give you two different perspectives about this bill. So one is the supporters argument. So supporters of this bill argue that the Ten Commandments are foundational to the nation's legal and educational systems. However, the opposing view states that the law infringes on religious freedom and violates the

the separation of church and state. So I'm going to try to be as fair as I can as I present this to you guys. ⁓ Not everyone is for this bill and even some Christians aren't exactly for this bill as you'll soon see with James Tellerico. Claims to be a Christian. Again, he's a Democrat.

for the Texas House of Representatives and he's against this bill.

So just more information about Senate Bill 10. More information about Texas Senate Bill 10. The law is said to take effect at the beginning of the 2025 to 26 school year. Representative Candi Noble, R. Lucas, who carried the bill in the House said, nothing is more deep rooted in the fabric of our American tradition.

of education than the Ten Commandments. The way we treat others as a society comes from the principles found in the Ten Commandments. And I grabbed this off of a CBS website where they covered this bill and ⁓ they covered Texas legislature. The link will be in the description, but ⁓

Let me go ahead and share a clip from the Joe Rogan experience episode.

Again, this is James Tellerico and he shares his thoughts on this bill.

All right, so some pretty wild claims here, ⁓ First of all, and I've stated this in my previous episodes, our religion's not dead. I wouldn't even call it a religion. For me, it's more of a relationship. But our belief, ⁓ Christianity is not dead. Revival is sweeping the nation and it is being led by young people. So get that.

the revival is being led by young people. Why is that important? Well, it's important because as young people, we are going to grow up into ⁓ future generations, right? And ⁓ by young people spearheading this revival, ⁓ it's only going to bring forth more revival, right? ⁓ It'd be different if

older generations were, you know, pioneering this revival because then it wouldn't really last much longer because of their life expectancy. But being that it's young people, this revival that we are experiencing is going to last a whole lot longer. Right. And then he also said something that I want to cover. So.

In terms of displaying the 10 commandments, a display can act as a conversation starter, an educational moment, or a reflection point, right? Especially for young people unfamiliar with these moral precepts. So I think he was trying to say like how, I guess, repulsive one would feel if they

saw you know this this list of commandments posted in there in inside the classroom right but it's not it's actually not it's it's it's a conversation starter.

And moreover, Christianity is a religion of the heart, not of posters. So in Matthew five eight, it says, blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. So, mean, Christianity is not about posters. It's about, it's excuse me. Christianity is not about religion.

Christianity is a religion of the heart, not of posters.

So again, mean, the claims that he believes that this religion is dead or that we're micromanaging or we're forcing this belief onto others. I mean, that's just simply not the case. ⁓ Our very culture today stems from a Judeo-Christian framework. Amen.

The very fabric of society comes from Judeo-Christian values, right? And the Ten Commandments is very much a part of that.

Having the Ten Commandments posted does not mean people are being forced to believe in them. Instead, it acknowledges that these ideas continue to matter and resonate, even in a pluralistic secular society.

As a matter of fact, what are the 10 commandments? Let's review them.

Number one, thou shall have no other gods before me. Number two, thou shall not make any graven image. Thou shall not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Honor your father and your mother. Thou shall not kill. Thou shall not commit adultery. Thou shall not steal.

Thou shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. Thou shall not covet.

Really, James? Are these really that bad?

So that is the whole list of the 10 commandments. And ask yourself, do I really believe that's that bad? Do I believe it's daunting or ⁓ unappealing or too opposing to have inside a classroom? Do I really believe this? Or

Am I going to go with the cultural antichrist narrative? So really start asking these questions. Is it really that much of a threat and harm to have these listed, to have these commandments posted inside the classroom?

because some see it as a return to old school values, others as a breach of church and state. But today, I want to ask a different question.

What if this law is actually a much needed cultural course correction?

Just stick with me, let's unpack it.

I want to start here. We live in a time of moral confusion. Amen. I think everybody for the most part can agree on that.

We're constantly told that everyone has their own truth, their own right and wrong, their own right and wrong. And while personal freedom is important, there's a downside. When there's no shared sense of what's right, everything starts to feel unstable, chaotic, chaotic even.

Ahem.

Enter, enter the 10 commandments.

These aren't just religious relics, they're a set of timeless ethical principles that have shaped Western society for thousands of years.

Don't steal. Don't lie. Honor your parents. Respect others.

Respect others' relationship and property. That's not controversial. That's common sense. Or at least it used to be.

Texas Senate Bill 10 says, let's put those principles back where they matter most, in the classroom. Not to preach, not to convert, but to remind students, many of whom may never hear these ideas at home, of the basic building blocks of a responsible life.

Amen, everyone. I feel like we've been seeing a decline of cultural values and it's time that we pick up the pieces. This isn't about pushing religion. Like I said, it's about reclaiming a moral foundation that supports civil society. And in a world full of noise and confusion,

Those 10 simple ideas, they cut through the chaos. Amen. Think about what students see every day. Think about what students see every day. On their phones, on social media, in pop culture. A lot of it glamorizes self-interest, disrespect, instant gratification. Rarely,

Rarely do we celebrate restraint, honesty, humility. ⁓

And yet the Ten Commandments offer exactly that, a moral anchor. They don't tell students what to believe about God. They simply invite them to consider how we treat each other, how we live with integrity, and how we build trust in a society that's increasingly losing it.

Now, some critics say this law violates the separation of church and state. But here's the thing. Acknowledging a historical influence is not the same as endorsing a religion. The Ten Commandments have shaped legal systems, inspired civil rights movements, and helped define our concept of justice, ignoring

Ignoring that isn't neutrality, it's erasure.

So here's my take. SB10 isn't about turning classrooms into churches. It's about reminding the next generation that some values are worth preserving. In a world that's constantly redefining right and wrong, the 10 commandments say there is a better way. A way that leads to stronger communities, healthier relationships, and deeper.

purpose. Maybe, just maybe, those words back on the wall helps put some wisdom back in the world.

So, like I said, and I'll say it again, these commandments helped form the very fabric of society. And it's strange to me because schools and classrooms are okay with having, you know, pride flags in their classrooms. ⁓ There was even a case a while back where classrooms

where certain teachers were leading their classrooms to pledge allegiance, pledge allegiance to the pride flag. And nobody bat an eye.

Also...

the culture and society as a whole will be okay with allowing

Muslims implement Sharia law in this Western society. So my thoughts are how is it that

We don't stand up and say anything when classrooms and schools are promoting pride.

and LGBTQ values.

And also...

tolerating.

Sharia law and eventually even more so as Islam.

becomes the eventual dominant religion in the West. But

These same people groups are not okay with...

posting the Ten Commandments in classrooms.

To me, it doesn't make sense from a logical perspective because let's be clear, it just doesn't.

Now from a spiritual perspective, it makes all the sense because again, this is the anti-Christ spirit, especially now in these times, we will be seeing more of this activity and more of this.

more of this negative perception about Christianity. So it doesn't surprise me that this is where we're at. we deny Christianity and the faith. We reject the 10 commandments, yet we are permissive and allow and invite pride.

into our schools, Sharia law into our culture. And before we know it, Christianity is going to be persecuted and wiped off the map. So I'm all for Texas Senate Bill 10. I believe that these commandments have

have developed the very fabric of society in a positive way and they are an integral part of

of going into the right direction of positive change because the culture needs it, especially now.

Let me know what you guys think about this. Should Texas SB 10 be passed? And why do you believe so? Do you think that it's inappropriate and shouldn't be passed?

If so, I would like to know why. Leave your comments in the video. Let's start the conversation.

Drop your comments below. Let's start the conversation. But until next time, take care of yourself and take care of each other.