Pro-life leader praises Texas Ten Commandments legislation for public schools

In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, 40 Days for Life President and CEO Shawn Carney praised Texas lawmakers for passing legislation that would require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every public school classroom in the state.

The bill, approved by both chambers of the state Legislature and now awaiting Gov. Greg Abbott’s signature mandates that each classroom feature a poster or framed copy of the Ten Commandments that is at least 16 inches wide and 20 inches tall, and legible from anywhere in the room.

If signed, the law would take effect in the 2025–26 school year.

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“This is great,” Carney said. “The Ten Commandments are good. It’s basically the moral code for most people who have ever lived. No matter what their belief system, most people don’t believe we should steal, kill, or commit adultery.

“It’s a beautiful thing,” he added. “I’m proud to be a Texan where they’re supporting this, and it’s something that we need in the classrooms.”

Carney, who leads what he describes as the world’s largest pro-life organization, operating in 64 countries, linked the legislation to a broader cultural shift. On its website, the group explains it is “an internationally coordinated 40-day campaign that aims to end abortion locally through prayer and fasting, community outreach, and a peaceful all-day vigil in front of abortion businesses.”

“These are good things – allowing a baby to live is good,” Carney said. “The Ten Commandments are good.”

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Addressing constitutional concerns, Carney pushed back on the argument that the legislation violates the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause.

“We have Moses in the U.S. Capitol. Nobody’s ever raised a stink about that,” he said. “Having the Ten Commandments, something that has been celebrated throughout generations of Americans who have gone before us, having those in the school is just not a big deal.”

Carney also emphasized that the historical intent behind the separation of church and state was to protect religious freedom, not to eliminate religious references from public institutions.

“Jefferson wanted separation of church and state to protect the Church,” he said, citing recent federal actions he views as infringing on religious liberty. “We saw the Biden administration try to force Catholic doctors to perform abortions or prescribe contraception. We need to protect the Church.”

He framed the bill as part of a broader backlash against what he described as a secular, “woke mentality” that he believes has eroded moral clarity.

“Our schools are violent. They are places that need the Ten Commandments,” Carney said. “Even if you don’t believe in God, you should be able to learn about God.

“There’s been this push that believing in God is archaic,” he continued. “This bill is another step in the right direction.”

Although the Supreme Court struck down a similar law in Stone v. Graham (1980), Carney believes Texas’s effort will survive legal challenges.

“I do think it’ll survive the legal battles,” he said. “Revisiting this with a new Supreme Court is very wise and something that needs to be done.”

Carney also sees the law as a potential model for other states.

“Texas has set the bar high,” he said. “This does set a precedent. Most atheists believe in the Ten Commandments. They are the basis of Western civilization.”

Looking to the future, Carney hopes the bill encourages greater moral formation nationwide.

“The ideal result is that more states do this over the next five or 10 years,” he said. “We need guidance. We don’t do very well on our own.

“The Ten Commandments point us to good. To discipline. To truth. To love. And to mercy,” he added. “They help us know what’s right from wrong. We all grow in virtue by learning and following the Ten Commandments, no matter our religious background.”

Texas would join Louisiana and Arkansas, which have already passed similar laws. 

Supporters of the legislation say the commandments represent a foundational code of conduct, while critics warn it could face constitutional scrutiny in federal court, FOX 4 reported.