American Family Association Action (AFA Action), is a non-profit 501(c)(4) organization dedicated to advancing biblical, family values in society and government by educating and influencing public policy. AFA Action is also the Governmental Affairs Affiliate of American Family Association (AFA).
As a former teacher and mother of six, I have spent years witnessing the downward shift in American classrooms, as they dropped from instilling wisdom to mere knowledge. Schools turned into test-preparation centers, drilling math facts and grammar rules while omitting the importance of character and morality that help students navigate life’s real challenges.
That’s why Texas’s Senate Bill 10, requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every public school classroom, is so important. While leftist lawfare groups and others are trying to stop implementation of SB 10, Texas has already sent a strong message that students need more than academics — they need a moral compass.
Thou shalt not steal.
Thou shalt not kill.
Honor thy father and mother.
These are not remnants of an ancient time to be forgotten. They are the foundation of the laws and values our nation was built on, and they once shaped American classrooms. When the Ten Commandments were displayed on classroom walls alongside the alphabet, children were reminded daily that their lives are not shaped just by gaining knowledge, but also by forming character.
Some critics argue that placing the Ten Commandments in classrooms is an unconstitutional imposition of religion. However, history tells a different story. But I believe the framers of our Constitution never intended that faith be erased from public life. The Ten Commandments directly influenced the very principles that shaped our Constitution: Prohibitions against murder and theft underpin the right to life and property. The command not to bear false witness is echoed in the requirement for truth under oath in our courts. The call to honor father and mother reflects the Constitution’s concern for civil order. These parallels show that the Ten Commandments are not intrusions into public life, but the moral foundation from which our legal system grew. Even the U.S. Supreme Court has acknowledged their influence on our law — a frieze of Moses holding the two tablets is engraved on the Court’s chamber walls.
During my years of teaching, I witnessed how children crave boundaries, regardless of how they may test them. Students thrive in an environment where they understand what is expected of them, and they struggle when those lines are blurred. In a culture where juvenile crime remains a pressing problem, school violence continues at unacceptable levels, and the breakdown of the family is evident in every sphere of society, do we really want to remove one of the clearest moral anchors from our classrooms? Posting the Ten Commandments won’t force a student to believe in God, but it will quietly and consistently remind them that honesty, respect and responsibility are virtues worth living by.
As a mother, I know that education doesn’t end when the school bell rings. The lessons my children carry with them shape how they treat others, how they face challenges, and how they contribute to society. The Ten Commandments are not just about personal piety. They are about shaping a generation with the shared values of truth, respect, and responsibility.
Texas now has the opportunity to join Louisiana and Arkansas in leading the nation by faithfully implementing SB 10, returning these enduring truths to the classroom. This legislation is not about forcing faith but about preserving the civic values that keep our country strong. Freedom without guardrails quickly becomes chaos, and guardrails without a moral framework will falter. The Ten Commandments provide the framework, and every generation needs to be reminded of it.
If we want to prepare our children not just for careers but for life, we must give them more than equations and grammar. We must give them a moral compass. I believe the Ten Commandments are exactly that. Texas is right to make them visible again, and for the sake of our children and our future, the nation would do well to follow its lead.
This article appears here in The Houston Chronicle.
Heather Hefner serves as the director of communications for AFA Action, the governmental affairs affiliate of the American Family Association.
AFA Action is a non-profit 501(c)(4) organization dedicated to advancing biblical, family values in society and government by educating and influencing public policy. AFA Action is also the Governmental Affairs Affiliate of American Family Association.