SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — A new bill introduced in the state house this week could require all public schools in Georgia to display the Ten Commandments.
Georgia isn't the first state to introduce legislation that would bring religious text into public schools, but House Bill 313 has struck up a lively debate about free speech and the separation of church and state.
"I think I understand the reasoning or the heart behind that. I think when we think about the Bible as just a book of rules, then we miss the entire point of it," Michele Smith, a local parent, said.
Many parents and lawmakers are split on adding the Ten Commandments to the list of state-approved documents and records considered appropriate for display in public schools.
The list is comprised of documents that are considered reflective of U.S. history, like the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the Emancipation Proclamation.
"As long as there's not an abide that you must read this and you must do this," State Rep. Carl Gilliard, (GA-162), said. "I also think it gives back the morality of what we need in our society now. If we don't have prayer and God in schools, then we don't have schools."
However, Gilliard also argued that lawmakers must not operate under a double standard.
"We also have to tell the whole story," he said. "There are other stories that we cannot eliminate those other books and those other opportunities for people to get history. They're going to open up those opportunities when they say, you all got this bill passed, and now I'm putting a bill together for the Quran."
While some lawmakers are in favor of the bill with stipulations, organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union are against it entirely.
“Attempting to indoctrinate children by mandating the display of a preferred religious text is completely inappropriate in Georgia's public schools, where students of all faiths and backgrounds should feel equally welcomed in the classroom," Legal Director of the ACLU of Georgia, Cory Isaacson, said.
According to the text of the bill, schools wouldn't be allowed use public funds to pay for any costs associated with displaying the commandments. Instead, they would need to raise private funds or rely on donations.
When asked whether adding the commandments in schools should be considered a priority, local parent Shawn Martin said, "Not right now. There's so much other stuff that they need to be learning."