Bill Foster, left, and Rick Laib. Despite significant legal precedents and a widespread acceptance by historians, educators, public officials and civilians, congressional candidate Rick Laib doesn’t believe there’s a constitutional separation of church and state. The subject arose in a discussion with the Daily Herald after Laib — a Will County sheriff’s deputy from Joliet who’s challenging Democratic incumbent Bill Foster of Naperville in Illinois’ 11th District — was asked about systemic racism and the ongoing protests across the U.S. "Virtue and morality can be taught far easier when we are free to teach where virtue and morality are objectively anchored," said Laib, an evangelical Protestant. "Even allowing instruction of the Ten Commandments in public classrooms would go a long way in terms of reforming the police and fighting racism." U.S. courts long have ruled promoting specific religious views in public schools is unconstitutional. That means the Bible may be part of a curriculum only for its historical, cultural or literary value — not its religious merits. When asked to explain his stance, Laib said, "I do not believe there is a constitutional separation of church and state." In a subsequent blog entry on his campaign website, Laib said […]
