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A copy of the Ten Commandments is posted along with other historical documents in a hallway of the Georgia Capitol, June 20, 2024, in Atlanta. | John Bazemore A federal appeals court case about displaying the Ten Commandments in Louisiana public schools is poised to become the next major battleground over religion’s role in American public life. While the case has sparked familiar debates about church-state separation, it also presents an opportunity to reimagine how schools might teach about shared religious heritage in an increasingly diverse society. The controversy centers on a Louisiana law requiring public schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms, alongside historical context about their influence on American law. After U.S. District Judge John deGravelles blocked the law’s enforcement in November, finding it “unconstitutional on its face,” Louisiana officials quickly appealed, setting up a showdown at the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals beginning this month. Opponents argue the law violates fundamental principles separating church and state. They point to a 1980 Supreme Court decision striking down a similar Kentucky law, emphasizing that mandatory religious displays in schools are particularly problematic because students — required by law to attend — have no choice but to encounter […]