Statement Regarding Louisiana’s Ill-Conceived “Ten Commandments Law”

For Immediate Release: June 20, 2024
Contact: Denise Murphy McGraw – denise@votecommongood.com

Group says Beatitudes would teach children a better lesson

Following Louisiana becoming the first state to require the Ten Commandments be displayed in every public school classroom, the progressive Catholic organization Catholics Vote Common Good called on the Republican-controlled state government to reverse course.

“This latest move from the MAGA Republicans in Louisiana flies in the face of truly beloved community we all strive to create for our children,” said Denise Murphy McGraw, National Co-Chair of Catholics Vote Common Good. “While we respect, appreciate, and strive to follow the 10 Commandments, our organization believes a far more inclusive poster to put up in classrooms would be The Beatitudes which are about inclusivity and love of all people.”

The Beatitudes are the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount. They describe as “blessed” those who are poor, mourning, meek, hungry for righteousness, merciful, clean of heart, and persecuted. In other words, we should love everyone.

“Let us not forget, this is the same MAGA Republican party that proposed to cut funding to clean water, climate change programs, food assistance for women and children, and other programs in our federal budget this year,” McGraw went on to say. “I saw a very striking comment online today. It said, ‘When I was hungry you put up a poster of the Ten Commandments in my classroom while making sure I didn’t get school lunch.’ That, to me, perfectly summarizes the hypocrisy of this situation. We should be more concerned about truly serving our children than putting up a poster.”

Catholics Vote Common Good’s goal is to activate multi-issue Catholic voters and provide them – as well as candidates who are committed to the common good of lifting up the quality of life of all Americans – with the tools they need to be informed and to engage Catholic voters who are concerned about issues of social justice, immigration, climate change, and the scourge of White Christian Nationalism.