Gov. Jeff Landry Defends Ten Commandments Display in Classrooms, Citing Judeo-Christian Principles

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry argues that the United States was founded on Judeo-Christian values and that displaying the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms reflects that heritage.

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry has staunchly defended the state's mandate to display the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms, asserting that it is consistent with the nation's Judeo-Christian roots. Landry's remarks came in response to criticism from liberal commentators who have condemned the directive as a violation of the separation of church and state.

"I didn't know that living the Ten Commandments is a bad way to live life," Landry told 'America Reports' on Friday. "I didn't know that it was so vile to obey the Ten Commandments. I think that speaks volumes about how eroded this country has become."

Gov. Jeff Landry Defends Ten Commandments Display in Classrooms, Citing Judeo-Christian Principles

Landry emphasized that the United States was founded on Judeo-Christian principles, and that abandoning those principles has led to problems in the nation. He contrasted the Ten Commandments with the current educational approach in schools, which he characterized as treating children like "critters."

"Look, this country was founded on Judeo-Christian principles and every time we steer away from that, we have problems in our nation," Landry said. "I mean, right now, schools... basically treat kids like critters and yet the Ten Commandments is something bad to put in schools? It's just amazing, it really is."

Gov. Jeff Landry Defends Ten Commandments Display in Classrooms, Citing Judeo-Christian Principles

Landry's comments drew criticism from "The View" co-host Whoopi Goldberg, who argued that religious education should be confined to religious schools. "If you want your child to have a religious education, send them to a religious school. There’s nothing stopping you. Get out of my pocket, get out of my body and get out of my school," she said.

Undeterred, Landry defended the state's decision to display the religious text, emphasizing the historical significance of the Ten Commandments. He pointed to the presence of the Ten Commandments on the doors of the Supreme Court and in the House chamber, arguing that it reflects the foundational role of Judeo-Christian values in American law and governance.

Gov. Jeff Landry Defends Ten Commandments Display in Classrooms, Citing Judeo-Christian Principles

"Most of our laws in this country are founded on the Ten Commandments," Landry stated. "What's the big problem? That's the part that I don't understand."

Landry dismissed the notion of "separation of church and state" as a metaphor invented by the Supreme Court in the 1930s. He asserted that all of the founding documents of the United States were based on Judeo-Christian principles, and that efforts to remove those principles from the nation's foundation would ultimately lead to its demise.

Fox News' Hanna Panreck contributed to this report.