Shawn Carney is a father of eight and the president and CEO of 40 Days for Life, a pro-life organization. (Courtesy of 40 Days for Life)
"This is great," Carney said. "The Ten Commandments are good. It's basically the moral code for most people who have ever lived. No matter what their belief system, most people don’t believe we should steal, kill, or commit adultery.
"It’s a beautiful thing," he added. "I’m proud to be a Texan where they’re supporting this, and it’s something that we need in the classrooms."
Carney, who leads what he describes as the world’s largest pro-life organization, operating in 64 countries, linked the legislation to a broader cultural shift. On its website, the group explains it is "an internationally coordinated 40-day campaign that aims to end abortion locally through prayer and fasting, community outreach, and a peaceful all-day vigil in front of abortion businesses."
"These are good things - allowing a baby to live is good," Carney said. "The Ten Commandments are good."
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A child looks at the Ten Commandments monument outside the Texas State Capitol in Austin. (Jana Birchum/Getty Images, File)
He framed the bill as part of a broader backlash against what he described as a secular, "woke mentality" that he believes has eroded moral clarity.
"Our schools are violent. They are places that need the Ten Commandments," Carney said. "Even if you don’t believe in God, you should be able to learn about God.
"There’s been this push that believing in God is archaic," he continued. "This bill is another step in the right direction."
Although the Supreme Court struck down a similar law in Stone v. Graham (1980), Carney believes Texas’s effort will survive legal challenges.
"I do think it’ll survive the legal battles," he said. "Revisiting this with a new Supreme Court is very wise and something that needs to be done."
The Texas State Capitol in Austin. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Carney also sees the law as a potential model for other states.
"Texas has set the bar high," he said. "This does set a precedent. Most atheists believe in the Ten Commandments. They are the basis of Western civilization."
Looking to the future, Carney hopes the bill encourages greater moral formation nationwide.
"The ideal result is that more states do this over the next five or 10 years," he said. "We need guidance. We don’t do very well on our own.
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"The Ten Commandments point us to good. To discipline. To truth. To love. And to mercy," he added. "They help us know what’s right from wrong. We all grow in virtue by learning and following the Ten Commandments, no matter our religious background."
Texas would join Louisiana and Arkansas, which have already passed similar laws.
Supporters of the legislation say the commandments represent a foundational code of conduct, while critics warn it could face constitutional scrutiny in federal court, FOX 4 reported.
Jasmine is a writer at Fox News Digital and a military spouse based in New Orleans. Stories can be sent to jasmine.baehr@fox.com
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/pro-life-leader-praises-bill-requiring-ten-commandments-texas-schools-step-right-direction