Michael Sweet Defends Ten Commandments in Public Schools

Stryper frontman Michael Sweet has come to the defense of a controversial new law in Louisiana.

House Bill 71, which was signed by the governor in June, requires every public school classroom to display the Ten Commandments, a decision critics argue goes against the separation of church and state. Sweet isn't one of them.

“Just about everything else is allowed in schools right now,” he said during a recent conversation with The Metal Voice. “Children basically pledging allegiance to a rainbow flag. You know, that's okay, that's perfectly acceptable. I mean so why can't the Ten Commandments be in there? Why can't the Bible be in there?”

Sweet's comment references a typical daily routine in public schools where children recite the Pledge of Allegiance (which contains the phrase "under God") in front of the U.S. flag. Regarding the rainbow flag aspect of the comment, the singer is recalling an isolated 2021 incident in which one California teacher posted a video joking that students could pledge allegiance to the Pride flag after one pointed to it with the U.S. flag being absent in the room.

Sweet has never been shy about his religious beliefs as Stryper became one of the most successful Christian metal bands in history. He admitted that he’d “have to research and read up on” the law before fully endorsing it, but insisted his opinion was more about a perceived double standard.

“If we're going to allow everything else [in the classroom], then you have to allow everything else, or not,” he explained.

However, the state only has plans for a legal mandate of a display representing one religion, not every religion or even a second one of any nature. Therefore, schools are not allowing "everything" as Sweet seems to have implied.

Lawsuit Argues Ten Commandments Law Is Unconstitutional

Currently, Louisiana's Ten Commandments law is being challenged in court by attorneys from American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, American United for Separation of Church and State, the Freedom From Religion Foundation as well as Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett are suing on behalf of nine families. Those families are comprised of different religious individuals, including those who are Jewish, Christian, Unitarian Universalist, as well as non-religious individuals, as reported by The Hill in June of 2024.

Governor Jeff Landry recently told those who disagree with the law displaying religious favoritism in a public building, "Tell your child not to look at them."

Those opposed to the mandatory display argue it violates their First Amendment rights, which states, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

‘We’re Not the Stryper of ‘86’

Elsewhere in the conversation, Sweet discussed Stryper’s upcoming album, When We Were Kings, noting that the band continues to evolve.

“We're not the Stryper of ‘86. We never will be ever again and we're not ashamed of that,” he said. “We're a new band. Now this is Stryper 2024 and hopefully everyone's still on board and there's new people coming on board now with the new sound. There's little bits of modern music in there you can hear the little things here and there but not too much. We're not a modern rock band we don't want to be, but we want to step into 2024 and not sound like 1986 again. "

When We Were Kings will be released on Sept. 13.