Question

According to the establishment clause, how would a government funded museum posting of the Ten Commandments along with the history of religion and its beliefs and practices be viewed?

The posting would be in violation of the clause because religious items cannot be put in public places.
The posting would be in violation of the clause because the items relate to a particular religion.
The posting would not be in violation of the clause because people willingly go to the historical museum.
The posting would not be in violation of the clause because there is a learning purpose to the items.

Answer 1

The posting would not be in violation of the Establishment Clause because there is a learning (secular, historical) purpose to the items.

Brief explanation: The Constitution bars government endorsement of religion, but courts allow displays of religious materials when they are presented in a neutral, educational or historical context and serve a secular purpose (Lemon v. Kurtzman and later cases such as Van Orden v. Perry and Lynch v. Donnelly). A museum exhibit that explains the Ten Commandments as part of the history of religion and beliefs/practices, without devotional promotion or preferential endorsement of a particular faith, is generally permissible. By contrast, a display intended to proselytize or to single out and promote one religion would likely violate the Establishment Clause.