The Ten Redux

On Baptist Ethics Daily, James Evans, the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Auburn AL, whom I met when I was still in Baptist life, reposted a column in which he gave his Top Ten Reasons Not to Post the 10 Commandments. This was in response to one of his readers sending word that the White County GA county officials decided to post a display of the 10 along with other historical documents.

White County was one of our neighboring counties when I lived in Georgia. Knowing the area, I am not surprised by this action or by Paul Broun's resolution (see previous post). The tactic of displaying the 10 as part of other documents has become rather popular. The logic is simple. Surely no one can object if we display a religious item as long as we have other stuff there. Of course, what these crafty folks want to do is have the 10 displayed whatever it takes to make that happen.

Read James Evans' Top 10 List For Not Listing the 10:

Here are the top 10 reasons for not publicly displaying the Ten Commandments.

Number 10. Posting the Ten Commandments endorses Protestant Christianity. Almost all of the displays use the King James Version of the commandments—a Protestant distinctive. Roman Catholics and followers of Judaism use a different translation.

Number Nine. Public displays of the Ten Commandments reduce all other religions to second-class status. Not all religions in our country are part of the Judeo-Christian tradition. And because it is still possible to be a citizen of this country without being a Christian, all religions must be treated equally.

Number Eight. Displaying the Ten Commandments as a way of trying to improve the social order reinforces a magical view of religion. Proponents say that if we display the Ten Commandments, children will behave better in school and our nation will be blessed for acknowledging God. Thinking this way reduces the Ten Commandments down to the level of a lucky rabbit's foot. The impact of the Ten Commandments comes when they are taught by faithful teachers, not when they are dangling from a keychain.

Number Seven. Public displays of Scripture corrupt the true purpose of religious practice. God did not send the Ten Commandments or the Sermon on the Mount in order to "create a more perfect union." These Scriptures represent an ideal community far more difficult to attain than the mere democracy we struggle with.

Number Six. Public displays of Scripture corrupt the true purpose of government. Every time in history the state has acted on behalf of God, blood has flowed in the streets. God may work through the state as God chooses, but that does not mean everything the state does is God's will. Keeping church and state separate makes it possible for the faith community to remind the state of its temporal limitations as needed.

Number Five. Public displays of the Ten Commandments are a form of idolatry. Anytime we treat as ultimate something we have made with our own hands, we are worshipping idols. Even if the words on the monument are God's, the monument is ours. That's why one of those commandments warns against graven images.

Number Four. Grouping the Ten Commandments with other historical documents distorts the history of all. The United States was established as a secular state, not a theocracy. And Moses was not present at the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Number Three. Public displays of religion promote social disorder by setting groups of people against each other. The only way America works is if we guarantee equal freedom for everyone.

Number Two. A public display of Scripture trivializes what is supposed to be important and profound. Do we really want our sacred texts treated like soda pop ads?

And the number-one reason why we should not want public displays of the Ten Commandments—God wants them written on our hearts, and that's not going to happen just because they are on display down at the courthouse.

It is interesting how many church-state issues continue to come up in our country. Should the 10 be displayed in any and every public venue? If so, why? If so, should similar documents showing the Aphorisms of Summum Bonum, the 4 Noble Truths of Buddhism, Selected Hadiths from Islam, etc. also be displayed? If not, why not? Let me know what you think.