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The Ten Commandments - Why Not? By Patti Bankson (7/27/04)

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The war against Christianity continues. It isn’t the lead story on the evening news, or on the front page of the papers every day, but it continues. I’m not going to discuss whether we’re a country founded on Judeo-Christian principles, or which founding fathers believed what. Instead, I’d like us to take a look at the wisdom, or lack thereof, of removing every vestige of God from our society, particularly, the Ten Commandments.

Most people, who believe in God, wouldn’t have a problem with the Ten Commandments being displayed. But, for the sake of this “argument”, let’s take faith in God out of the equation. Having done that, I still don’t understand the opposition.
I would think the current state of our society would have all people, coast-to-coast, looking for some framework, some set of rules that would help solve our social problems and perhaps, even, help us return to being a “civil” society. Yes, we have laws, but so what? After so many years of teaching our children that there are no moral absolutes.. of legitimizing idols whose only “claim to fame” is their latest movie, song, divorce, arrest, rehab, or illegitimate child.. of teaching them that “no one’s the boss of me” .. of watching parents and our leaders disrespect and break the laws at every turn .. why are we surprised at the pervasive “so what” attitude?

Try to picture the kind of country we could be if, instead of removing the Ten Commandments, we used them to teach our children, held them up as a standard for behavior?

Money and Things wouldn’t be our Gods and mere humans (entertainers) wouldn’t be our idols. “You shall not worship any other God.” (First)
We wouldn’t have to worry about constant obscenities–“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.” (Third Commandment)
Children wouldn’t be so defiant and disobedient. “Honor your father and your mother so that your life (which God gives you) on the land would be long.” (Fifth Commandment)
Prisons wouldn’t be over-flowing with brutal, sadistic murderers. “You shall not kill.” (Sixth)
Marriages wouldn’t be ripped to shreds by extra-marital affairs. “You shall not commit adultery.” (Seventh)
Homes and businesses wouldn’t be burglarized. Cars wouldn’t be hijacked. “You shall not steal.” (Eighth) We wouldn’t be lying about others / being lied about by others. “You shall not lie.” (Ninth)
We wouldn’t be filled with envy, jealousy, or discontent. “You shall not covet (desire ardently) your neighbor’s house, your neighbor’s wife, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.“ (Tenth)

I’m not saying we’d have a perfect world, but.. Sometimes tunnel vision, or an extremely narrow focus, can help us get to where we want to go, without getting sidetracked. In the case of the Ten Commandments, the tunnel vision/narrow focus has helped our society get to its present destination. But now that we’ve “arrived”, speaking honestly, is this really where we want to be? Is this the kind of America we want?

Patti Bankson invites your comments at pbankson@intergate.com
ã 2004 Patti Bankson