For centuries, the Ten Commandments have been used all over the world to teach people about God and what he expects of his people. They are a fundamental part of Christianity and Judaism. It would be very wrong to try to draw them out of any religious or private building; they belong there. But do these Ten Commandments, which were brought down millennia ago by Moses from Mount Sinai, according to the book Exodus in the Bible, have a place in public schools? I think not.

Rules and Laws

All ten of the Commandments are written as orders: "You shall," and "you shall not." Posting them in a public school is parallel to forcing students to follow and obey them. The first Commandment, for instance, states, "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me." Telling students that they cannot believe in any god other than the god of Abraham defies their first amendment right to freedom of religion. The second and third Commandments also involve religious demands: do not take the name of the Lord in vain, and observe and keep holy the Sabbath.

Church and State

As Ben Grossblatt pointed out in an editorial in the Seattle Times¹, only three of the seven remaining Commandments are illegal in our country: Theft, murder, and lying under oath. The others forbid acts that are not against the law. These include adultery, desiring what is not rightfully yours, and not honoring your parents.

Some people preach that the Ten Commandments needn't follow the mandates that separate church and state because they play such an integral part in our legal system. I ask: Does our government require belief in the Christian and Jewish God? Does it prohibit taking the name of the Lord in vain? Is there a single country on Earth that does not forbid thievery, manslaughter, and false testimony?

Morality

Others lecture that the Ten Commandments deserve to be posted in public schools because they teach what is right and what is wrong. Morality, however, does not come strictly from religion. Mainly, it comes from common sense. If you feel you must blame someone or something for the decline of morality throughout the world, do not blame the supposed removal of God from the public education system; instead, blame the parents for not taking the time to educate their children on what is and what is not acceptable.

In Conclusion

There are still many issues in debate concerning religion in schools. The dispute regarding the posting of the Ten Commandments throughout the public education system, though, is one that has been put to rest. While valuable in many, many respects, these rules that form the backbone of Christianity and Judaism limit diversity too much to be displayed in our public schools. Thank you.