Even for unbelievers

The state of Texas just passed a law requiring all public school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments. Already the ACLU and even some religious groups are opposing it with threat of lawsuits, saying it violates the Constitution, namely, the ‘separation of church and state” clause. However, it is increasingly becoming common knowledge that no such clause exists in the Constitution, and that this is a perversion of the First Amendment, which simply states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;…” However, some religious groups, even some conservative ones, think this implies that we as Christians are ‘imposing our beliefs’ on others by such a mandated display. What do you think?

Basically, the opponents of posting the display misses the point. Christian belief is foundational in our nation’s history, as I outlined in my last article. That is why you see references to scripture on most of the memorials in Washington DC. That is why you see the Ten Commandments displayed at the Supreme Court, the same court that has hypocritically banned such public displays in the past. That is why men such as James Madison, who is called the ‘architect of the Constitution’, said things like,

We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it. We have staked the future of all of our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self-government; upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God (emphasis mine).1

This is common sense and rational. Freedom only works with self control and self government. If you want to give one of your adolescents more freedom, they have to demonstrate personal responsibility and self government. Our founders knew that we needed the timeless moral code of scripture to guide us, and it was everywhere believed and practiced as our nation was being formed. And our children need to know that. And that has NOT been what has been taught up until now, by and large.

This is not ‘imposing a religious belief’, which is actually an impossible thing to do.

Where have these same religious groups been all these years when our children have been taught pagan sexual morality in our ‘public’ schools, basically discrediting the Christian morality that many have been taught in their homes and churches?! Where was the cry for ‘separation of church and state’? This is why I dedicate a whole chapter on education in my book Modern Paganism.

I applaud the Texas legislature for their moral clarity and courage and fidelity to our great heritage as a nation. I urge you to support this effort. If you do, you can do as I did, and sponsor a school for only $30, by clicking this link.