How do we, as people of faith, consider something like this? From a point of view where we thinking about our God, our nation, the culture in which we live.
First, what I do not know. I do not know what rules, if any, mandate what must be displayed in Texas School classrooms. I would think the Declaration of Independence or the US Constitution? Perhaps the Bill of Rights. What about the Texas Constitution? As I started reading the Texas Constitution, I found it included a powerful State Bill of Rights that would be ideal to display.
When it comes to the Ten Commandments and display in a space of public trust, it is the US Bill of Rights that speaks to me with the prohibition of Congress establishing a religion. I suppose the argument is being made that the Ten Commandments are a legal thing, not a religious thing. That strikes me as funny, an argument being made that "religion" is somehow not in the Bible.
But the Texas Bill of Rights, opening their Constitution, it spoke even more eloquently to me about this. Section 2: “All political power is inherent in the people…”. To me, this reads that the desire to introduce a religious aspect to what is in our classrooms needs to come from the people if it is going to come at all. Section 3a: “Equality under the law shall not be denied…”. The Ten Commandments do NOT provide for equality. Section 4: “No religious test shall be required as a qualification to any office, or public trust…”. If the Ten Commandments are going to be displayed, it must be for the edification and the education of the pupils in the classroom, something we check and monitor with the testing process. Seems to me there is no greater public trust than the education of our children.
But then we come to Section 6: "FREEDOM OF WORSHIP. All men have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own consciences. No man shall be compelled to attend, erect or support any place of worship, or to maintain any ministry against his consent. No human authority ought, in any case whatever, to control or interfere with the rights of conscience in matters of religion, and no preference shall ever be given by law to any religious society or mode of worship. But it shall be the duty of the Legislature to pass such laws as may be necessary to protect equally every religious denomination in the peaceable enjoyment of its own mode of public worship." This speaks for itself on this question. Still, that last piece says to me that the Legislature should be passing laws against the display of the Ten Commandments in areas of public trust.
The Supreme Court has declared that money is free speech. So..."Section 7: APPROPRIATIONS FOR SECTARIAN PURPOSES. No money shall be appropriated, or drawn from the Treasury for the benefit of any sect, or religious society, theological or religious seminary; nor shall property belonging to the State be appropriated for any such purposes."
As a sidebar, I must praise Section 6a, offering wide latitude of protection of religious organizations.
So that is why, from the political side of things, I object to the public display of the Ten Commandments in the public classroom. But my bigger problem with this is not political or cultural. It is theological.
For the purposes of this discussion, I am going to work within the boundaries of this argument. As I understand it, the display of the Ten Commandments is defended because they serve as a foundational legal and religious statement for the creation of the United States as a Christian nation.
There is a HUGE problem here. Because if we are going to come to our Bible, if we are going to think about religion and laws in the context of our Christian faith for our Christian nation, then we got something more foundational than the Ten Commandments.
We have Jesus.
First, to establish Jesus as a religio-legal authority beyond the reality that He is...well...God, Matthew 5:17. “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.”
A little later, Jesus is asked the question, "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" It reads like a "top 10" question. Jesus replies in Matthew 22:37-40: “He said..., “’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets,”
Including the Ten Commandments.
I do not know what is mandated to be displayed on the walls of classrooms in the great state of Texas. But if the argument is going to be made that there is a precedent for a Christian-based, Biblically sanctioned legal declaration to be made in the public sphere, then who better to speak to us than Jesus?
Peace,
Pastor Peter
1 comment:
Thank you, Pastor Peter.
My husband is a many-generation Texan raised going to Pentecostal churches 4 times a week and twice on Sunday. I moved here at age 18, Jewish, not a lot of formal religious instruction.
We didn't raise our kids in a formal religion although we did celebrate Easter, Christmas, Hanukkah, Passover so they would always be aware of their dual heritage.
What exposure they did get to Christianity is through general exposure from society -- so, in other words, the very judgmental version that doesn't accept who they are as worthy people as they fall into various places of the LGBTQ umbrella.
They are both adults now, but I know that having the "In God We Trust" poster law and now the 10 Commandments posted in Texas schools, it would have felt like a constant rebuke to their personhood. That is against our ideals as a nation with separation of church and state which would protect school age kids like them, or of different religions, or none at all.
Just as a postscript, I joined a United Methodist church in my 40s. The Jesus I encountered in the Bible was nothing like I expected because of the societal judgment and attacks on vulnerable populations. Now I look at what is happening in this state and I truly believe it is against what Jesus taught -- not to be showy in religion, to love others as yourself, not to judge, to take care of the vulnerable and needy, and so many others. What He did fight against were the Phraisees that put following the law above the spirit, and it sure seems to me we are here today with modern Pharisees with legislation like this and so many others.
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