Louisiana is on the cusp of being the first US state to legally mandate that public schools post the 10 commandments in every classroom. This poster must be at least 11″ by 14″. Which version is yet to be decided. FYI – Louisiana also has the death penalty, although a court case filed in 2012 has stalled its use. I would love to hear those discussions, when children figure out the hypocrisy there. I recall that some years ago there was an attempt in Pennsylvania to keep the 10 Commandments posted on the outside of every state building, but this faded away. One member of my congregation was vehemently supportive of this until I asked him when he would be posting them on the side of his house. He stopped bringing it up.
I wonder how much of a difference in behavior this posting of the big 10 rules will make. And I wonder if it will become illegal in Louisiana to commit adultery; after all, there are, according to a Newsweek article from this past April (Map Shows 16 States Where It’s Illegal to Cheat on Your Wife – Newsweek), a number of states where it is. It is a felony in Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and Michigan, by the way. Be careful out there! I know that I am be glib about this, and I have no doubt that this new law, if signed by the governor, will not pass muster in the Supreme Court (or at least, I used to be sure); still, with all the problems we see around us, do people really think this will solve them? Will the children of Louisiana grow up to be more moral than the children who live in the other 49 heathen states? I look forward to seeing the data.
If we want a more moral nation, there are other things we could be doing. We could be electing better leaders. We could be taking our children and grandchildren to worship in a faith community. We could demand that our religions embrace equality for everyone. We could spend less on weapons of mass destruction and more on education. Christians could actually embrace the teachings of Jesus instead of only pursuing self-interest. But please; go ahead and post the 10 Commandments everywhere – maybe even tattoo them on children when they turn 13? Wait – better check with Leviticus about that.
Rules are just a start, but we know from history that they aren’t the whole answer. Teaching children how to think and live morally can contribute to a better world, but they – and us adults – have to choose to live better lives. Parents and congregations and schools should teach morals and ethics to the children in our care, but if we don’t live it, they won’t believe it. Every person has to choose how they will live. Force feeding rules won’t make that happen. Loving our neighbors might.
Prayer – God, show us how to live lives worthy of You so that our neighbors will know who we belong to. Amen.