Should we really be erecting Ten Commandments statues in our courthouses? by Chad Tomasso

Look on any news reporting website, or Christian web page and you will find at least one story about the fight over the Ten Commandments. The headline might read something like this, “Atheists Suing God and His Commandments on Courthouse grounds” or “God’s Law-Constitutional or Illegal?” or “Christians Donate $50,000 Ten Commandments Statue to Public School.”

At any given time you can find two-dozen stories on the battle to keep the Ten Commandments in view of the public…front and center. What you will also likely find is the same explanation for why the Ten Commandments should be displayed-prominently: It is the basis of American Law.

If you think that on the face of it, it appears that placing a religious memorial on government property is unconstitutional- you would be right, and not alone. In fact, numerous cases for erecting new Ten Commandment statues have been shot down by our courts. But this has not stopped Christian groups from pushing the agenda forward, only this time, they say ‘these aren’t religious symbols, they are historical ones’. They argue that without a doubt, the Ten Commandments are the foundation for the United States legal system. Without them, our laws would look quite different.

There is no argument over the influence the Christian religion has had on this country’s development, but I had to pause and wonder if what Christians are claiming is really true. As an exercise of my own sanity, I want to revisit the Ten Commandments and see just how much influence they have on our current laws. Can we see traces of the Ten Commandments in our legal system today? I have to find out. So lets line the batters up, one by one, and see if there is a hit behind the pitch.

Commandment 1: Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

According to most Christians, this is the most important commandment of them all. If you have other gods, they are quite clear on where you will be spending your eternity after death.

The interesting thing about this commandment is that it flies in the face of the first amendment of the US Constitution. There is no question that the god mentioned in this first commandment is Yahweh or (the Christian) God or Jesus. The first amendment gives us the freedom of religion and no one is thrown in jail for practicing the gods of other religions. Just ask Tom Cruise. Strike one.

Commandment 2: Thou shalt not make any graven images.

One only needs to step into a church to see this commandment being grossly disobeyed. The Christ on the crucifix is the most recognizable symbol in the world (just barely ahead of “the finger”-thank you England!). If this commandment was so important, why is it OK for Christians to trample all over it?

Never mind the Christians’ disregard for this important directive, this commandment directly contradicts our freedom of speech given to us in the 1st Amendment. If this commandment was foundational to our legal system, then it is as elusive as a ten-point buck during deer season. Strike two.

Commandment 3: Thou shalt not use the Lord’s name in vain.

See the first amendment, under freedom of speech. Not only is it contradictory to my rights as an American, but I know what you, me and any other red blooded American would say if you drop an open beer or accidentally hit your thumb with a hammer. Its like a goddamn tradition to yell it out when the opposing team scores a touchdown!…oops, it slipped. Strike 3.

Commandment 4: Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Little to no explanation is needed for the egregious behavior of the American people on Sundays. Anyone who knows the bible knows this original commandment was followed by very specific details on what God meant when he said, “keep it holy”. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates.

Not only do we go to stadium packed football games, mow the lawn, clean our pools, walk the dogs, and watch America’s Funniest Home Videos on this holiest of days, we consume ridiculous amounts of beer after purchasing a case of Budweiser from the local store which is full of hard working employees-who ironically just want to go home, watch the football game and get drunk.

As for this commandment’s influence on our legal system, it’s quite obvious isn’t it? Strike 4.

Commandment 5: Honor thy mother and thy father.

This is an interesting one. At a glance, this sounds like good advice…if your mother and father are loving and caring people that is. It may have been important back in the day when respect in the community was of utmost importance to a family-where honor killings were part of the social justice scene. Not in America. If my father beats me, I am not going to respect him any more than I would respect a slave owner. Additionally, my father would be the one going to jail. This commandment is not only not practical, but like the others, has no trace in our legal system. Honor thy common sense. Strike 5.

Commandment 6: Thou shalt not kill.

Finally, we are getting somewhere. No question our laws are built around this premise, but is the law to ‘not kill’ original with the Jewish Ten Commandments?

It is generally understood that the Hebrew story of the exodus, if taken to be true, took place around 1490 BCE. The Egyptian Book of the Dead was written around 1800 BCE. The confessions that the Egyptian deceased would have to make to pass through to the next life resemble many of the Ten Commandments we are familiar with today, especially the one about killing. The confession is written, “I have not killed; I have not turned anyone over to a killer.” Surely, it was virtuous to avoid killing centuries before Moses trekked up the mountain to get the tablets, but it was Christopher Hitchens who said it best when he supposed that if the commandment to ‘Not Kill’ was original with the Mount Sinai episode, surely the human race would have never made it to Mount Sinai.

In addition to the historical roots of this command, we can also look at our own back yard to see how well we are adhering to this very important commandment. If you avoid places like Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Florida and 31 other states that have capital punishment on the books, you will see the broad sweeping affect this commandment has on our society and its laws.

Don’t get me started on bible-belt murder rates either. Strike 6.

Commandment 7: Thou shalt not commit adultery.

A society based on family development, prosperity, education and security would have this principle at its roots. However, a principle is not a law, and there is nothing even close to resembling a working law that this commandment has influenced. How this can pass as influential to the American legal system is beyond me, because we all know that adultery is an American virtue.
Good idea, but pointless in the legal system. Strike 7.

Commandment 8: Thou shalt not steal.

See Commandment 6.
I am not trying to weasel out of putting in my time with this commandment, but when a precedent has already been set, why waste a good reference. Strike 8.

Commandment 9: Thou shalt not bare false witness against thy neighbor.

The Book of the Dead again seems to have beaten the Hebrew commandments to the punch. “I have not uttered lies or curses,” it reads, short and sweet. This by no means weakens the importance of this commandment, but if we are going to erect symbols of legal influence in or around our courthouses or public schools, wouldn’t it be more accurate to build monuments that display the Code of Hammurabi or the Book of the Dead?
I won’t give this one a strike, but perhaps a foul ball in a full count.

Commandment 10: Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s property.

The heading above is quite generous. The “property” being referred to in the bible is quite dated in its descriptions of things not to covet (i.e. house, land, man servants, maidservants, ox, donkeys). Despite the fact that coveting your neighbors stuff is the very foundation of the American way, and let’s be honest, the reason Christmas is the biggest shopping event in human tradition, the question remains…what influence has this commandment had on our legal system? In one word, none.

Strike 9 and a half.

These are the ten most important and influential commandments to our American Legal system according to Christian groups across the nation. We are told that the very foundations of our society were built on these ten significant and eternal rules, but where are these influences to be found in our laws? Clearly, a majority of these commandments have nothing to do with law at all and even go so far as to directly contradict what we accept as essential human rights under the U.S. constitution. There seems to be a stretching of the truth by proponents who wish to erect these “monuments to history”. But if truth and accuracy is what we are after, shouldn’t we be instead building steles with the code of Hammurabi inscribed on it? Or large rolls of papyrus with the inscriptions from the Egyptian Book of the Dead? In fact, why not just erect a statue of Superman and place him at the stairs of every school and courthouse? At least he echoes what our American legal system is all about. Truth, Justice, the American way! Yeah, I like that idea. Who could possibly lie in a courthouse that is adorned by a statue of a man who is incapable of lying himself? There is nothing more American than Superman. I am starting a petition today…Who’s with me?