Will posting Ten Commandments in KY schools do anything but help zealots feel good? | Opinion
As politicians in Kentucky try to post the Ten Commandments in public schools, I wonder why this biblical artifact is so paramount to elected officials. I understand why it is important to Israelites fleeing Egypt 3500 years ago. I even appreciate the fact that this covenant signaled the birth of Israel as a nation, God’s chosen and treasured possession. I keep coming back to the “why” from politicians in Frankfort. Zealot public servants choosing to die on this idealistic hill feels unnecessary.
HB 65 and HB 116 were introduced into legislation and are set to assess the pliability of separation of church and state. The latter bill wants to give public schools the option of both displaying the Ten Commandments and utilizing them in lessons alongside other historical doctrines. The former intends to make it mandatory, with no other reason given than, “The secular application of the Ten Commandments is clearly seen in its adoption as the fundamental legal code of Western Civilization and the Common Law of the United States.”
The Ten Commandments serve as moral guidelines but presenting them as the foundation of US law is far-fetched. The Ten Commandments have certainly influenced legal proceedings and notions of right and wrong, but to insinuate that they are the basis of our current legal system does not hold up. Thankfully, commandments against killing, stealing, or bearing false witness do hold actual legal ramifications if broken. However, the list in its entirety reiterates the commitment of living in a nation bound to God, not the US legal code.
This brings me back to why lawmakers want this 16X20 inch set of rules in public schools. Will it lead to higher test scores or less physical altercations in the hallways? Do the Ten Commandments prompt more students to awaken from their sinful activities of texting while teachers continue to lecture? Are we producing more lawyers and judges based on the proximity of the Decalogue?
If it is an attempt to subtly influence Christian culture at the elementary and primary level, politicians are going about it completely backwards. This is the part that is equal parts comical and infuriating. Utilizing the Ten Commandments under the guise of western legal building blocks is an underwhelming attempt to Trojan horse Christianity into public schools.
The earnest approach would be to introduce a code of behavior modeled after Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Ironically enough, most kindergarten classes already have a similar set of guidelines in place. The Beatitudes at the very least would be applicable to young students dealing with the exceeding challenges of growing up and the general stress of school. Seeing the Ten Commandments in the corner of a classroom would just remind students of an ancient, dusty history and have them googling the word “covet.”
Politicians know they have zero chance of instituting Jesus’ words of, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Because they have no chance of pushing this foundational Christian teaching into schools, they offer a watered down half measure that serves to muddy the message of love and acceptance.
As a Christian, I remain baffled by the lack of mindfulness when it comes to introducing bills such as 65 and 116. If it is a history lesson the suits in Frankfort want, there are innumerable options that would better communicate the importance of legality to Kentucky kids. If they want to impose their Christian views in public schools, start by supporting universal Pre-K, provide free breakfasts, eliminate lunch shaming and holding kids in debt, embolden the marginalized, and treat teachers with dignity and compassion.
The misconception is liberals do not want the Ten Commandments in public schools because they themselves are secular. The real repulsion is the relentless back-biting and disingenuous nature of politicians. They have the ability (and means) to act out their Christian principles but instead choose to put forth a preheated, pre-approved policy that provides pointless window dressings.
Jim Jackson resides in Franklin County. He can be reached by email at jackson.m.jim@gmail.com