Ignorance About the Secular History of the Ten Commandments
To say that posting the Ten Commandments violates the Establishment Clause or the perceived “separation of church and state,” proves the misinformation that grows from the lack of actually knowing history.
The Ten Commandments originated as a secular set of ethical precepts NOT as a comprehensive religious system. They functioned as foundational moral standards rather than a full-fledged “religion” with organized doctrines, priesthoods, or scriptures.
FACT: The Ten Commandments predate all formal religions. Half of the Ten Commandments are similar to ancient secular Babylonian codes like Hammurabi’s 282 laws written about 17th century BC which established order in that society.
What we came to call the Ten Commandments are dated to around 13th century BC. They were given to Moses to share with the secular Israelites, centuries before the Jewish faith was ever established. Judaism a distinct, scripture-centered religion, emerged around the 6th century BC. These moral standards were later incorporated and formalized into Judaism.
Christianity in the 1st century AD adopted them via the Hebrew Bible as part of its ethical framework, viewing them through Jesus’ teachings. That continued into Roman Catholicism adoption in approximately the year 400 AD.
Islam in the 7th century AD referenced similar divine commands in the Quran.
The Ten Commandments later played a role in shaping English Common Law, indirectly through these same principles, and later influenced the Magna Carta of the year 1215.
The Ten Commandments themselves aren’t a “religion” but a pre-existing ethical blueprint for society, retrofitted centuries later into the structures of ALL the Abrahamic faiths. We can no longer afford to be history deniers, merely because the uninformed among our populations scream louder than others, in opposition to things they do not understand.
Those who stand in opposition – prove the need – for teaching the context of these Historic Documents. Opponents of the Ten Commandments provide the best possible evidence that principled leaders, and certainly school board members, have a mandate to teach and promote them, in context with ALL of history.
