Former conservative Christian writer David French wrote an article recently criticizing Louisiana for requiring every school to display the 10 Commandments. His argument is that he grew up with it and it clearly didn’t help him be a Christian. I say that tongue and cheek. He argued the display did not help the behavior of his classmates and that it only forced Christianity upon others.
This argument makes me question whether French had an adequate history teacher or has ever cracked open a book on the foundations of law throughout history. Of course, I realize he gets paid to pose as a conservative and a Christian and write articles criticizing real conservative Christians. He is a professional wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Unfortunately, he’s a good deceiver. He has many Christians buying into his argument.
French and his devotees are entirely missing the point. We do not hang the 10 Commandments on the walls of courtrooms and classrooms to force people to be Christians or force others to behave better.
The 10 Commandments are displayed because they are the basis of our laws and moral ethic—not just America’s but also the legal foundation of many other cultures, countries, and governments throughout history.
Why do we have a weekend where we shut businesses down and give people time off? Hello Fourth Commandment.
Why do we find adultery to be a solid reason for divorce? Seventh Commandment.
For an even more thorough study of the 10 Commandments' role in history and legal foundations, I send you to the expert and my good friend, John Eidsmoe. He’s written several books on this subject and a few articles as well for 1819 News. I won’t even get into the legal argument for having them up. Donna Smith Cude did a great article on that this week. And I hope most of you know your history well enough to know the “separation of church and state” is not a constitutional issue.
But for now, I don’t want to be on defense. I want to explore what hasn’t been discussed much. Why don’t the left and the Frenchites want the 10 Commandments in public places?
The simple answer: They can’t handle an environment that exposes their ethic as sinful, wrong or harmful.
The same people who are upset about the 10 Commandments applaud Drag Queen Story Hour (I’m looking at you, French) and don’t bat an eye at gay pride flags in classrooms. Why is that? Because an environment that doesn’t normalize their behavior is one that inherently calls it out.
Darkness doesn’t like light. It won’t even handle a faint glow. Neutrality is not acceptable for them. So let’s not pretend taking the 10 Commandments out would appease them. It wouldn’t. That’s why they weren’t satisfied when it was out before. They just had to keep pushing until their behavior and ethics were normalized.
We cannot appease these people with the appearance of neutrality. Why do we try? Our efforts have just made students ignorant of their history and the rationale behind their laws and morals.
Way to go, Louisiana. May Alabama follow in your footsteps. And may we as Christians pray for David French to repent.
Laura Clark is a wife, mother, and community activist. She currently serves as the interim president of Alabama Center for Law and Liberty, a conservative nonprofit law firm that fights for limited government, free markets, and strong families in the courts. Anything written by Laura for this publication does not constitute legal advice.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to Commentary@1819News.com.
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