The Ten Commandments in
Public Schools
By Bob Lovelace
There has been a great deal said about our topic since the Columbine
High tragedy. Perhaps you’ve heard statements made even by members of the
church to the effect that we need to put the Ten Commandments in public
schools.
I
had an interesting conversation with a brother in
My
brother who so plainly stated his case according to the scriptures was one whom
I’d describe as being involved in politics and who truly cared about our great
nation. He said that he’d been a member of the GOP since 1939 and voted against
F.D.R’s third term. He talked politics but he also
spoke the truth about Christians needing to speak the truth about the Sabbath
law not being a part of the New Testament.
I
replied that such is similar to endorsing "prayer" in public schools
and having some sectarian leading my child in prayer. I’m again’ that too! I’ve
taught my children to hold their head up high when in an assembly some boy or
girl is asked to lead the invocation. My children have never been confused on
what to do in such cases because I have taught them that Christians do not
allow those who are not Christians to lead them in prayer. And so there is no
confusion in my family as to what "kind" of prayer my children would
be led in at school be it a "Mormon" prayer from one who does not
believe in Christ as God as we do or any other sectarian’s prayer, for my
children do not allow such to lead them in prayer.
I
have been willing to practice what I’ve preached. I resigned from Toast Masters
many years ago when the matter of leading the invocation or asking others to
became too much of a disagreeable task. I could not ask one who was NOT my
brother to lead in prayer. Nor could I ask a woman.
I’ll never forget watching one of the deacons in the church who also was
a member clasp his hands together in a showy manner and bow when a woman led
the club in prayer. I will always remember him looking up to see me standing
right across from him as he came up from his "folded" position. I
could not bring myself to do such. I certainly could not call upon one who was
not a member of the church to lead in prayer much less a woman to do so. And I
certainly could tell that the women enjoyed the privilege of leading the men.
I
decided that I had much better ways that I could start my day. One morning I
stood and watched a woman read from a tiny little card that she took out of a
cute little box she’d bought somewhere and then listened as she promoted the
cards as being nice prayers for such occasions. I promptly asked to be
recognized, explained to all present what prayer really is, explained that I
could not conscientiously accept what was being done, and went my separate way.
Now, about saying we should put the Ten Commandments in public schools.
How could a Christian say such? Are we to promote the Ten Commandments in
public school while teaching in our classes and from our pulpits at church that
the Law of Moses was taken out of the way and nailed to the cross? Don’t we of
all people know what Paul meant?
Col. 2:14-17, "having canceled out the
certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to
us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. [15]
When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of
them, having triumphed over them through Him.[16]
Therefore let no one act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect
to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day--[17] things which are a mere
shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ."
What are we to do with that?
I
cannot help but think that the Seventh Day Adventist must be laughing their
heads off right now as those who call themselves Christians and who have called
them a cult and exposed their false Sabbath doctrine are now saying put it up
on the wall in every school for all to see in order to bring morality to our nation.
Folks, the problem in this country is not that we don’t have
the Ten Commandments on government walls!
This idea that one can go by the Ten Commandments is one of the great
delusions of our time. I don’t know how many I’ve met who have given me that
spill. It is the old "I’m a good moral person. I keep the Commandments. I
don’t need to go to church!"
At
times I see even more here. Is this not favoritism to the Jews? The Ten
Commandments given by Moses at
Deut. 4:13-14,"So He
declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, that is, the
Ten Commandments; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone. [14] "And the
LORD commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that you
might perform them in the land where you are going over to possess it."
When Moses said "you" he meant only "you" i.e.
Deut. 5:3,
"The LORD did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us,
with all those of us alive here today."
One
of the purposes of the Sabbath law given to the Jews was that they remember
their deliverance from Egyptian bondage:
Deut. 5:15,"And you
shall remember that you were a slave
in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you
out of there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the
LORD your God commanded you to observe
the sabbath day." Plain enough!
The
Lord did not deliver the Gentile nations out of
Exodus 31:13,"But as for you, speak to the
sons of
The
Sabbath law was holy only to the nation of
Exodus 31:14, 'Therefore you are to observe the sabbath, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put
to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from
among his people."
The
Truth of the Gospel (the New Testament) is that the Sabbath observance along
with the other festivals of the Mosaic Law has ended for the Jews who desire to
serve God faithfully. There is one law for both Jews and Gentiles ~ the Gospel
of Christ. (
Space does not permit me to explain the folly of the denominationalists
who try to justify such by saying the Lord’s Day is the Christian Sabbath. The
New Testament teaches no such thing!