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!