What purpose does putting up a copy of the 10 Commandments serve, other than giving Christians what they think of as a "win"?
It's not like looking at them is suddenly going to change anyone's behavior. We've had these Commandments for thousands of years, and people still break them all the time.
Let's look at them:
Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
(Will this be used as a way to get rid of the 10 Commandments in schools, because it "discriminates" against people of other faiths? Probably. Does this phrase really do anything to convert people of other faiths? Nope.)
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven images.
(Again, could be used as a basis for people to claim they're being "discriminated" against. Just Catholics alone could argue against this.)
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord, thy God, in vain.
(I think most of the population on Earth has taken God's name in vain at some point. People don't seem to care anymore. It's going to take more than hanging a copy of the 10 Commandments up to change this.)
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it Holy.
(Not only is there a debate what day the Sabbath is, Saturday or Sunday (not all Christians are Protestants), but it seems like more and more people are going the "Personal relationship with Jesus/God" route, and ditching churches.
Honor thy father and thy mother.
(Yes, this would be nice. Kids today don't honor their parents. But then again, that "kids today" line has been used for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Every generation thinks the generations younger than they are disrespectful, lazy, wasteful, etc... So obviously the 10 Commandments don't work on this, since "kids today" have always ignored this one, even when it was always displayed in schools.)
Thou shalt not kill.
(I'm pretty sure the death penalty, or life in prison, is a bigger deterrent than reading this.)
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
(Kind of awkward that President Trump, who has openly committed adultery on his wives, would advocate for posting this. What was the punishment for him committing adultery? Other than getting hotter, younger wives?)
Thou shalt not steal.
(Another nice one. But the threat of jail time is a bigger deterrent than reading this.)
Thou shalt not lie.
(Another nice one that has been ignored since this was carved into a stone tablet.)
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house.
(Same response as number 9.)
Getting the 10 Commandments displayed in a public school is not the huge "win" people think it is. Other than trying to press their belief onto others, this has no purpose.
And now that these are up, it's a certainty that the Satanic Temple will demand that a copy of the 7 Tenets of Satanism go up as well. And it's a good likelihood that Muslims will insist a copy of the 5 Pillars of Islam be displayed as well.
Religion has no place in public schools. That's something that should be taught by the parents and their religious leaders. Even among Christianity, there are huge differences of beliefs. Even more so if you include Catholics as being Christians, which people still argue over. Do you want a Catholic teacher telling a Southern Baptist that they need to say the rosary? Or a Calvinist telling them that free will doesn't exist?
If you're that concerned that your child look at a copy of the 10 Commandments, then enroll them in a private Christian school. Or take them to church. Or hang a copy of it on their bedroom wall or by your front door.
If that's not good enough for you, then that's a sure sign that your motives are to push your religion onto others. And that usually doesn't end well.
If you want to bring more people to Christianity, then be a positive example of that. Lead by example.
What purpose does putting up a copy of the 10 Commandments serve, other than giving Christians what they think of as a "win"?
It's not like looking at them is suddenly going to change anyone's behavior. We've had these Commandments for thousands of years, and people still break them all the time.
Let's look at them:
Thou shalt have no other gods before me. (Will this be used as a way to get rid of the 10 Commandments in schools, because it "discriminates" against people of other faiths? Probably. Does this phrase really do anything to convert people of other faiths? Nope.)
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven images. (Again, could be used as a basis for people to claim they're being "discriminated" against. Just Catholics alone could argue against this.)
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord, thy God, in vain. (I think most of the population on Earth has taken God's name in vain at some point. People don't seem to care anymore. It's going to take more than hanging a copy of the 10 Commandments up to change this.)
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it Holy. (Not only is there a debate what day the Sabbath is, Saturday or Sunday (not all Christians are Protestants), but it seems like more and more people are going the "Personal relationship with Jesus/God" route, and ditching churches.
Honor thy father and thy mother. (Yes, this would be nice. Kids today don't honor their parents. But then again, that "kids today" line has been used for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Every generation thinks the generations younger than they are disrespectful, lazy, wasteful, etc... So obviously the 10 Commandments don't work on this, since "kids today" have always ignored this one, even when it was always displayed in schools.)
Thou shalt not kill. (I'm pretty sure the death penalty, or life in prison, is a bigger deterrent than reading this.)
Thou shalt not commit adultery. (Kind of awkward that President Trump, who has openly committed adultery on his wives, would advocate for posting this. What was the punishment for him committing adultery? Other than getting hotter, younger wives?)
Thou shalt not steal. (Another nice one. But the threat of jail time is a bigger deterrent than reading this.)
Thou shalt not lie. (Another nice one that has been ignored since this was carved into a stone tablet.)
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house. (Same response as number 9.)
Getting the 10 Commandments displayed in a public school is not the huge "win" people think it is. Other than trying to press their belief onto others, this has no purpose.
And now that these are up, it's a certainty that the Satanic Temple will demand that a copy of the 7 Tenets of Satanism go up as well. And it's a good likelihood that Muslims will insist a copy of the 5 Pillars of Islam be displayed as well.
Religion has no place in public schools. That's something that should be taught by the parents and their religious leaders. Even among Christianity, there are huge differences of beliefs. Even more so if you include Catholics as being Christians, which people still argue over. Do you want a Catholic teacher telling a Southern Baptist that they need to say the rosary? Or a Calvinist telling them that free will doesn't exist?
If you're that concerned that your child look at a copy of the 10 Commandments, then enroll them in a private Christian school. Or take them to church. Or hang a copy of it on their bedroom wall or by your front door.
If that's not good enough for you, then that's a sure sign that your motives are to push your religion onto others. And that usually doesn't end well.
If you want to bring more people to Christianity, then be a positive example of that. Lead by example.
The Constitution & Pledge of Allegiance is all that is needed in public schools. That would fix most if not all problems.