Some people think that the law cannot survive unless religion is the foundation of it - and not just any old religion, either, but their religion in particular. This is an argument too often heard from conservative Christians, as if there were no "rule of law" in atheist, Hindu, or Buddhist nations.

The Conservative Voice recently posted an opinion piece by Jill S. Farrell which states:

The Ten Commandments should be posted - both in schools for students to follow, and in courtrooms for citizens and the judiciary - as a deterrent to unethical behavior. The Commandments can be a reminder that gives people of all ages and backgrounds the strength to act responsibly and morally. We are living in a time when the world seems to be at war with its Creator and the battle cry is, “Don’t interfere with my good time.” Genuine happiness and authentic joy is being abandoned for temporary thrills and life altering spills. The carnival barkers of societal decay are flooding in through modern “entertainment”. Our jails and hospitals are filled with broken promises and shattered dreams.

Does this sound familiar? Well, it's true that Farrell is stating the exact same things that so many other religious conservative say. If there is anything at all unusual about it, it's that Farrell actually admits that she thinks the Ten Commandments will deter unethical behavior (not that there is the slightest bit of evidence for such a proposition).

The familiarity of the general arguments isn't what I mean, though. This exact same piece was posted at CNS News nearly two years ago. As I wrote at the time:

Farrell wants the government to tell children that they should obey the Ten Commandments - that is to say, she wants the government to tell atheists, polytheists, pantheists, and so forth that they should have "no other gods" before the Jewish/Christian/Muslim god, that they should make no graven images, and so forth. Does anyone except theocrats see a problem with the government doing such a thing?

The recent Supreme Court decisions on Ten Commandments displays may have been split, but they contained a central message: displays that exist for the purpose of promoting religion are unconstitutional. That, however, appears to be just what Farrell wants to do.

Read More:

• Separation of Church and State 101
• Church and State News
• Ten Commandments
• Religion in Public Schools
• Secularism 101