10 Commandments in America: The Political, Social, and Religious Context

The Ten Commandments are a set of ten basic rules of behavior, mostly negative in construction, that appear in the ancient Hebrew scriptures and are directed at the Hebrews as God’s chosen people. Tradition holds that these rules were delivered to them by God via Moses, who climbed to the top of Mount Sinai during the Hebrews’ journey through the desert from Egypt. Read More...Any time someone chooses to place a listing of the Ten Commandments in a home, office, church, or public space, they will be making choices. They will have to choose which biblical passage to rely upon, which translation to use, and typically which shortened version to use. These are all religious, linguistic, social, cultural, and political choices. Read More...One of the arguments most frequently offered for the creation of Ten Commandments plaques, monuments, or displays on government property is that they are the foundation of American (or Western) law. Having the Ten Commandments displayed is thus supposed to be a way of acknowledging the roots of our laws and our government. But is this really valid? Read More...Many people today believe that the Ten Commandments are in and of themselves a proper moral code, but this position is very dubious. Although it does contain some basic moral prescriptions that one can find in other religions, it doesn’t even begin to address some of the most important moral problems that face people today. Read More...There are lots of debates over the cultural and political status of the Ten Commandments, but in all of those debates there is a common assumption that devout religious people are already following them and everyone else should start. Is it true, however, that religious people currently follow the Ten Commandments with any degree of consistency? Read More...In all of the political and cultural debates over the Ten Commandments, one question that receives far too little attention is whether anyone should be expected to adhere to the Ten Commandments in the first place. They are, after all, Jewish laws, so why should any non-Jews bother with them? Read More...An interesting aspect of the legal questions surrounding government monuments to the Ten Commandments concerns the context of those monuments. Courts have made it clear that in certain contexts a display or monument can be acceptable; in other contexts, it isn’t. Neither supporters nor opponents are entirely happy with such conclusions — but are those decisions justified? Read More...Whenever a monument, plaque, or some other posting of the Ten Commandments is challenged as a violation of the separation of church and state, the government involved (local, state, or federal) usually defends them in court. These court battles can drag out for years and go through several levels of the judicial system - and, just as often, the government loses. Read More...Scattered across the nation are numerous monuments displaying the Ten Commandments. Most were donated to various local governments by private organizations like the Fraternal Order of Eagles during the 1960s and 70s. Recently many have been challenged as a violation of the separation of church and state, but such challenges are met with passionate reactions. Read More...Most people know the Ten Commandments - or perhaps it is better to say that they think they know the Ten Commandments. The commandments are one of those cultural products that people imagine that they understand, but in reality, they frequently can't even name all of them, let alone explain them.

• First Commandment: Thou Shalt Not Have Any Gods Before Me
• Second Commandment: Thou Shalt Not Make Graven Images
• Third Commandment: Thou Shalt Not Take the Name of the Lord in Vain
• Fourth Commandment: Remember the Sabbath, Keep It Holy
• Fifth Commandment: Honor Thy Father and Mother
• Sixth Commandment: Thou Shalt Not Kill
• Seventh Commandment: Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery
• Eighth Commandment: Thou Shalt Not Steal
• Ninth Commandment: Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness
• Tenth Commandment: Thou Shalt Not Covet