CrispAds Blog Ads




Wednesday, March 02, 2005

Ten Commandments

I'm probably in the minority among my Christian friends, but I don't care at all how the Supreme Court rules on this Ten Commandments case. I'm not sure why so many Christians have drawn a line in the sand, as if this is an unassailable belief that the Ten Commandments should be publicly displayed.

There are actually two big problems I have with the way that evangelical Christians have pushed this issue over the past few years. While I don't deny that there is increasing secularism in our country, we are not a Christian country. In fact, I'm not even sure what that means.

Why are we surprised that non-Christians don't want to acknowledge Christianity and God's law? Why are we surprised that others don't share our views? Do we think that public displays will convince people to become Christians? Do we really have such a low view of the Gospel?

Christians should know that we are "strangers living in a strange land". We should expect persecution for our beliefs. However, denying public displays of the Ten Commandments has nothing to do with my beliefs. In fact, it confirms them.

I am also disturbed by the actions of many of the people who have made the Ten Commandments a big issue. Roy Moore in Alabama comes to mind. I am sure that he is a nice, well-meaning man, but I think he is dead wrong on this issue. What disturbs me about Moore is that he went looking for trouble. It isn't like there was a Ten Commandment monument in place for years that someone tried to remove. He made a very provocative move to put a huge monument of the Ten Commandments in a public place. I have seen very little humility from Moore.


Moore's Foundation for Moral Law states this as it's purpose:

"Defend America and her citizens' right to acknowledge Almighty God, by participating, directly and indirectly, in litigation involving the acknowledgement of God."

How are people's right to acknowlege God being impinged upon? "Litigation involving the acknowledgement of God"? When I think of litigation, I think of imposing something upon someone.

Last I checked, no government or person has any bearing on my acknowledgment of God.

Once again, why are evangelicals expending so much energy on an issue that isn't that important and makes us look petty? If only we would expend the same energy in showing love to the world and caring for those in need.