The 10 Commandments Aren't the Problem - Forgetting Them Is

The city of Fort Worth installed a Ten Commandments monument outside the Tarrant County Courthouse last week. It is impressive, composed of marble and standing taller than the people posing for photographs beside it. But is this a violation of the separation of church and state? 

This comes on the heels of a new Texas State law passed last session requiring the Ten Commandments to be posted in all public schools, as long as privately donated. 

The Fort Worth monument was also entirely funded by private donations, though it stands on public city property. 

Unsurprisingly, there are people who oppose displaying the Ten Commandments in schools and government buildings. Pastor Ryon Price, of Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth, said the monument “violates the inclusive spirit of being a country where no religion is established or prejudiced.”

At the unveiling, another protestor held a sign reading, “Vote White Christian Nationalism out of office.”

But such objections are misguided.

The simple fact is that Texas, and America in general, do not include all religious or moral beliefs into our laws, nor should we.

Take a moment and notice how the 10 Commandments are the foundation of law and morality in the United States. 

The first four commandments focus on God above man. This idea forms the basis of American law. We are a nation that recognizes that we are endowed not by government, but by God “with certain unalienable rights.” Government, therefore, is accountable to God even before it is accountable to voters. This is the highest possible standard for government behavior, and the idea was truly groundbreaking among the nations of history in 1776.

Next, the fifth commandment tells us the importance of the nuclear family, comprised of parents and children. Family is the building block of our society.

Finally, commandments 6-10 outline the basics in law for how Texans are to treat our neighbors—we respect the life, property, and good reputation of those around us, doing nothing to infringe that.   

These three pillars of God, family, and country (or community) are clearly outlined in the Ten Commandments, and they are superior to any religious view that disagrees with them.

It is perfectly reasonable to honor and continue this tradition. As County Judge Tim O’Hare said, “The Ten Commandments monument acknowledges the principles that shaped America’s history, making it a perfect addition to the courthouse grounds.”

Some object, saying that this is teaching religion. But that's not really why they object. They object because they don't like the Christian religion. They like a different one and want that one taught instead.

Other states are doing exactly that, teaching the morality of DEI and LGBT sexuality at every opportunity. They paint their public streets in rainbow flags and fill their public schools with Marxist doctrine. 

This is also religion, of course. It’s just a religion the secular left agrees with.

But Texas is moving in a different direction. The Ten Commandments monument in Fort Worth reminds us that we still stand on the basic life principles that made this nation, and this state, what they are today.