The debate surrounding the display of the Ten Commandments in public spaces has become a symbol of a deeper and more insidious issue in recent years, the manipulation of religion for political and ideological control.

On the surface, the Ten Commandments may seem like a harmless moral guide or a quaint piece of religious history. But when placed in public schools, courthouses, or government buildings, they serve a much darker purpose. It is one that contradicts the core values of Christianity, undermines the separation of church and state, and distorts the very message of Jesus Christ.

At the heart of this issue lies a fundamental tension between what the Ten Commandments represent as part of the Old Testament law and the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament.

The Ten Commandments, part of the Mosaic Law, were given to the Israelites as part of the covenant between God and His chosen people. Under this Old Covenant, adherence to the law was central to maintaining a right relationship with God.

But with the coming of Jesus Christ, the system of salvation through works was radically changed. Salvation, according to the New Testament, is no longer through the law but through grace. It is a gift freely given by God to those who believe in Christ.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus declares, “It is finished” (John 19:30) at the moment of His crucifixion. The phrase signals the end of the old system of sacrifices, law-keeping, and the reliance on the works of the flesh for salvation.

The death of Jesus on the cross was the ultimate act of grace, fulfilling the demands of the law and providing a new, direct path to reconciliation with God. Through His sacrifice, Christians are told, they are no longer bound to the Mosaic law — including the Ten Commandments — as the means of securing their salvation.

The shift from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant is a defining characteristic of Christianity. The Apostle Paul, writing in Galatians 3:24-25, makes it clear that the law served as a “tutor” to lead people to Christ, but once Jesus came, believers were no longer “under the law.”

The shift from law to grace is the essence of the Christian gospel, and it underscores the theological tension that arises when the Ten Commandments are treated as if they hold the same weight in the New Covenant.

Despite this, the push to display the Ten Commandments in public spaces continues. The debate centers not on the moral value of the commandments themselves, but on the politics of imposing a religious symbol on public institutions. This is not a neutral act of preserving history, but rather a deliberate and strategic effort to intertwine Christianity with state power.

THE CHURCH-STATE SEPARATION CRISIS

The First Amendment of the United States Constitution prohibits the government from establishing a national religion or interfering with the free exercise of religion. This is the bedrock principle of church-state separation, a doctrine that protects both religious freedom and ensures that the government does not endorse any particular religious tradition.

The display of the Ten Commandments in government buildings violates this principle. It not only elevates one particular religion — Christianity — above all others, but it also imposes a religious ideology on individuals who may not share that faith.

Americans conveniently forget that many of their European immigrant ancestors fled religious persecution in Europe at the hands of other Christians. These factions of Christianity clashed so violently that families sought refuge in the “New World,” hoping to escape state-imposed Christian faiths and oppressive practices imposed by corrupt Christian churches.

The argument for displaying the Ten Commandments in public spaces often relies on the claim that they are a part of Western heritage or a reflection of the moral foundations of society. But the feeble argument ignores the diversity of beliefs and the secular nature of the U.S. government. The insistence on displaying the Ten Commandments is an imposition of a particular interpretation of Christianity, and it serves to marginalize those who do not adhere to that religion.

In a country that prides itself on religious pluralism, such efforts are a clear violation of the constitutional guarantee of freedom of religion. Furthermore, the use of the Ten Commandments in this way contradicts the core message of Jesus Christ.

The whole point of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus was to break down the barriers that had been created by religious law. Jesus criticized the legalistic interpretations of the law, particularly when they were used to oppress and control people. He came to set people free from the shackles of legalism, not to impose a new set of laws for them to follow.

By emphasizing the Ten Commandments as a moral code that must be publicly displayed, proponents of the movement ignore the fact that the message of Jesus was one of grace, forgiveness, and personal transformation.

His teachings about loving God and loving one’s neighbor (Matthew 22:37-40) are far more radical and subversive than any law written on stone tablets. Yet, those who push for the Ten Commandments in public spaces are often the same groups that promote political ideologies that run counter to the values of equality, justice, and love that Jesus embodied.

THE POLITICAL AGENDA BEHIND THE PUSH FOR THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

The push for the Ten Commandments in public spaces is not simply about promoting moral values or history. It is deeply tied to a broader political agenda. The religious right has long used Christianity as a tool to gain political power and influence, going back to the days of Slavery in America.

By invoking the Ten Commandments, radical groups attempt to frame their political ideology as being not just socially and culturally conservative, but also religiously endorsed. It is a complete distortion of the gospel.

Christianity, at its core, is a faith that challenges the powers of this world, calling on its followers to love their enemies, care for the poor and marginalized, and seek justice. Yet, the Ten Commandments are used as a political weapon to justify oppressive policies, standing as a clear example of how religion has been manipulated for political gain. The same religious rhetoric that was used to justify slavery, segregation, and the oppression of women is now being used to justify policies that disproportionately harm vulnerable minorities, including immigrants, people of color, and the LGBTQ+ community.

The hypocrisy is glaring. The Ten Commandments, particularly when used as a political symbol, become a way to enforce conformity, obedience, and power structures that go against the very spirit of the gospel. The goal is not to promote personal transformation or a deeper relationship with God, but to solidify a particular worldview that favors the status quo of White society and marginalizes those who challenge it.

THE CONFUSION OF MORALITY WITH LEGALISM

One of the most insidious aspects of this debate is the way it conflates morality with legalism. Morality is not inherently a problem. Living a life of honesty, integrity, and compassion is part of what it means to be a good person. But the attempt to force people to live according to a set of religious rules, particularly in a pluralistic society, is a different matter altogether.

The Ten Commandments, when treated as moral imperatives that must be publicly displayed and enforced, become a form of legalism — a belief that righteousness comes from external conformity rather than from a personal relationship with God.

Jesus, however, consistently rejected legalism, focusing instead on the internal transformation of the heart. The law can never change the heart, only grace can. This is the message that is obscured when religious symbols like the Ten Commandments are used to control or manipulate people.

A CALL FOR AUTHENTIC FAITH

The ongoing debate about the Ten Commandments in public spaces is about much more than religious symbols. It is about power, control, and the manipulation of religion for political ends. It is about the distortion of the Christian message, turning it from a message of grace and personal transformation into one of legalism and oppression.

Christianity, at its best, is a radical and liberating faith. The Ten Commandments may have had their place in the Old Covenant, but under the New Covenant, it is not through the law but through grace that followers of Jesus are saved. Those who call themselves Christians should never lose sight of that truth.

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Larry Kolvoord (AP)