Why Christ Calls Us NOT to Impose the Ten Commandments
In this episode of the Faith, Hope, and Love Podcast, host Michael Whitehouse dives into the controversial topic of posting the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms. Recently, Louisiana passed a law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in all schools, sparking debate among both Christians and non-Christians. Michael argues that this action does not align with the teachings of Christ and examines why Christians should oppose such mandates.
Drawing from various scriptures, Michael highlights that the Ten Commandments are not the ultimate law of Christianity. Instead, Jesus emphasized the greatest commandments: to love God and love your neighbor (Matthew 22:37-40). He explores the idea that imposing religious rules in public spaces can lead to resentment and misunderstanding, rather than fostering genuine faith.
Key Points Covered:
- The distinction between the Ten Commandments and Jesus' Greatest Commandments.
- Why performative religion, such as mandating religious texts in schools, does not serve true Christian values.
- How Jesus instructed His followers to spread the Gospel through love and example, not through imposing laws (Mark 16:15, John 13:34-35, Matthew 5:16).
- The importance of voluntary faith and the principle of separating church and state (Matthew 22:21).
- A discussion on universal ethical principles found in major religions, which could serve as a more inclusive and meaningful set of guidelines for public spaces.
Michael passionately explains that faith should be shown through actions and love, not by forcing religious laws upon others. He calls for Christians to reflect on Jesus' true teachings and to spread His message through genuine, heartfelt actions.
Tune in to gain a deeper understanding of why mandating the Ten Commandments in schools may not be the best approach to promoting Christian values and learn how to live out your faith in a way that truly honors Christ's teachings.
Universal Ethical Principles
The following 15 principles are common to every major religion in the world.
Respect for Life: Honor and protect all living beings. Avoid harming or taking the life of others.
Honesty and Integrity: Speak truthfully and sincerely. Avoid deceit, lying, and falsehood.
Respect for Property: Respect others' property and belongings. Do not steal or take what is not given.
Sexual Ethics: Conduct oneself with sexual integrity and respect. Avoid actions that cause harm or exploitation.
Compassion and Kindness: Show kindness and compassion to all. Treat others with empathy and care.
Justice and Fairness: Act with fairness and justice in all dealings. Stand against oppression and injustice.
Respect for Others: Honor and respect parents, elders, and those in positions of authority. Treat everyone with dignity and respect.
Self-Control and Discipline: Exercise self-control and discipline in personal behavior. Avoid actions that lead to excess and harm.
Charity and Generosity: Be charitable and generous. Support those in need and contribute to the well-being of the community.
Environmental Stewardship: Respect and care for the natural world. Avoid actions that cause unnecessary harm to the environment.
Peace and Non-Violence: Promote peace and resolve conflicts non-violently. Avoid actions that lead to violence and discord.
Humility and Modesty: Act with humility and avoid arrogance. Recognize the value and contributions of others.
Gratitude and Contentment: Practice gratitude for what you have and cultivate contentment. Avoid greed and envy.
Accountability and Responsibility: Take responsibility for your actions and their consequences. Be accountable to yourself and others.
Personal Growth and Learning: Strive for personal growth and self-improvement. Seek knowledge and wisdom continuously.
Transcript
Recently, the state of Louisiana passed a law requiring all schools
Speaker:from kindergarten to college to post the Ten Commandments clearly on
Speaker:the wall for all students to read.
Speaker:I believe that not only should non christians oppose this, I
Speaker:believe that Christians should be opposed to this because this
Speaker:is not what Christ would want.
Speaker:This does not serve a Christian agenda.
Speaker:Let me get into it.
Speaker:So first off, there is of course the objection that The Ten Commandments are
Speaker:just the Christian Ten Commandments.
Speaker:What about the Jews, and the Muslims, and the Hindus, and the
Speaker:atheists, and everyone else there?
Speaker:However, there are some universal commandments.
Speaker:In fact, I asked my research assistant to find me the commandments that are
Speaker:common to all religions, or at least all the major religions, and it came
Speaker:up with 15 universal commandments, which I'll get to in a moment.
Speaker:But, the Ten Commandments are not.
Speaker:The ultimate law of Christianity.
Speaker:Let me say that again.
Speaker:The Ten Commandments are not the ultimate law of Christianity.
Speaker:The state governor, Jeff Landry, who, from what I can tell from his religious
Speaker:knowledge, uses the Bible as a doorstop, said, if you want to respect the rule
Speaker:of law, you've got to start with the original lawgiver, which was Moses.
Speaker:Moses gave the original Hebrew laws to the Hebrew people.
Speaker:So, unless they're mandating this for only Hebrew schools, this
Speaker:doesn't make a whole lot of sense.
Speaker:God gave the original laws before the ones he gave for Moses.
Speaker:He also gave a whole lot more laws, over 150, I think 163 of them, if I'm
Speaker:not mistaken, a whole lot more of them.
Speaker:But then Jesus Made it real real clear because there were hundreds of laws that
Speaker:is too many laws to keep track of so somebody asked him Jesus what's what's
Speaker:the big law like where does it start?
Speaker:What is a numero uno law and Jesus in Matthew 22 37 to 40 replied?
Speaker:Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all
Speaker:your mind This is the first and greatest commandment and the second is like it love
Speaker:your neighbor as yourself That's the law.
Speaker:And then Jesus explained this.
Speaker:All.
Speaker:The.
Speaker:Law.
Speaker:And.
Speaker:The.
Speaker:Prophets.
Speaker:Hang on these two commandments.
Speaker:So if you're putting up the 10 commandments, which are 10 of the
Speaker:160 something commandments, on the wall, then you are basically putting
Speaker:up 10 random rules in the school.
Speaker:And you are ignoring Jesus.
Speaker:Jesus.
Speaker:The Christ.
Speaker:As in, Jesus.
Speaker:Christian.
Speaker:Christ.
Speaker:Christian.
Speaker:So if you claim to be a Christian, and you claim that you are trying
Speaker:to spread Christian morality by using the Ten Commandments, then,
Speaker:you're, I don't know what you are.
Speaker:You're an aggrandizing Pharisee, maybe?
Speaker:I mean, not Pharisee, literally.
Speaker:But, you are, you are simply showboating.
Speaker:You are showboating.
Speaker:You're playing Christian.
Speaker:You're cosplaying Christian.
Speaker:So, let's ask, Christian.
Speaker:Jesus, how should we be spreading Christianity to the world?
Speaker:Bible talks extensively about this, right?
Speaker:Jesus says in Mark 16, 15, he said, go into all the world and
Speaker:preach the gospel to all creation.
Speaker:Preach the good news, not, not share the law with them, not
Speaker:tell them what the rules are.
Speaker:Preach the good news.
Speaker:Gospel just means good news, right?
Speaker:Uh, he said, be witnesses.
Speaker:But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my
Speaker:witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Speaker:Acts 1.
Speaker:8.
Speaker:Jesus is saying, go out and share what you've seen.
Speaker:Why you are faithful.
Speaker:Why it is exciting.
Speaker:Right?
Speaker:But more importantly, John 13.
Speaker:34.
Speaker:35 A new command I give you.
Speaker:Love one another.
Speaker:As I have loved you, so must, so you must love one another.
Speaker:By this, everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
Speaker:Similarly, Matthew 5, 16.
Speaker:In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good
Speaker:deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Speaker:Don't bludgeon them with rules.
Speaker:Don't tell them what they're doing wrong.
Speaker:Let your light shine.
Speaker:Be an example of a good Christian.
Speaker:Share the goodness in you.
Speaker:Hanging up a set of rules that don't mean anything to anyone doesn't do this.
Speaker:And in fact, we're talking about kids.
Speaker:How many kindergartners know what adultery is?
Speaker:Hopefully not many.
Speaker:And now you got to explain it.
Speaker:What, what, teacher, what's adultery mean?
Speaker:Oh, that's going to be an interesting conversation right there.
Speaker:How many Christians know what covet means?
Speaker:You know what covet means?
Speaker:Do you know what covet really means?
Speaker:What covet means is not just looking at your neighbor's car and
Speaker:be like, Oh, that's a nice car.
Speaker:I kind of wish I had that car.
Speaker:Covet means being like a Movie villain being like, I will have that car.
Speaker:Coveting is beyond envy.
Speaker:It is wanting something that someone else has so much that you're
Speaker:willing to do what it would take to get it no matter who gets hurt.
Speaker:That's what coveting is.
Speaker:And I'm Pretty sure that the people legislating that the Ten
Speaker:Commandments should be up there probably don't know what that means
Speaker:either because most people don't.
Speaker:Most people do not understand what the Ten Commandments actually mean.
Speaker:Does it say thou shalt not kill or thou shalt not murder?
Speaker:That's a pretty key distinction and that's somewhat debated.
Speaker:Somewhat debated.
Speaker:I'm fairly certain it says thou shalt not murder which means something very
Speaker:different than thou shalt not kill.
Speaker:Alright, it's not super clear with those but you know what is super clear?
Speaker:Love God and love your neighbor.
Speaker:You want to put something up in front of every classroom?
Speaker:How about you put that up in front of every classroom?
Speaker:It's short, it's simple, it's easy.
Speaker:But let's, no, but at the same time you're saying, okay, well, yeah, but
Speaker:you know, we're still sharing the Bible.
Speaker:She'll send 10 commandments.
Speaker:That's good, right?
Speaker:Well, let's see what Jesus would have to say about someone who's,
Speaker:Performatively requiring every school to hang the Ten Commandments on the wall.
Speaker:Now, of course, we have, um, the one about separation of church and state.
Speaker:Matthew 22, 21.
Speaker:Then he said to them, So give back to Caesar what is Caesar's,
Speaker:and give to God what is God's.
Speaker:Hmm.
Speaker:Hmm.
Speaker:Right?
Speaker:Now, he also, in a number of places, says that faith must be voluntary.
Speaker:You can't impose it on people.
Speaker:You can't just put up something that says, you know, Jesus saves.
Speaker:I was driving down to Orlando, and I was driving down through
Speaker:the south, and there's all these billboards that say, Jesus saves.
Speaker:Or there's one billboard that says, Jesus blood.
Speaker:Possessive, the grammar was right.
Speaker:Jesus blood.
Speaker:That was it.
Speaker:There was a whole billboard.
Speaker:Yellow background, red words, Jesus blood.
Speaker:What?
Speaker:Who's gonna see that and say, oh, I gotta get myself to church.
Speaker:What?
Speaker:Repent.
Speaker:Repent.
Speaker:That's another one of those words like covet.
Speaker:Most people don't know what it really means.
Speaker:But just all these like two word phrases, they don't do anything.
Speaker:They just make you feel good about how Christian you are and how much
Speaker:you're given and that's great.
Speaker:You can do that, but not impose it on others.
Speaker:But of course, let's, let's, let's, let's, Look at Matthew 23, 25.
Speaker:Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!
Speaker:You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are
Speaker:full of greed and self indulgence.
Speaker:Of course, we talked about this in, uh, episode 2, I think it
Speaker:was, when I really went in depth.
Speaker:I read all of Matthew 23, and Jesus goes off on performative religion.
Speaker:He does not like it at all.
Speaker:Not even a little bit.
Speaker:But, getting back to the positive, You know, how does Jesus say we
Speaker:should be spreading the good word?
Speaker:Matthew 5 16, In the same way, let your light shine before others,
Speaker:that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Speaker:So he tells us how to do it, positively.
Speaker:Be such a shining beacon that people want to follow it.
Speaker:Be so, so high on faith that people say, What are you on?
Speaker:And you say, Belief!
Speaker:And they say, Got any more?
Speaker:Cause I want some!
Speaker:That's how you draw people to follow Jesus.
Speaker:You make it look so exciting they want to get in on it!
Speaker:You can't plunge them into it.
Speaker:If you are a grumpy, judgmental, obnoxious asshole, Nobody wants what you have!
Speaker:They want to not have what you have.
Speaker:So if you're passing laws saying, We must put the Ten Commandments
Speaker:in front of the classroom.
Speaker:Which, by the way, is also one step from the teacher pointing to
Speaker:that thing every time a kid's in trouble and saying, God's angry.
Speaker:This teaches kids that God doesn't like them and people don't like
Speaker:people who don't like them, right?
Speaker:This teaches them God's gonna judge you.
Speaker:All right, I'm just gonna stay away from God then because
Speaker:that guy's pretty judgmental.
Speaker:God isn't judgmental.
Speaker:God's not angry.
Speaker:God loves, as the Bible says over and over and over and over again, God loves
Speaker:us all and wants us to love each other, love your neighbor, love your brother and
Speaker:sister, your fellow Christians, love each other, not just hang rules up in front.
Speaker:So if you want to be, if you want to be put in some rule from a classroom,
Speaker:Put the Great Commandment, show you're actually a Christian and
Speaker:have read the Bible, and don't just use it as a doorstop and believe
Speaker:what other people tell you it says.
Speaker:The Ten Commandments Ten Commandments don't actually mean people think it means.
Speaker:Essentially, you know, there's a saying that my grandfather who's, who's Jewish
Speaker:said, he said, if you really want to understand Christianity, ask a Jew.
Speaker:Because Jews study religion, not just their own, but others
Speaker:to better understand their own.
Speaker:Christians study religion.
Speaker:are told what the Bible says, take it and run with it.
Speaker:Not all, not all, but too many.
Speaker:And if you talk to Jews about what the Ten Commandments actually mean, boy howdy
Speaker:does it mean something different than we think it means, and it's much more complex
Speaker:and nuanced, and you certainly wouldn't just hang them there without explanation.
Speaker:You need to explain what they mean.
Speaker:So if you're trying to spread the word, the gospel, if you're trying to spread
Speaker:the love of God, the worst possible way to do that is to hang a rule book in
Speaker:front of classrooms so kids spend 12 or 16 years staring at these rules and
Speaker:becoming more and more resentful of them.
Speaker:So when someone finally says, hey, you want to come to church?
Speaker:They'll be like, nope, got enough of that in my classroom.
Speaker:I don't need any more rules.
Speaker:I don't need any more of your laws.
Speaker:And then you have to un teach them the false teachings.
Speaker:narrative, the false gospel they learned in school, and teaching
Speaker:the real gospel, which is love.
Speaker:So this is why Christians should not want the Ten Commandments in classrooms.
Speaker:It does not serve any legitimate, any real Christian agenda.
Speaker:All it serves is performative religion, which I encourage you to
Speaker:read Matthew 23, or go back to the podcast where I read it for you.
Speaker:I think I did a pretty good job.
Speaker:But I did ask my assistant to find what the common universal principles are.
Speaker:And they came up with these 15 universal ethical principles.
Speaker:These appear in all major religions.
Speaker:All major religions.
Speaker:Respect for life.
Speaker:Honor and protect all living beings.
Speaker:Avoid harming and taking the life of others.
Speaker:Honesty and integrity.
Speaker:Speak truthfully and sincerely.
Speaker:Avoid deceit, lying, and falsehood.
Speaker:Respect for property.
Speaker:Respect others property and belongings.
Speaker:Do not steal or take what is not given.
Speaker:Sexual ethics.
Speaker:Conduct oneself with sexual integrity and respect.
Speaker:Avoid actions that cause harm or exploitation.
Speaker:Compassion and kindness.
Speaker:Show kindness and compassion to all.
Speaker:Treat others with empathy and care.
Speaker:Justice and forgiveness.
Speaker:Act with fairness and justice in all dealings.
Speaker:Stand against oppression and injustice.
Speaker:Respect for others.
Speaker:Honor and respect parents, elders, and those in positions of authority.
Speaker:Treat everyone with dignity and respect.
Speaker:Self control and discipline.
Speaker:Exercise self control and discipline in personal behavior.
Speaker:Avoid actions that lead to excess and harm.
Speaker:Charity and generosity.
Speaker:Be charitable and generous.
Speaker:Support those in need and contribute to the well being of the community.
Speaker:Environmental stewardship.
Speaker:Respect and care for the natural world.
Speaker:Avoid actions that cause unnecessary harm to the environment.
Speaker:Peace and non violence.
Speaker:Promote peace and resolve conflicts non violently.
Speaker:Avoid actions that lead to violence and discord.
Speaker:Humility and modesty.
Speaker:Act with humility and avoid arrogance.
Speaker:Recognize the value and contributions of others.
Speaker:Gratitude and contentment.
Speaker:Practice gratitude for what you have and cultivate, cultivate contentment.
Speaker:Avoid greed and envy.
Speaker:Accountability and responsibility.
Speaker:Take responsibility for your actions and their consequences.
Speaker:Be accountable to yourself and others.
Speaker:Personal growth and learning.
Speaker:Strive for personal growth and self development.
Speaker:Self improvement.
Speaker:Seek knowledge and wisdom continuously.
Speaker:You want to put some rules up in front of a classroom?
Speaker:How about those 15?
Speaker:They, they are in every single religion in the world.
Speaker:All 15 of them are somewhere in the holy books.
Speaker:But if you want to be Christian, you want to be, look how Christian we are!
Speaker:And we can get into the, are we a Christian nation?
Speaker:We're not.
Speaker:Most of the founding fathers didn't consider themselves Christians.
Speaker:They called themselves Christians maybe, but they were, they were
Speaker:theists atheists in many cases, because this is age of enlightenment stuff.
Speaker:So, no, we weren't founded as a Christian nation by any stretch of the imagination.
Speaker:Goodness.
Speaker:Um, but, okay, you want to say Louisiana is a Christian state, which doesn't
Speaker:even make sense, because faith has to be voluntary and Christians can't judge
Speaker:other Christians, Corinthians 12, uh, 512.
Speaker:But, let's say, for whatever reason, you want to say Louisiana is a
Speaker:Christian state, why are you putting the Jewish Ten Commandments up?
Speaker:Put the Christian Great Commandment up.
Speaker:Love God and love your neighbor.
Speaker:All the Law and Prophets hang on this.
Speaker:Or, put these 15 Universal Commandments up that apply to everyone and
Speaker:then don't get upset about it because we all agree with them!
Speaker:But what are they doing in Louisiana?
Speaker:They are showing off how shiny the whitewash on their tombs is.
Speaker:They are showing off how Christian they can be, so they can get votes.
Speaker:Look, we are the Christian iest Christians, and we're trying to fix
Speaker:that thing that's going terribly wrong.
Speaker:All these problems in the world, because there's not enough, they
Speaker:need more, they need more Jesus!
Speaker:Funny, because Jesus didn't say the Ten Commandments.
Speaker:We need more Jesus, we need more religion, so watch us do it.
Speaker:And watch us do it in a serious, blunt, no nonsense kind of way.
Speaker:Not like that Mamby Pamby Jesus guy.
Speaker:We're going back to the old school God.
Speaker:The Wrath and Fire and Brimstone God.
Speaker:The God who Jesus retired when he came.
Speaker:So I don't know what those people down in Louisiana are.
Speaker:I wouldn't call them Christians.
Speaker:Maybe I should reach out to them.
Speaker:Because, as a Christian, it is my job to inform them they're
Speaker:straight for the path, isn't it?
Speaker:But after they ignore me, I'm gonna have to bring a few
Speaker:friends who are also Christians.
Speaker:So, if you wanna talk to them with me, let me know.
Speaker:We may have to reach out together.
Speaker:So, I'm Michael Whitehouse.
Speaker:This is the Faith, Hope, and Love Podcast.
Speaker:A little bit fiery than normal.
Speaker:I actually didn't expect.
Speaker:I thought I was going to be doing more of a, a rational analysis of this.
Speaker:And it just came out because that's what the spirit does, my friends.
Speaker:Uh, if you believe other people need to hear this, please do share it.
Speaker:Share it with Christians who need to understand that just
Speaker:putting up the law isn't enough.
Speaker:good Christianity and doesn't follow the teachings of Christ.
Speaker:Share with non Christians who need to understand what Christianity actually
Speaker:sounds like, and that Christianity is not about judging people, and it's
Speaker:also not about just passively taking it when people are misquoting God
Speaker:and taking the Lord's name in vain.
Speaker:Share it with anyone who you think would benefit from learning about this.
Speaker:Thank you so much for listening, and thank you so much for sharing.
