Christian Citizenship (Biblical Reasons Why I Want to Be a Christian in a Multi-Faith Nation) Part 28

 

This post is part 28 of a series on Christian citizenship, and why I believe mixing Christian identity with American identity is bad for both. I hope to give you little bite-sized thoughts, which represent themes you'll find throughout the Bible and historic Christian teachings.

I hope they make you think.

Today's reason why I want to live as a Christian in a multi-faith nation:

I wanted to avoid tackling news headlines directly in writing these posts, but this one is hard to avoid. 

This week, the state of Louisiana passed a law requiring that every public school classroom have an 11"x14" display of the Ten Commandments. The proponents of the law have stated that it is constitutional because the value of the Ten Commandments is as a foundation for the rule of law, and "not solely religious."

A reminder: The Ten Commandments, found in Exodus Chapter 20, begin with the words, 

"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me."

Do the Ten Commandments represent an early example of public law? Of course.

 But as someone whose job it is to teach young people that the core meaning of all ten of the Ten Commandments is, "we are to fear, love, and trust God above all things,"  to say their meaning is "not solely religious", is frankly an attack on my faith. 

I want my kids to understand that the Ten Commandments are first and foremost about their relationship with God, the Lord, who brought Moses and the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. I want them to see God's law as a sign of God's love, as a guide for free people, as a protection from evil, and most importantly, as a reminder of our need for God's grace and forgiveness, freely offered in Jesus Christ. 

I don't want to have confirmation students coming in with a head full of misguided notions about their own holy texts, that were forced upon them by public school teachers, who in turn had it forced upon them by legislators. I want, and I reserve the right, to exercise my office of teaching the Word of God. God's Church needs a lot of help in a lot of areas, but thanks anyway, Louisiana, we do not need a hand with that. 

For more background information read this statement from the ELCA's presiding bishop, or learn about Christians Against Christian Nationalism.