The First Commandment

North Miami Beach, FL May 30, 2001 Aaron H.
Schectman

THINKING ALLOWED
Essays on issues, ideas and reflections on the times. Published now and
then, Opinions pro or con are welcome.

THE FIRST COMMANDMENT

The first commandment of the Decalog doesn't sound much like a "do this" or
"don't do that" kind of thing. It plainly states that the voice laying out
the important 10 is that this is the utterance of the "Lord your God".
There is no ambiguity. It is unsettling to think that there are solons and
other people in high places that do not see that there is an authority
higher than they are. One of these for instance is the Chief Justice of the
Supreme Court.

Justice Rehnquist has just issued his decision on whether the 10
commandments - a rather undistinguished fixture in a public place - can
remain where it was placed by a "civic minded" organization. If the 10
commandments were religious then the issue of separation of Church and State
would clearly rule that this small monument that occupied public space for
almost fifty years would have to go. If the 10 commandments are not a
religious object, then it could stay.

That first commandment is clear and unambiguous. It is a statement that
the whole of the 10 commandments comes from "God". Now, "God" could be the
name of some "solon" or "Judge" in the ancient world - but I doubt that is
true. "God" is reported as having spoken to Abraham and told him to get out
of Ur and go. "God" is also reputed to have wrestled with Jacob and spoken
to Moses on the top of a smoking mountain. This same "God", as the words of
a unique book of "religious" law state, spoke to all the people gathered at
the base of Mount Sinai in the desert and reminded them that they were
"God's" people whom he had brought out of slavery in the Land of Egypt.

Now all of this is the stuff of religion and it deserves a lot of respect
and continued contemplation of what it means to us today. But to have a
"solon" or "judge" in the guise of a contemporary wise man make a thoroughly
unwise decision about the display of a religious artifact in a public place
is unsettling. If this is of any interest to you, what do you think? Carol'
s Evaluation:10 out of 10.