Back to Schooling the Ten Commandments?
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Summer has not officially ended (that will be on September 22nd), but from a practical standpoint, it is gone. The beginning of the school year is upon us. Parents are ready, children are nonplussed, and teachers are sprucing up their bulletin boards. Going back to school is an annual routine that has been happening since before our country was founded. The first public school in the colonies opened in 1635, so the first back to school was in 1636! We’ve had almost 400 years of public school. Why is that? Because we value education.
The first schools in our land were founded to teach Christian values. Christianity values education. Such is not true for the other world religions. The consequences of this has been institutions of learning that are second to none in the world. Unfortunately, our educational system is not what it once was. We have deemphasized Christian values and adopted secular values. The consequences have been clear to see.
This past June, the state of Louisiana passed a law that requires all classrooms to display the Ten Commandments beginning in 2025. Texas Senate Bill 1515 would require a similar thing. If passed, each classroom would be required to display the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3-17). Last year an effort was made to do this, but it languished in committee and died. While I don’t want any specific religion to be taught in the school system, without a doubt, our children will learn some values from somewhere. It might as well be Judea/Christian values. The Ten Commandments encapsulates these values. Acknowledging their historical contribution to education in our country would be a great thing. Moreover, perhaps by reading them, someone’s behavior may be influenced for the better.
Let’s pray for our students, parents, and educators as we go back to school.
God bless you, and I love you.
Kevin Cauley