« Every public school classroom in Louisiana has been ordered to display a poster of the Ten Commandments »    

Leaving aside the objection that this infringes the principle of the Separation of State and Religion, the edict is symptomatic of the simple-mindedness of contemporary North American Christian culture. It is something one could not imagine in Israel, despite the said Commandments being integral to the Jewish Torah.

A reminder: The first three Commandments are about a Supreme Being, and the fourth about observing a day of rest, therefore implicitly advocating a six-day working week. The others are about relationships with other people. Of these two (6 and 8) are fundamental to the Common Law (no stealing or murder). One (9) prohibits lying about neighbors, at least not in court (so implicitly many other lies are permitted). One (10) is against envy, which is the cornerstone of consumerist society and intrusive advertising. Two (5 and 7) uphold a narrow concept of family life.  

Those of us who do not study ancient Hebrew may puzzle about the translation or how the traditional English wording is to be understood. For example, we might wonder how “false witness” should be interpreted. I doubt many of the target public schoolchildren or youngsters are able to appreciate, or are encouraged to learn, such subtleties.

Bracketing out the religious parts, my objection is that the Commandments are not presented as default positions, but as absolutes, i.e. without exceptions. This reduces morality to the observance of rules, with priority given to these particular ones. Morality is not taught in terms of the development of good character and judgement. There is moreover no contextualisation.

The Commandments were for tribal coherence in a world we can hardly imagine. The prohibition on murder, or killing, did not, presumably, apply to hostile or even innocent members of neighboring tribes, and it was certainly understood that killing animals was kosher. Does Commandment 6 cover euthanasia, abortion, neglect & exposure of newborn, or suicide? I think not.

My contention goes further. It might be argued that the Commandments do at least supply a beginning. They do not. They set the compass wrong. If in North America you want to travel south and constantly see the sun rising to your right, do not console yourself that you have made a first step. Start over.

A useful opening in speaking not only to children is to examine the principles of truth-telling and not telling lies.

The better part of virtue is discretion. Children are taught to tell “white” lies. And not to snitch on classmates.  

There are several aspects to reflect on with regard to truth-telling. One is to examine the standing of the recipients. Does the addressee of whatever is told deserve, or have a right, to hear the truth? Truth on demand? Might a lie be needed to shield people worthy of protection? Is this the right moment for truth to be told? Will it be understood, or believed, as intended, or, rather, be misinterpreted? Might not a lie or concealment now be corrected later, when the time is propitious? (These questions are for a personal context. They may need adaptation to underscore the priority of truth in public office.)  

Commandment 7, the one against adultery, is based on the principle, not of love, but of exclusive possession of another person. It is pernicious and corrosive. To quote Pasternak “Failure to love is almost like murder.” Read my seminal 1984 essay “Against Couples” at http://www.thinking-for-clarity.de/family.html

A better moral code has a contrary structure, at best recommending default positions which must sometimes be reversed.

As a heterosexual man I am forbidden, however tempted, to sexually touch unknown women, for example, in a crowded space, but there are other (all-too-rare) situations where, when invited, it is imperative to make advances. “Failure to love is almost like murder.” (This said, the erotic sphere is inherently ambiguous, being defined by ambivalence, markedly different to other spheres.)  

Morality must be taught as treating the need to act, and not only to refrain, as too it must encompass the cultivation of judgement and good character. Bad things happen when good men stay silent. Morality is also about holding others to account. The “Ten Commandments” poster can only suppress or delay such lessons and insights.