The Ten Commandments have been smashed a second time. The first time the perpetrator was Moses. He got mad when he saw that the Israelites were worshiping the golden calf (Exo. 32:19).
It’s happened again.
This time in Oklahoma City, on the lawn of the Oklahoma State Capital grounds. On Friday, October 24, 2014, a man who claims to be a Satanist drove his car into a granite monument containing the Ten Commandments. The monument was shattered. Oklahomans were shocked (although the ACLU was suing to have the monument removed).
Here’s ABC’s version of the story. And Huffpo’s version here.
I’m surprised none of the journalists reporting on the story mention the “legal precedent” for such behavior established by none other than the most famous law giver this side of Hammurabi, i.e., Moses.
I’ve generally been opposed to these sorts of public displays of the Ten Commandments (I call them the Fourteen Commandments, because there are actually fourteen commands, but who’s counting?). But every time I give my students a pop quiz on the Ten Commandments (did it again this week), typically about one out of ten can name all ten. And these are seminary students. Perhaps I should support these types of displays? Maybe students would do better on my quizzes?
I still think it’s more important to obey the Ten Commandments, than to display them. What do you think?