A number of folks around the country have been calling for copies of the Ten Commandments to be posted in courthouses and other public places. In North Carolina, several county commissioners have sought to have them prominently displayed in public schools.
Proponents have good intentions, but there are at least three problems with the campaign.
The first and most obvious issue relates to the principles of religious freedom and the separation of church and state. These principles have been cherished by Baptists through most of our history, though some contemporary leaders no longer embrace them. Like it or not, we do not live in a Christian nation. America is a pluralistic society built on the diversity of its people and strengthened by the freedom of individuals to believe as they choose without interference from the government. We cannot be consistent in our practice of this basic freedom if we promote a particular belief in public buildings, to the exclusion of others.