On a recent Spring day I went hiking in the hills above Milpitas with several friends. There were five of us. Four Presbyterian ministers and one very secular lawyer. As we sat on the green grass looking out through the clear air over the sparkling bay the lawyer asked us what we thought about the placing of monuments to the Ten Commandments in public spaces. We had a good discussion. But my contribution to the discussion left me unsatisfied. Here's what I wish I had said.
So long as it's equitable, inclusive, and shows no favoritism, I am all for a public celebration of religion. However, if someone wants to honor my religious tradition, I'd rather they spent the money otherwise earmarked for a graven image of the Ten Commandments on a homeless shelter or a hunger program or a library or a school. Such charity would bring greater honor to my faith tradition than would big stone tablets reminding me, among other things, not to covet my neighbor's donkey.
If a monument is needed, I'd rather it quoted the words of Jesus who said "Blessed are the peace makers. For they shall be called the children of God." Or the words of the prophet Micah, who instructed us to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God.
But better than such monuments or one-time gifts to worthy causes would be a public policy that gave ongoing support for the poor and for the education of our children; governments at the local, state, and federal levels that honored my faith tradition through peace-making and the practice of justice, kindness, and humility.
And in honor of Jesus, who asked his followers to do their good deeds in secret, I'd like for government to practice the virtues of my faith without reference to my faith. For the work of sheltering the homeless, of feeding the poor, of educating our children, the work of peace-making, justice, kindness, and humility--these are not just celebrations of my faith, but they also honor every religious tradition I know.
If everyone would forget about building monuments to the Ten Commandments, and would focus instead on the practice of virtues common to every religion, we would have a country that would be actually moral, instead of apparently religious. And, fundamentally, isn't that really what we all want?
With a perspective, this is Ben Daniel.