Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry seemed quite smug with himself, surrounded by similarly adoring fans as he proudly — yes, even regally — signed into law his dangerous bill to place the Ten Commandments in every classroom in every public educational institution in Louisiana.
This is wrong. His inane and highly embarrassing comment that suggests American — or at least, Louisiana — law originates in “Moses the lawgiver” is misguided, dangerous, obnoxious, reprehensible, supremacist, puerile and silly. It is also a bald, plain and patent lie.
Michael Friday
Those Ten Commandments themselves — as practiced in America by many people Landry knows, loves, will vote for and with whom he worships, associates or identifies — loudly and already condemn this governor as guilty and sinful, alongside every other American who intends to abuse and misuse both their religion and their power to foist this misguided idea upon America.
Landry already is the Haman who hangs on the gallows he set for Mordecai. Then, the latter refused the stupid law that required him to bow down to the former; now, Landry is forcing practically every Louisianan to bow down to him and his religious nationalist cabal — “religious” nationalist because it is certainly not “Christian” nationalist.
“Landry already is the Haman who hangs on the gallows he set for Mordecai.”
We must stop using that misnomer; these non-Christians love it when we do. You’ve already missed the boat if you think this is about the Ten Commandments! These religious rogues, despots and megalomaniacs must hear how these Ten Commandments, as practiced already in America, condemn them, whether “hearing they shall not hear, or seeing, they shall not see”:
You shall have no other gods before me — except your gun, car, house, money and raw political power, gained at any cost to other humans, to rule and oppress – not to serve; or your own opinions and prideful, stubborn will.
You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below — except the American flag, or a Confederate monument, or an 11×14 plaque bearing the Ten Commandments; or a cross pendant on your neck, that matches nothing in your life.
You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God — except to browbeat, oppress, force and vilify others who don’t believe like or what you do, or when you use it in the foul and wicked misnomer, “Christian nationalism”; or, once again, except when you bear it in a cross pendant on your neck, as vain jewelry that matches nothing in your life.
Remember the sabbath day by keeping it holy — except when you conveniently, inconsistently and hypocritically choose to be non-literal and choose Sunday as the “sabbath” and when you drive yourself to church; or cook, grill or work that lawn mower or laptop; or when your kids do their homework; or when you cause others to work by calling 911, or reporting a blackout or receiving the newspaper.
Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you — except when you behaved as though this land was yours for the brutal and bloody taking from its indigenous peoples and is therefore not made for you and me — only you; or except when you throw your parents in a nursing home near their end of life for your convenience; or when you make your parents quite comfortable, but consign other people’s parents to ignominy, indignity and infirmity, with your foul laws that diminish their health care and threaten their social welfare; or when you harbor prejudices against the aged.
You shall not kill — except when you “stand your ground” against a child with Skittles, or a lost kid ringing the doorbell; or when your Supreme Court liberates your bumpstocks so you can kill more; or when you exclude state killing, or feel comfortable with war killing, or kill indirectly with foul laws that reduce the quality and quantity of your citizens’ years.
You shall not commit adultery — except when you can hide it; or lie about it or get away with it; or when the presidential candidate who has done it repeatedly, brazenly and boastfully is from your party, not the other side.
You shall not steal — except Black people’s votes; or most Southern states’ people’s access to the affordable care act; or refugees’ right to claim asylum according to international law; or the public purse with wasteful sham congressional hearings; or tax breaks designed for the rich; or when you keep making the rich richer and the poor, poorer; or when you favor redlining or anything that steals housing or land, or access to the market, or wealth, from the poor, or minorities, so that Black Americans possess 15 cents for every dollar white Americans possess.
You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor — except when you say Trump won and Biden lost; or that January 6 was a picnic; or the police who died that day were assailing patriots; or your police departments breed miscreants who lie every chance they get on every suspect they create; or that Republicans are all about family values and Democrats are godless; or when you say you keep these 10 commandments; or when you suggest that these 10 commandments are the whole law — not the other 603 that require publication and compliance if you publish these 10.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor — except when “anything” is qualified to exclude some things, like their vote; their freedom; their right to their own decisions; honest judgment from honest judges; fair elections; religious freedom; freedom from religious despots; the right for people born in America to non-documented people to be American; the right for innocent children brought to America — dreamers — to remain in America; and yes, even the American dream!
Let me address Gov. Landry, and all Republican governors and legislators wanting this directly: those Ten Commandments already condemn you and you are already found wanting.
Don’t place demands on the public that you yourselves do not and cannot keep, and which you already know they do not keep. That is pharisaical. That is mockery. That is trifling with the Word. That is misuse and abuse of the Word for political suasion, mileage, advantage and oppression.
The New Testament renders it nonsensical and anachronistic. Because you emphasize in this age the Mosaic law, both Paul in Galatians and John in his first letter condemn you as accursed and antichrist. In light of the American Constitution, you are unamerican; and you are lawbreaking.
Stop it. Shame on you.
Michael Friday serves as executive minister of the American Baptist Churches of Greater Indianapolis and is author of the book And Lead Us Not into Dysfunction: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, of Church institutions and Their Leaders. He has served Baptists in Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and the USA.