I am disappointed that Mike Peterson was unable to convince his fellow legislators to mandate that the Ten Commandments be posted in public school classrooms.
I know many people were a bit concerned that this would be an endorsement of a particular religious faith and therefore, would be unconstitutional. I think this is short-sighted. It is an opportunity to post more religious tenets within schools and encourage the behavior we would like to see in our students and future citizens.
But let’s not limit ourselves to one book of the Bible.
Why not draw on the more contemporary and relevant scripture. Let us open the flood gates and post such New Testament bangers like Isaiah 1:17: “Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.” Or Corinthians 16:14: “”Everything should be done in love.”
Imagine what horrific behavior could have been avoided if only Natalie Cline had been exposed to Mark 12:31: “‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Can you even fathom how much better behaved our esteemed legislators would be upon hearing the wisdom of Proverbs 31:8-9? “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.”
Now that I think of it, we should use the wisdom of the Bible to help some of our lawmakers avoid the temptation of self-dealing. Perhaps we can commission a large mural for the Capitol rotunda depicting Mathew 21:12, when Jesus drives the money changers out of the temple. So when legislators, such as Kirk Cullimore Jr., Ken Ivory and Lincoln Fillmore enter the people’s house, they get a reminder to work for the citizenry of Utah, not their own interests.
David Vala, Taylorsville
