A new Louisiana law, similar to the U.S. Supreme Court where Justice Amy Coney Barrett presides, requires the Ten Commandments to be posted in Louisiana public schools, and much time is being spent on the legislation across the country.
You can't visit the New Orleans Museum of Art, read a book, watch an important film, or interpret a philosophy without a foundational education in 3,000 years of Western Civilization. I studied Western Civilization in seventh grade and again in 12th grade, a year each as a required course for college. We need Western Civilization so our kids have knowledge of history, art, philosophy, literature, civics, and law.
The Ten Commandments can feature in many different forms, from Magna Carta to the Declaration of Independence to our beloved Constitution. The issue of choosing one version is understandable. The Ten Commandments are not set in stone, so to speak. There are differences in interpretation and wording. But from a cultural literacy standpoint, we all know what the Ten Commandments are and what we should do.
For those who disagree, believing that educating children crosses the boundaries of church and state, the Ten Commandments are not church. They are fundamental to our civilization, and their principles not only underscore years of art, history, and law, but also span multiple faith traditions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
John East
New Orleans
