Why the Ten Commandments Are Not the Constitution — And How History Warns Us Against Mixing Religion with Government
In today’s political discourse, some claim that the United States was founded on “biblical principles,” or that the Ten Commandments form the basis of the Constitution. These statements are not only historically inaccurate—they are deeply dangerous.
Equating a religious code with a secular Constitution undermines the foundation of a pluralistic democracy. Worse, history shows us—again and again—that when governments enshrine religion into law, freedom is eroded, minorities are persecuted, and violence often follows.
The Constitution Was Designed to Be Secular
Let’s start with what the Constitution actually says.
No mention of God.
No reference to Jesus, Christianity, or the Bible.
The First Amendment explicitly prohibits laws "respecting an establishment of religion."
This was intentional. The Founding Fathers, many of whom were familiar with centuries of religious wars and oppression in Europe, wanted a system that prevented one religion from dominating public life. They saw religion as a private matter—not a governmental one.
The Ten Commandments: Religious, Not Democratic
The Ten Commandments are a central part of Jewish and Christian theology. While some commandments align with general moral values (e.g., prohibitions on killing or stealing), others are purely theological:
“You shall have no other gods before me.”
“You shall not make for yourself a carved image.”
“Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.”
These are commands of worship and belief, not democratic governance. Enforcing them through civil law doesn’t protect morality—it imposes religious conformity.
When Religion Becomes Law: Historical Examples of Harm
Throughout history, blending religious doctrine with state power has led not to freedom—but to violence, division, and tyranny.
1. The Inquisition (Spain, 15th–17th Century)
The Spanish Inquisition enforced Catholic orthodoxy by torturing and executing Jews, Muslims, and Christians accused of heresy. People were imprisoned for owning the wrong books or speaking the wrong prayers.
Lesson: When religion and law merge, intellectual freedom and basic human rights are often the first casualties.
2. Salem Witch Trials (Massachusetts, 1692)
Colonial Massachusetts, governed by Puritan law, prosecuted and executed individuals—mostly women—accused of witchcraft. Hysteria, theology, and law collided in deadly ways.
Lesson: Religious law can escalate fear and scapegoating into state-sanctioned violence.
3. Nazi Germany’s Religious Co-optation
While Nazism was not a religion, Hitler used Christian imagery and language to appeal to conservative Christian Germans. Churches that supported the regime flourished; those that resisted were persecuted.
Lesson: Governments can manipulate religion to justify oppression and gain compliance from the faithful.
4. Jim Crow and Segregation Justified by Religion
White supremacists in the American South used Bible verses to justify slavery, segregation, and racial violence. Churches were complicit in promoting doctrines of white superiority, often claiming divine authority.
Lesson: Religious justification can legitimize systemic injustice.
5. Modern Theocracies (e.g., Iran, Taliban Rule in Afghanistan)
In countries where religion is the basis of law, citizens—especially women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and religious minorities—are subject to persecution, limited rights, and corporal punishment.
Lesson: Theocratic systems routinely restrict freedom of expression, belief, and identity.
America Was Built to Avoid This
The Founding Fathers saw these dangers firsthand. That’s why:
Thomas Jefferson spoke of a “wall of separation between church and state.”
James Madison warned that religious establishments “degrade religion” and “divide mankind.”
The Treaty of Tripoli (1797)—ratified by the U.S. Senate—stated:
“The Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion.”
Why This Matters Today
Recent efforts to place the Ten Commandments in schools and courtrooms, or to pass laws rooted in specific religious views, threaten the constitutional balance the Founders created. These moves may seem symbolic, but they:
Alienate non-Christian citizens
Open the door to discrimination
Encourage a government that picks winners and losers based on belief
This is not about suppressing religion. Religious freedom means everyone should have the right to worship—or not—without interference or favoritism from the state.
Final Thoughts: Freedom Demands Secular Law
We are free to follow the Ten Commandments in our private lives. But we must not confuse them with the rule of law. The Constitution protects people of all faiths—and of none—not by enforcing religious doctrine, but by keeping it out of lawmaking entirely.
History has shown us what happens when we forget this: violence, tyranny, persecution. The Founders gave us a gift in the form of a secular Constitution. We must not squander it in the name of comfort or misplaced nostalgia.
Let’s learn from the past, not repeat its mistakes.