To properly consider the relationship between the Bible and politics would require a starting point of at least the giving of the 10 Commandments. The breadth of the topic is too great for this paper. Although the main purpose of the Bible is the redemption of man and possibly the redemption of the earth this discussion will be limited to a consideration of the Bible’s 10 Commandments and its effect upon politics in the United States. The purpose of the 10 Commandments was to give Israel a foundation for their worshiping Yahweh. But the purpose goes even beyond that. The Decalogue gives society its foundation for safety and growth. Without this foundation our society would not be what it is today. We must start by acknowledging our forefather’s belief in God. Our in alienable rights come from our Creator according to the founding fathers. Let us look more closely at our foundation.
I am the Lord your God……… You shall have no other gods before me. This establishes the supremacy of religion at the base for society. The first amendment to our Constitution says, Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion… This establishes protected supremacy of religion in America. State was prohibited from doing away with or instituting its own mandatory religion.
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain… According to JP Hyatt, Exodus, page 212, this commandment was directed primarily at improper oath taking. Whether for blessings or for curses or for sorcery, it was directed against any insincere and evil use of the name of God. It is worth noting that this is not commandment against profanity. It may be the framework for our conception of treason and justice. And oath is considered vital importance in both legal and civilian society. It is critical that a people can believe what their leaders tell them. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Whether the Sabbath was originally on Saturday or Sunday is of no consequence. What is of consequence is it was to be a day of rest and renewing and worship. Throughout the entire history of the United States the Sabbath has been applied. Mankind recognizes the need for renewal. In most states the Sabbath was written into the law thereby forcing a rest period. Honor your father and your mother. JP Hyatt page 213 tells us this commandment “inculcates obedience and respect for parents”…” In ancient Israel there must have often been three or even more generations within single household.”
The state was true in the developing ages of the United States. It is critical that the opinions and experiences of the more elderly be given extra weight and consideration of governing matters. Our courts have consistently given specific authority to parents over children while under certain age and/or while living in being supported in the parent’s home. You shall not murder. While this commandment was often translated in English as you shall not kill, the proper translation is murder. The purpose of this commandment was to prevent any type of illegal killing that was contrary to the will and in the best interest of society. It was not just against deliberate murder but accidental murder as well. Laws based upon the value of human life as viewed by the Hebrews. Our society, every state in our society, has always forbade murder.
In our Constitution we stated that we have the right to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. For these to be achieved, murder cannot be allowed. Numbers 35:11 says, “six of the towns you give the Levites will be cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone may flee.” This applied to someone who had killed another accidentally. Verse 15 says, “The six towns will be a place of refuge for Israelites, aliens and any other people living among them, so that anyone who has killed another accidentally can flee there.” But what was to happen when the murder was deliberate? Versus 16 through 21 list various circumstances in which the punishment led to death. We have followed a similar pattern regarding murder in the United States. We do not have cities of refuge, but we do have a multitude of prisons were murderers spend the remainder of their lives. For the more grievous murders, we still have the death penalty in most states. You shall not commit adultery.
Around the development of Israel and the United States marriage has been the bedrock of society. This was not a commandment against extramarital affairs but a prohibition against a married or engaged woman living with a man who was not her husband. The husband or husband to be was seen to be entitled all of his property rights, and that included woman. For very long period of American history, adultery was illegal in every state. According to an article by USA Today(http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/2010-04-26-column26_ST_N.htm) as of 1996 it was still illegal in 27 states. Punishments ranged between a fine and life in prison. You shall not steal. This commandment has affected American politics in two ways. One is in the obvious areas of thievery. The other is in our laws against kidnapping.
JP Hyatt tells us a more correct translation is “you shall not steal a man”(JP Hyatt, Exodus, page 215).
Whichever way one interprets the commandment, it is obviously played a large role in our sense of society. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. Modern scholars agree that this commandment prohibited the giving of false testimony in a judicial trial. It was not a law against lying in a general sense. Lying while under oath was extremely important as the oath itself was important. The sixth amendment to the Constitution gives one the right to be confronted by his witnesses. We know that in every case the witness must take an oath to tell the truth. It is still critical that what a witness says be truthful. You shall not covet….. There have been great differences in the preaching of this commandment.
It has gone from a law against desiring what is not yours all the way to not only desiring but also taking what is not yours. The impact in society revolves around a man’s right to his property. This concept of property rights exist not only in the United States but in every country in the world, even those practicing communism. Whether any particular group of Americans at any particular time in our history has believed in a particular religion, it cannot be denied that religion has had a major impact in the formation growth and continuation of our country. As religious laws are interpreted, re-interpreted, and re-applied, so shall our laws and our system of crimes and punishments. But at the core of all civil law, we will always be able to trace the hand of God.