We have been LIED TO for decades by historical revisionists who falsely insist America was not founded on Judeo-Christian principles.

Today, we will look at the indisputable history of the Ten Commandments in the law and government, and how Liberty Counsel’s landmark 9-0 win at the U.S. Supreme Court in 2022 is helping to restore the Judeo-Christian principles that made America great. Read on. — Mat

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Ever since a rogue Supreme Court invented the “Lemon Test” out of thin air in 1971, cities, states, and government agencies have been forced to remove religious symbols, and particularly the Ten Commandments, from public view. As a result, many people believe the lie that America was not founded on Judeo-Christian principles.

Yet, indisputable history proves that the Decalogue is the basis of American law and government. Our 9-0 win in Shurtleff v. City of Boston, which ended the “Lemon Test” once and for all, has created a sea change that will reverberate for generations.

The First Commandment states, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” In 1610, Virginia required its leaders to give “allegiance” to God, “from whom all power and authority is derived,” and who is the “King of kings, the Commander of commanders, and Lord of hosts.”

Even today, every state constitution references God or a Supreme Being.

The Second Commandment forbids the making of idols. In 1680, the New Hampshire colony enacted an idolatry law.

The Third Commandment relates to not taking God’s name in vain. The Third Commandment was adopted by Virginia in 1610 (“That no man blaspheme God’s holy name”) and by Connecticut in 1639. Other colonies passed similar laws: Massachusetts in 1641, Connecticut in 1642, New Hampshire in 1680, General Laws and Liberties of New Hampshire (1680), reprinted in Colonial Origins at 6; Pennsylvania in 1682, 1700, 1741, and 1810, South Carolina in 1695 and 1814, North Carolina in 1741 and 1814.

The Fourth Commandment states, “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.” Virginia adopted the Fourth Commandment in 1610, New Haven in 1653, New Hampshire in 1680, Pennsylvania in 1682 and 1705, South Carolina in 1712, North Carolina in 1741, and Connecticut in 1751.

The Fifth Commandment exhorts children to honor their parents. Connecticut adopted the Fifth Commandment in 1642. In 1934, the Louisiana Court of Appeals referred specifically to the Ten Commandments in Ruiz v. Clancy, stating “‘Honor thy father and thy mother,’ is as much a command of the municipal law as it is a part of the Decalogue, regarded as holy by every Christian people.” “A child,” says the code, “whatever be his age, owes honor and respect to his father and mother.”

The Sixth Commandment simply states, “Thou shalt not kill.” Every state held and continues to forbid murder, and the courts over time have prolifically traced the origin of prohibitions against murder to the Bible.

In the 1932 case Young v. Commonwealth, the court wrote that “all forms of governments following the promulgation of Moses at Mt. Sinai has required of each and every one of its citizens that ‘Thou shalt not murder.’”

In the 1998 case Wisconsin v. Schultz, a Wisconsin appeals court quoted a 1974 Indiana Supreme Court opinion that stated, “Virtually all criminal laws are in one way or another the progeny of Judeo-Christian ethics. We have no intention to overrule the Ten Commandments.”

The Seventh Commandment states, “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” A 1641 Massachusetts law declared adultery illegal. Similar laws were enacted by Connecticut in 1642, Rhode Island in 1647, New Hampshire in 1680, and Pennsylvania in 1705.

The Eighth Commandment states, “Thou shalt not steal.” Again, every colony and state adopted a ban on theft. In 1826, James Kent, who is widely considered one of the two “Fathers of American Jurisprudence,” made clear the connection between anti-theft laws and the Bible, writing, “To overturn justice by plundering others tended to destroy civil society, to violate the law of nature, and the institutions of Heaven.”

The Ninth Commandment prohibits perjury or bearing “false witness.” This Commandment became the foundation for our judicial system. Connecticut enacted anti-perjury laws in 1642, Massachusetts in 1641, Rhode Island in 1647, and New Hampshire in 1680. In Watts v. Gerking, the Oregon Supreme Court specifically cited the Ten Commandments, writing, “No official is above the law. ‘Thou shalt not bear false witness’ is a command of the Decalogue, and that forbidden act is denounced by the statute as a felony.”

The Tenth Commandment prohibits coveting. John Adams, the first vice president and second president, talked about property rights and stated, “If ‘Thou shalt not covet’ and ‘Thou shalt not steal’ were not commandments of Heaven, they must be made inviolable precepts in every society before it can be civilized or made free.” This commandment has been cited as the basis of civil laws against defamation, cattle rustling, election fraud, and white-collar crime.

The Ten Commandments played a major role in the foundation of American law. Any other conclusion would require erasing innumerable pages of American history. Displaying the Ten Commandments, either alone, or in the context of historical documents, is appropriate and consistent with our American heritage.

As you know, Liberty Counsel won a historic 9-0 victory at the U.S. Supreme Court last fall defending religious freedom in Shurtleff v. City of Boston, and our powerful amicus brief in the Coach Kennedy case was cited in the Court’s ruling. These two actions destroyed the Lemon Test once and for all, making public expressions of faith LEGAL once more.

Now we must fight to protect the rights we won back from radicals seeking to eliminate religious freedom. WE NEED YOUR HELP.

Our legal work is always free for our clients as few could afford to take on a government gone mad. Instead, our clients rely on YOU, faithful Liberty Counsel supporters, to fund the fight for religious liberty. Every donation made today will be DOUBLED IN IMPACT by a generous Challenge Grant.

Mat Staver
Founder and Chairman
Liberty Counsel

P.S. Select here to download your FREE copy of our powerful booklet The Ten Commandments in American Law and Government. Use this document to educate friends, neighbors, and even government leaders on America’s biblical foundation! 

Sources:

“The Ten Commandments Remain in Place Due to Death of ‘Lemon Test.’” Liberty Counsel, March 22, 2023. https://lc.org/newsroom/details/032223-the-ten-commandments-remain-in-place-due-to-death-of-lemon-test.