It actually would not be better to display the Beatitudes instead of the Ten Commandments in schools

The idea, offered by some, to post the Beatitudes instead of the Ten Commandments misses something important about both.

Gov. Jeff Landry signed a law that made Louisiana the only state in the Union to require all elementary schools to display the Ten Commandments. Of course, advocates of the separation of church and state and those warning against Christian Nationalism have spoken adamantly against this law. Many pointed out Landry’s hypocrisy by claiming to support Christian values while rejecting money for school lunches. 

Donald Trump, hardly an observer of the Ten Commandments, seized the opportunity to gain support for himself. Here’s what the former president and Republican nominee said:

Trump is not a religious person but has appealed to Christian faith to grow his popularity. He’s obviously very ignorant about our faith, but, like a parasite on its host, tries to get as much out of it as he can to advance himself.

The idea that the Ten Commandments should be used as an expression of state power is a serious misinterpretation. Christian Nationalists who promote this miss the point of the Ten Commandments and the Torah as a whole. Their interpretation is self-serving and fundamentally flawed.

The Torah and the Christian Old Testament are about fidelity to God. In fact, the very first commandment is about putting no gods before God. Appealing to the state to prop up our God is doing the very opposite. This sort of alliance with worldly power is what the Torah warns against. God is God, not because Louisiana displays the Ten Commandments. God doesn’t need the United States to be the only God worthy to be worshiped. God doesn’t need a national power; in fact, God rejects political powers that seek to displace God from God’s rightful throne. A “Christian nation” is a kind of contradiction in terms.

It is essential for Christians, in particular, to demonstrate that the Christian Old Testament and the Ten Commandments are an indictment of what Trump and Landry are doing. Unfortunately, one response on the part of some well-meaning persons of faith is to propose that what should be posted is another part of our scripture–such as the Beatitudes. The Daily Beast had a column that featured this very idea. I found a similar one from a Texas state representative, as well.

 Even Kurt Vonnegut, a wise man, beautiful writer, and prophetic voice against the U.S.’s militarism, falls into the same trap:

“For some reason, the most vocal Christians among us never mention the Beatitudes (Matthew 5). But, often with tears in their eyes, they demand that the Ten Commandments be posted in public buildings. And of course, that's Moses, not Jesus. I haven't heard one of them demand that the Sermon on the Mount, the Beatitudes, be posted anywhere. 'Blessed are the merciful' in a courtroom? 'Blessed are the peacemakers' in the Pentagon? Give me a break!”―Kurt Vonnegut, A Man Without a Country

Vonnegut isn’t making a serious policy point, nor is he offering a biblical narrative. He is speaking in jest, with his characteristic wit and sarcasm. But lest we think we are above reproach, even someone as brilliant as Vonnegut makes the same mistake. Even the most profound among us should be careful.

Not only does this alternative not correct the problem of asking the government to display our sacred scriptures, it also reveals supersessionism which so often covers up antisemitism. 

Saying that the Ten Commandments are “Moses, not Jesus” is revealing. The Ten Commandments were given to Moses by God. Secondly, Jesus is God. Moreover, to post that the idea behind the phrase “blessed are the peacemakers” or “blessed are the merciful” aren’t found in the Christian Old Testament is just a poor reading of that scripture.

It’s inappropriate to contrast the Beatitudes with the Christian Old Testament as if they are contradictory. From the very first of the Beatitudes, we see clear allusions to the Christian Old Testament. Isaiah 61:1, says God brings good news to the poor. “Blessed are the poor in spirit” makes the same case. When Jesus tells us that those who mourn will be comforted, he is continuing his reference to Isaiah 61. The meek inheriting the earth is a direct quotation of Psalm 37:11. Blessing the merciful is blessing those who act like God (Exodus 34:6). The Psalmist also calls us to pursue peace (Psalm 34:14), which, again, is directly referenced when Jesus says “blessed are the peacemakers.”

Supposing that the New Testament is “superior” to the Christian Old Testament essentially says that Christian scriptures are superior to Jewish scriptures. This is Christian Supremacist and antisemitic on its face—in fact, it shares a border with Christian Nationalism. I don’t mean to chastise proponents of these ideas. They are so common that there are now efforts across the church to teach the Christian Old Testament better.

The Beatitudes and the entirety of the Sermon on the Mount are a commentary on the Torah. Jesus is offering his interpretation and understanding of the Law of Moses. He is engaging in a tradition of interpretation, and even Jesus’ interpretation in the Sermon on the Mount is not novel, but rooted in a specific Jewish tradition. The Beatitudes reflect the heart of the Torah, whose center is the Decalogue. We are in the same biblical tradition, and it reveals our biases when we hold one of the other. 

Rather than arguing about the meaning of the Ten Commandments, I’d rather call out those who use them for political gain. The point is to continue to interpret and follow the powerful teachings they offer, which are an indictment of Christian Nationalists like Landry and Trump.