Arkansas Legislature Passes "10" Commandments Bill – Unintended Indictment of Arkansas Education System?

Arkansas Legislature Passes "10" Commandments Bill –

Unintended Indictment of Arkansas Education System?

            As has been not as widely reported as was the passage and then the amendment of the Arkansas Religious Freedom Restoration Act, the Arkansas legislature has passed legislation approving of a 10 Commandments monument on the state capitol grounds (albeit paid for with private funds).

            While the findings in the bill to the effect that the 10 Commandments formed a foundational text of the United States and Arkansas and lay out a philosophy of government are certainly open to critique and criticism, that can be a discussion for another day.  Rather, what is initially interesting is that the bill sets forth the required text of the 10 Commandments, namely:

“The Ten Commandments

I AM the LORD thy God.  

Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven images.

Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain.

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

Thou shalt not kill.

Thou shalt not commit adultery.

Thou shalt not steal.

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his  maidservant, nor his cattle, nor anything that is thy neighbor's.”

That is copied directly from the bill.  What is interesting is what happens when you start numbering the “10” Commandments, namely:

“The Ten Commandments

I AM the LORD thy God.  

(1)   Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

(2)   Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven images.

(3)   Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain.

(4)   Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

(5)   Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

(6)   Thou shalt not kill.

(7)   Thou shalt not commit adultery.

(8)   Thou shalt not steal.

(9)   Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

(10) Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house.

(11) Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his  maidservant, nor his cattle, nor anything that is thy neighbor's.”

Last time I checked eleven was not ten.  Is there something in the Arkansas education system we should know about?

Now I’m not suggesting that the 10 Commandments are not important, although I view their posting by or with the support of the state to be a violation of the Establishment Clause.  What is important to realize is that various denominations number the Commandments differently in order to make different combinations so that the total number is 10 (and not 11).  In the Catholic tradition the numbers (1) and (2) above are a single commandment, while in Talmudic Judaism the “no coveting” (10) and (11) above are combined.  Maybe Arkansas wanted to avoid legislative adoption of one or the other of the numbering systems in order to avoid an Establishment Clause argument, but in doing so they gave us the 11 Commandments on a 10 Commandments monument.