God's Word asks believers to follow two commandments, not 10

A small but vocal religious group has restated certain of its religious beliefs as political positions. This letter criticizes one of those political positions.

There are politico-religious leaders who decry America’s purported “moral decay” and call for instituting “God’s law.” For instance, Mike Huckabee, ordained Baptist minister and Republican presidential hopeful in 2008, said: “...that’s what we need to do – to amend the Constitution, so it’s in God’s standards.” Presumably, he meant Mosaic law, which the Bible said was handed down to Moses for use by the Jews.

The question of whether Christians should observe Mosaic law arose early on in church history. But Paul, in Acts 15, said in no uncertain terms that Christians are not bound by Mosaic law.

Specifically, Paul said, “...why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke (the Mosaic law) that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear?”

The Bible said Jesus replaced the Ten Commandments with just two commands.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” and “Love your neighbor as yourself,” according to Luke 10:27. Obviously, Mosaic law at most applies only to Jews.

I believe there would be much less divisiveness in our country if politico-religious activists would stop trying to make the Ten Commandments the law of the land. The de facto basis for our secular law – do no harm to others – is fully satisfactory for our diverse population.

John H. Terrell