Should I have a problem with a teacher that claims the 10 commandments influenced early democracy?

Answer 1

If this is something which came up during some general conversation, then no there is no problem. However, if the teacher is teaching this as part of a course and as fact then you have a real problem.

First, to disagree with the teacher will likely do you no good and possibly fail the course.

Secondly, the teacher is entirely wrong. The idea that the Christian Ten Commandments greatly influenced the Founders is a modern inaccurate spin on history. A number of factors apply here:

One, many of the Founders were Deists and not Christians in the modern sense. Certainly this applies to Thomas Jefferson and if you read the “Rules of Civility & Decent Behaviour In Company and Conversation” (transcribed by George Washington at the age of 16), which were sourced in Stoic writers such as Seneca.

Two, of Founders none were more passionate about Christianity than Patrick Henry, a preacher, however, even he would have blanched at the thought of defining government by the rules of Christianity. These Founders were first hand familiar with government overly influenced by religious (Christian) philosophy and structure. They wanted no such influence.

Three, the Founders were quite well read and familiar with differing experiments of government with such writers as Locke, Smith and certainly Montesquieu’s Spirit of the Law.

Four, going into the history of England some 3,000 years the concept of Common Law developed. While Common Law has its roots in the Village law of both Celtic and Saxon peoples, it was first formalized in 1215 as The Great Charter (Magna Carta). This evolution of the Common Law had as much (or more) to do with what would become the Constitution of the United States than anything else.

Answer 2

No, I do not believe you should have a problem with this, especially if you are looking at them as a historical fact. In conjuction with your teacher yes, I believe that they did influence early democracy. Remember that they were laws and, as such, formed the basis of many of the laws that were created after them. Ignoring the Christian applications, the laws dealt with prohibitions aginst stealing, murder, falsehoods (which relates to lying in a court of law) and numerous areas relating to both criminal and civil law. They also recognized the right of the common man to justice, that the law held sway over everyone, no matter how important they were (although some people still do not get this concept).

Democracy as a term came from the Greeks however it (as a form of government) was practised by other peoples as well. Whether it predates the 10 Commandments is a matter for debate. Certainly the 10 Commandments provided a basis for modern democratic law although in a much simplified form. The mention of the 10 commandments has nothing to do with the separation of church and state. If you get down to it, and we were not taught anything in school with a "religious basis", history would be a very short class. All religions have played a part in the historical development of the world today.

Answer 3

It depends on how you define "early" democracy. In my case I would define "early" democracy as the classical model such as was practiced in ancient Greece and elsewhere. Other somewhat more ethno-centric types however would tend to define "early" democracy as that which was borne out of the age of liberalism in western Europe and North America. Depending on which definition you subscribe to, this statement could be both true or false. I would imagine your teacher is subscribing to the latter mindset and if I were you, I would challenge that rather than the religious overtones. When you get into that you get into opinion and faith, which in most circumstances cannot be proven wrong and is unassailable by logic. If you stick to the more academic angle of democracy being a concept that has transcended western liberalism though, you can't lose.

One other thing that I would like to point out which seems to get lost in modern religious thought. In one way or another, you could find evidence to suggest the Ten Commandments influenced every society from the dawn of time. This happens because rather than being this high moral code handed down from God such as some "believers" might suggest, what the commandments are is a basic articulation of what makes any society work. To function as a member of a society, you have to respect your neighbours' physical well being, you have to speak the truth and respect others goods and work. You have to respect experience and use it to your advantage. You have to respect your neighbours sexual relationships. You can't embrace jealousy. You have to take time to be thankful for your blessings and you need to respect the divine that is in the world and speak of it and cite it appropriately. The reason for all of it is not to be some goodie-goodie. The reason is that if you don't you will harm your neighbours who in turn will be looking to harm you back. Liberalism and democracy both require that people respect and encourage the development of and ordered society that works for the benefit of all. That means it needs all the same things that are articulated in the Ten Commandments. In the end what I guess I'm getting at is the Ten Commandments only influenced modern democracy because that was how people of the era of liberalism had these basic tenants articulated to them. The fact they were articulated like that doesn't mean much though. Were democracy to develop in any other society they would have embraced the same mindset no matter where it was written down.

Good luck with your argument

Answer 4

Why should you he's right. The 10 commandments are the foundation of western law and democracy, basic moral law. Without civil and moral interaction among the citizens you can not have democracy among the citizens.
Does he mean the earliest forms of Grecian democracy or early American democracy?
For example "Thou shall not bear false witness" in court you can not give false information, lie or perjure yourself etc. BTW most people the preach about the separation of church and state from a secularist point of view usually have it backwards and really don't understand the concept.

Answer 5

Why should you? it is a historical fact that our founding fathers were very much Christian as well as Free Masons. our early Democracy was heavily influenced by both factions.

As long as they are teaching it as a historical situation and are not bible thumping then I see no problem with it being taught in schools. Some times Religion is History whether you beleive in their faith or not.

Hope that helps.


I agree that not all were Christians. It was just a time period when it was strong. the one thing that is true is that a good portion were Free Masons. I would say the Free Masons had more influence than Religion did. i do not know who the thumbs down idiot is, but everyone is entiltled to an opinion and if you do not like it this shows immaturity giving a thumbs down. In fact the whole thumbs up down things is immature.

Yes Thomas Jefferson was very intellegent and not influenced by Religion, the reason most came to this continet was to avoid Prosection, but do not forget we did our own prosections during the Witch trials.

fact is fact, you do not have to beleive in God or the Bible as a holy relic, it is HOWEVER a historical document especially the old ones written by hand by monks. SUre i agree they are written by Man and are probably biased, but regadless what history book does not have this in it? it takes the good Historian to look beyond the bs and look for the historical facts and the bible is a historical document whether you beleive in god or not. I DO NOT, but i still beleive it is History.

Answer 6

Yes you should.

You people need to understand this is not an 'opinion,' it is a fallacy. People don't have the right to be mistaken and worse, teach their inaccuracies to students.

And Kekionga, democracy as an institution existed in ancient Athens, which knew nothing of the 10 Commandments that hadn't even been completely established yet. It's possible that the mosaic law was written down before the Bible, but it had no influence whatsoever on the establishment of democracy. Thus 'values' and 'religious beliefs' played no part.

If you're referring to 'American' democracy then you need to say so. Yes, the 10 Commandments influenced that to a point, but the founding fathers were Deists, not Judeo-Christians.

Answer 7

Absolutely not. Early American politics was deeply influenced by Christianity. Even the Puritans, who fled religious persecution in England, desired the freedom to practice Christianity, not atheism. The separation of church and state is a modern invention. However, early Greek democracy (ancient Athens) was not influenced by Christianity.

Answer 8

It is entirely possible, considering the bible is supposed to have been written during the period when the largest property owners were the rulers.
But, I seriously doubt that the influence was very great, I feel that democracy was created more out of desperation than religion.

Answer 9

If it's not taught in the books, it's strictly their opinion. Everyone is entitled to theirs. But there is such a thing as separation of church and state. By the way early democracy predates the time when the 10 commandments were put in the bible.

Answer 10

No, I don't think you should. Everyone is entitled to his or her beliefs, perceptions and points of view. You do not have to agree with that teacher. If you disagree then say so but don't make one person's personal opinion become a problem for you.