BY NATHAN BROWN

ne of the recurring news items from the United States that we hear on this side of the world—although generally only through religious media channels—is the ongoing debate, court cases, and protests about placing the Ten Commandments in public places. In a physical sense it's an issue that seems largely confined to conservative elements of American culture—and those reacting against that culture—without much apparent significance in wider circles. However, there is a broader philosophical and spiritual form of this discussion. Even in a notably secularized country such as Australia, we recently had a senior conservative politician (addressing a major Christian gathering) urging greater attention be given to the commandments.

The question raised by these impulses is Why do some Christians give such prominence to the commandments? Commentator Kurt Vonnegut recently made the following observation: "For some reason, the most vocal Christians among us never mention the Beatitudes. But, often with tears in their eyes, they demand that the Ten Commandments be posted in public buildings.

. . . I haven't heard one of them demand that the Sermon on the Mount, the Beatitudes, be posted anywhere."

The Ten Commandments are vitally important. They are the words of God Himself, setting rules for good and godly living in the new Hebrew nation and for humanity in general. But the too often overlooked beatitudes are also the words of God Himself spoken on a mountainside, giving instructions for citizenship in the new form of the kingdom of God on earth. As far as living a God-directed life, both statements are seminal.

Yet there are a couple obvious reasons for the apparent preference for the Ten Commandments over the Beatitudes in the displays and lobbying of public religiosity.

The first is that it is easier to tell ourselves we are living in accord with a negative prohibition than a positive command to action; it is easier to "do not . . ." than to live up to "God blesses those who are . . ."

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus apparently turns up the impulse of the commandments. No longer, it seems, is it good enough to not murder and not commit adultery; the follower of Jesus has to also realize the evil of his or her thoughts. In a real sense the commandments feel more comfortable, especially among apparently respectable, moral church folk.

We can be tempted at times to think the Sermon on the Mount is just too idealistic. In considering "the crisis of the Sermon on the Mount," Philip Yancey reflects, "Though I have tried at times to dismiss it as rhetorical excess, the more I study Jesus, the more I realize that the statements contained here lie at the heart of His message. If I fail to understand this teaching, I fail to understand Him" (The Jesus I Never Knew, p. 105).

The other temptation toward placing the commandments over the Beatitudes is as wide as the space between status quo and revolution. Regardless of whether they are tacked onto public buildings, the commandments form a significant foundation of legal systems in most Western countries. The godship of God is often given lip service, and there is not too much argument against "not killing" and "not stealing" (although the fact that our entire economic systems are based on covetousness is conveniently ignored). Indeed, the moral obligations of the commandments fit conveniently with the law-and-order, tough-on-crime political campaigns, so popular among conservative politicians and voters.

Here again, the Beatitudes are far more troubling. The Beatitudes demand a political, social, and economic revolution. The Sermon on the Mount is on the side of the poor, the oppressed, and the forgotten. The Beatitudes challenge the comfort of the status quo.

When we observe these ongoing public debates, the disturbing conclusion is that much of what is offered publicly as Christian religion is conservative political activism in the guise of faith. Campaigning for the placement of the Ten Commandments on public buildings has little to do with authentic Christianity. Being Beatitude people is about being salt and light in far more practical ways. It might be easier and safer to choose the commandments—but Jesus does not give us that choice.

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Nathan Brown is editor of the South Pacific edition of Signs of the Times and the South Pacific Division Record.