By Russell Gregory

Years ago, when I was providing a reference over the phone to a delegate, she asked me, a professor of religious studies, what I thought about the urge in some communities to place the Ten Commandents on the wall of a public building.

Except for the first four, which are religious and tied to a covenant between God and the people who had just left Egypt, there are similar prescriptions the world over. So I suggested, especially in schools, to put up Buddhist, Jainist and Israelite/Jewish/Christian (?) commands together to show that there are basic standards to be followed in a responsible society.

I don’t think she raised that possibility in the House of Delegates. Let me explain why I placed a parenthetical question mark above. What are called the “Ten Commandments” are part of a lengthy covenant that includes many more stipulations than are addressed in the Ten Commandments.

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Gregory is emeritus professor of religious studies at Radford University.