Changing Student Behavior
In 1982, not long after my wife and I married, I bought a beautiful grandfather clock that stands in our entry hall to this day. It chimes a lovely Westminster melody on the quarter hour and then bongs the time on the hour. It is my prized possession, except for my books—and, of course, our mixed-terrier.
Occasionally, when guests spend the night, I have to silence the chimes. A number of years ago, friends spent several nights with us and complained about the noise. During their first morning with us, I asked if they had slept well. They hemmed and hawed, not wanting to offend or embarrass us, but finally confessed they didn’t sleep well at all. The chiming of the grandfather clock kept them awake all night long.
Strange, I thought to myself, the clock is just outside my bedroom door, but I never hear the chimes, unless I listen for them. The guest’s bedroom is on the opposite side of the house, where I hadn’t even given a second thought that the clock might disturb them. For our friends, however, who were unaccustomed to the quarterly hour noise, it robbed them of a peaceful night’s rest. Now, whenever we have overnight guests, I always silence the clock. If you ever stay with us, please remind me!
For over 40 years, the clock has stood in the hallways of wherever we have lived. I sometimes stop whatever I am doing and listen to the beautiful sound of the chimes, but unless I intentionally pay attention, the chimes toll on without my noticing. I’ve simply grown accustomed to their music.
Experiences that we encounter every day can easily become routine and lose their significance. We can take for granted the many acts of love showered upon us by a spouse. Then, when our spouse leaves for a few days, and we are left to fend for ourselves, we discover afresh that a spouse’s contribution is anything but routine. We can grow use to the rattle in the dash of our car and take no mind of it, until someone else rides with us and calls attention to the obtrusive racket. We can enjoy good health and assume that it will continue indefinitely, and take no heed of our diet or the amount of exercise required to stay fit. We just take our bodies for granted—until something goes wrong.
Religious experiences fall into this category as well. We may attend church regularly but, if we’re not attentive, worship can become merely routine, without special or holy significance. How often, a few days after a worship service, do we struggle to remember the biblical text or even the titles of the songs?
We can become blind or lose sensitivity to anything we do or see on a routine basis, whether it’s a clock in the hallway, a spouse, an irritating noise or even worship. The sacred can easily become mundane when it becomes routine.
I suppose that’s one reason—and there are many others as well—why I’m troubled by public schools posting the Ten Commandments in the classrooms. But before I explain why I am concerned, perhaps a little background is needed.
These sacred laws were given by God to the children of Israel a thousand years before Jesus. They played a critical role in sealing the relationship between God and the slaves who had escaped from Egypt. If Israel agreed to keep the commandments, according to Scripture, then they would become God’s priestly nation, that is, a nation devoted to modeling for the world a new way of life—life with God.
Oil painting by Gebhard Fugel depicting Moses receiving the Ten Commandments from God on Mt. Sinai.
God did not force the commandments on Israel. It was a voluntary commitment. Israel did not have to agree to these contract obligations, which specifically entailed obeying the commandments. They could have said, “No thanks, God, we want to go our own way.” But Israel consented and pledged they would follow God’s laws—the irony, of course, is that Israel’s entire history shows disregard for the commandments, as the prophets bear witness.
The point is, though, that the covenant between God and Israel was one of free choice. Israel voluntarily pledged to honor and obey God’s laws. God did not force the laws upon them.
By placing the commandments inside public classrooms, students are daily confronted by a religious dogma they may not have agreed to. If religion is not a voluntary choice, free of any and all coercion, intimidation or manipulation, then it becomes evil. A religion, which seeks to persuade others of its merits or truths, must avoid any pressure that might rob a person of free choice.
Faith in God is a deeply sacred and personal experience. It should never be treated casually or routinely. The Ten Commandments, if imposed upon students, or even suspected by students to be some kind of religious directive, will no doubt create resentment, even ridicule, and, in no time at all, will become just another prop that students ignore or cover up with posters that advertise the next big school event. The commandments will be deprived of their power, for their strength resides in the voluntary acceptance and willingness to embrace them. That’s why religion is rightly taught in churches, synagogues and other places of worship, where people voluntarily congregate, and not in public schools.
If public officials are concerned about the morals of high school students, they might begin by modeling the commandments in their legislatures and government offices. After all, moral behavior is more caught than taught. Jesus never wrote a book or article, yet his life has influenced millions, for he exemplified life with God.
Young people learn morals by observing their parents, neighbors, government leaders, entertainers and athletes. They closely watch teachers, coaches, and administrators. They pay attention to how parents act in school meetings, ball games, and social activities. When young people see and hear people in positions of power lie, distort the truth, commit sexual crimes and line their bank accounts by dubious means, all the commandments in the world will make little difference.
If the morals and ethical values of our students are really deficient, then maybe it’s because their adult models are deficient. If we are really concerned with behavior in schools, then adults should start setting a better example. The way we live are the tablets of stone our kids pay attention to. Are students not simply following what is being modeled before them? If so, then posting the Ten Commandments in the classroom will have little positive effect, for actions speak far louder than words.
