The Supreme Court will soon decide whether displaying the Ten Commandments on government property is constitutionally “kosher,” as Cal Thomas put it in a recent column (March 10). Thomas, a staunch Protestant, believes the Christians behind this effort are in error, compromising their beliefs for a bone of state recognition.

Thomas contends that the Ten Commandments, being “uniquely Jewish,” don’t pertain to Christians. Christ fulfilled them perfectly, but Christians themselves are powerless to do so, given that the human condition is sin, which God’s grace itself doesn’t remedy. To quote Thomas’ spiritual ancestor, Martin Luther, Christians must “put the Ten Commandments out of mind.”

Only faith in Christ is needful for justification and salvation, Thomas goes on. If obedience to the commandments is added to faith, faith is nullified. This is an undeniable inference from Thomas’ argument.

What’s wrong with this picture? The fact that Thomas presents these ideas as the beliefs of all Christians. In reality, they’re only the beliefs of very many Protestants.

Their differences notwithstanding, Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Christians believe that Christ fulfilled the commandments perfectly. But they don’t believe the commandments have no part in the Christian life; they don’t believe in the total corruption of human nature; and they categorically reject the doctrine of salvation by faith alone (Matthew 19:16-17).

Thomas doesn’t know this? On the contrary, I think he must. Could it be, then, that he doesn’t regard Catholics and the Orthodox as Christians? I believe that’s the case.

William LaRochelle, Lewiston

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