Scoville told us, in part:

Pardon my being simplistic, but the Ten Commandments aren't a bad set of guidelines.

I think it worth noting here that only part of the Ten Commandments merit treatment as a generally applicable set of guidelines, independent of ritual tools for control of the populace.

Yes, rules against adultery, against stealing, against murder, against bearing false witness or false swearing (which is a different thing than merely "lying", and absolutely different from merely using bad language), against covetousness, and for honoring your father and mother, are salutary rules, suitable for anyone to follow. They tend to improve personal character, and tend to improve society.

And I suppose that keeping a day set aside from labor has a social value too, although I see this rule, in context, as more pertinent to the next paragraph than the previous one.

But having "no other gods before me", "making unto thee no graven image", not "taking the name of the Lord thy God in vain", are purely ritual control devices.

Thus, I believe that six (or six and a half) of the ten make a good set of guidelines, but to post ALL TEN of them in a public place (such as a courthouse) by use of public civil authority is inappropriate in a pluralistic society, especially in view of the Constitutional separation of church and State.

Dave Oesterreich