I was listening to Jason Whitlock earlier this week. His opening monologue had to do with votes versus values. His point was the government will never solve problems because in part the people running the government, politicians, are far more concerned with garnering votes than they are with promoting core values. If government could operate on a set of core principles that reflected true values worth promoting, it might have an outside chance of solving a few problems. So what core values do we promote? Why not the 10 commandments?

You can remove the 10 commandments from any religious sect, and I would be hard pressed to find anyone that would disagree with the values these principles provide to a civilized society. I was discussing the idea with a family member who basically agreed but did not think the first four commandments would be appropriate. She was wrong.

To recap commandments 5 through 10 admonish you or remind you to honor your mother and father, to not murder, commit adultery, or steal; to not bear false witness, and to not covet. Most people would agree that these are good principles and expectations by which we could live our lives and thus create a civilized society. These commandments generally have to do with respecting other people.

Let's look at the first 4 commandments and why she thought these would not be applicable to everyone. A cursory reading could lead you to the conclusion that she was right, but it's understanding the sentiment behind these commandments that I believe makes them applicable to anyone no matter which religion they may practice or which God they may worship.

 You can lump the first two commandments together; you shall have no other God before Me, and you shall not make idols. These two commandments are about respect and loyalty. These are also a promise to live by the principles set forth by God. If you want to secularize these commandments, you could say that we promise to have no other country before ours. We are promising to be loyal to this country and not put any other country's interests before those of our own. We are promising to support not only the rest of the commandments but the principles of freedom, opportunity, and liberty for all.

We live in a time where so many people think that putting America first is a bad thing. But most of us would never think twice about putting our family's interests before those of others. It doesn't mean that we are doing harm to others or denying them the opportunity to provide for and take care of their country or family. But when we take care of ourselves first, we are in a position to then provide aid or assistance to others. If we don't take care of ourselves then we can't help take care of anyone else.

The third commandment tells us not to take the Lord's name in vain. We don't like being called bad names, do we? Of course not. This is about respect. When we begin to disrespect others, it becomes a way of life. It takes root in our heart and sows discontent. We must respect ourselves and we must respect others. This brings peace and order to society. It allows the society to focus its efforts on prospering.

Finally, the 4th commandment requires us to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. Jesus explained that the Sabbath was a day to rest and reflect upon creation, so we would be ready to serve God and others. Science tells us that having a day to recharge our batteries, to take care of our personal well-being, prepares us to do our best. We can refocus upon our purpose in life and the principles by which we live. it puts us in a better position to accomplish our goals and quite simply to be happy.

When you look at everything from this perspective, even the atheists and agnostics would have to agree these are good principles by which one should live one's life. They won't, of course, because they are intolerant. But if the politicians would put these values above their desire to gain votes, our country would be in a much better place.