By Rep. Hamilton Grant, South Carolina House of Representatives
As a Christian and a supporter of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, I hold the Ten Commandments in deep reverence. They are central to our moral understanding of how we love God and neighbor. But honoring Scripture does not require—and should never permit—the state to weaponize it for political gain.
In the coming days, the South Carolina House of Representatives will debate House Bill 3217, which would require the Ten Commandments to be posted in every public school classroom. Supporters portray this bill as a defense of faith. In reality, it represents a dangerous distortion of both the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the United States Constitution.
This debate is not about whether Christians support the Ten Commandments. We do. The real question is whether the government has the authority to impose a specific religious text—written in the King James Version—within public classrooms serving students of many faiths and none. The First Amendment exists precisely to prevent this kind of state-sponsored religion.
That choice is not neutral. Jewish communities number the commandments differently. Catholic and Protestant traditions vary in emphasis. Non-Christian students are excluded altogether. This is not religious freedom; it is religious preference enforced by law.
There are also real-world consequences. Most educators in South Carolina are not trained theologians, nor should they be expected to be. Yet this bill invites students to ask religious questions that teachers are neither equipped nor authorized to answer. That is unfair to educators, confusing for students, and irresponsible policymaking.
We must also be honest about who is pushing this legislation.
The primary sponsors of House Bill 3217 are members of the South Carolina Freedom Caucus, a group known for its religious rhetoric but resistant to policies that reflect the moral heart of Scripture—care for the poor, protection of children, humility, and justice. Scripture warns us plainly: “This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”
That warning feels especially relevant when some associated with this movement—including its former founder—have faced serious legal scrutiny and indictments. More recently, Freedom Caucus member R.J. May has been the subject of criminal allegations that have drawn statewide concern. While these matters deserve due process, the contradiction is glaring.
It is hypocritical to demand that children stare at the Ten Commandments on classroom walls while some of the loudest advocates for this bill appear unwilling to embody those commandments themselves.
Jesus condemned performative faith. He rebuked those who loved public displays of piety while neglecting justice and mercy. He did not call us to display Scripture for show—He called us to live it.
The timing of this bill also exposes its emptiness. South Carolina ranks near the bottom nationally in reading proficiency, teacher pay, and educational outcomes. Too many children cannot read at grade level. Schools lack counselors and basic resources. Yet instead of addressing these crises, the legislature is focused on symbolic gestures that do nothing to educate a child.
Symbolism without substance is not righteousness—it is distraction.
Mandating the King James Version of the Ten Commandments also participates in a long tradition of using a narrow, culturally selective Christianity to advance political power. This is how the Gospel becomes whitewashed—stripped of its call to justice—and repurposed to serve nationalist ideology. History reminds us that Scripture has been misused before to justify slavery and segregation. The Gospel does not need state enforcement to survive.
The AME Church was born in resistance to such distortions. Richard Allen and the early Black church rejected a Christianity that preached obedience while denying dignity. That legacy calls the church to vigilance today.
Now more than ever, the Church of Richard Allen must be vigilant, visible, and vocal.
As a member of the South Carolina General Assembly, I can say this plainly: my colleagues are not afraid of symbolic visits to the State House. What changes the political landscape is when clergy and lay leaders organize, educate congregations, and mobilize communities consistently.
Faith is most powerful not when posted on walls, but when it moves people.
If we truly believe in the Ten Commandments, let us live them—teaching them in our homes and churches, modeling justice, humility, and love. But let us reject any attempt to weaponize Scripture while ignoring its demands.
The Gospel deserves better. Our children deserve better. And our democracy depends on a church that knows the difference.
(Editor’s Note: As of publication, the Bill has passed the South Carolina State House of Representatives and is now being considered by the South Carolina State Senate).
