Tim Scott, a Christian 'above all other things': How a Ten Commandments fight shaped him

A cornerstone of Republican Tim Scott's political career has been an unyielding faith, which the South Carolina senator has showcased repeatedly during a state-to-state hopscotch exploring his likely 2024 presidential bid.

It's a message Scott, who officially filed on Friday, is comfortable advertising whether appearing on liberal-leaning programs such as The Daily Show or speaking at the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition, where hundreds of Christian conservatives assembled in April.

"We must tell the story of our Constitution that the First Amendment was written to protect the church from the state, not the state from the church," he said last month.

Those words are identical to what Scott said during a formative fight nearly three decades ago as a new member of the Charleston County Council when he made national headlines for posting the Ten Commandments at the local legislative body's building.

In 1997, television cameras showed a 31-year-old Scott, who took a hammer and "banged the nail into the wall" to hang the Old Testament decree outside the council chambers, according to the Greenville News.

U.S. society, he said at the time, was established on principles rooted in those biblical directives.

"I think if you're a Jew, a Gentile, a Christian or even a Muslim, the Ten Commandments are universal," Scott said.

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Those who wrestled with Scott over posting Bible verses at government buildings say it was clear back then that his political views were animated by core Christian values. He was sincere in those beliefs as much as he is today.

"He is radically evangelical and more than very conservative," Armand Derfner, a South Carolina civil rights attorney and one of the plaintiffs in the 1997 case, told USA TODAY.

"But I think he learns from things, I would be willing to bet that if you asked him today would he post the Ten Commandments on the wall, he'd say no or might not try to answer the question."

Biblical leader first, conservative second

The Scott campaign did not respond to USA TODAY's request for comment on whether he still supports displaying the Ten Commandments or similar biblical teachings in public facilities.

What's clear is that, since his days as a local elected official, faith is at the forefront of his political thinking and identity.

"I see myself first as a biblical leader and not as a Republican or conservative leader," Scott said during a 2020 video conference with students at Bob Jones University, which is known for its conservative cultural and religious positions.

"I am first a Christian," he added. "And it is the thing I have chosen to be above all other things."

Scott senior campaign officials contend this is one of the 57-year-old Republican's strongest attributes which has been on display in the weeks since he announced his exploratory committee for the GOP nomination.

Advisers assert voters will meet a candidate with shared values and temperament who has the resources and narrative to woo GOP voters away from more fiery rivals—namely former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Rick DeSantis.

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Scott campaign officials, who asked for anonymity to speak freely, said the senator is at ease when talking about God's impact in his life with conservative evangelical churchgoers in Iowa as well as working-class independents at a New Hampshire diner.

Those skills will be a particular asset in those early states, advisers say, where the Scott campaign has already scheduled events and deposited millions for TV and radio advertisements in the coming week.

What do voters think of Tim Scott's faith?

Even though recent polling has shown the percentage of U.S. adults who believe in God has dropped to its lowest point since 1944, about half of the country consider religion to be an important factor when picking a president.

A 2020 Economist/YouGov survey, for instance, that found 48% of Americans said a presidential candidate's religious beliefs and practices are important when considering who to support.

Barton Craft, a 52-year-old fine arts school administrator from Huntsville, Alabama, said faith is very important to him and who he votes for to be president. He said their particular religion doesn't matter long as the candidate sticks to the values that their faith espouses.

"The vibe that I get from (Scott) is that he believes what he's saying. I don't agree with everything he says, but I do believe that he genuinely believes it," Craft, a registered independent, said.

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Eric Bentil, a 24-year-old Massachusetts state trooper and independent voter, said Scott's previous support for displaying the Ten Commandments is something that makes him a more attractive candidate.

"Taking the whole idea of God out of schools has our society where it is now, and I think it's not a good trajectory in my opinion," he said. "I'm not a Republican but it looks like right now my faith and everything aligns with them for the most part."

Florida real estate agent Adriana Vargas-Hernandez, 51, said she was a Republican but left the party due to Trump. As an independent voter, she said a candidate such as Scott is a needed breeze of fresh air to the 2024 contest.

"I believe that the Ten Commandments are really the base on what our country is all about," she said.

"It doesn't matter what religion you are," Vargas-Hernandez added. "It's about being good and doing good to everyone else. So I believe that we are where we are because we have forgotten about our values."

South Carolina ACLU: Does Scott believe in 'religious dominance?'

Ultimately Scott and his allies on the Charleston County Council saw the Ten Commandments yanked down after a yearlong legal battle brought by the American Civil Liberties Union and other secular groups.

A judge ruled the council violated the Constitution, but Scott remained steadfast in the face of that early political setback.

In a 1998 interview, Scott said the fight wasn't over religion but rather history and the fabric and foundation of the country, "and that is a fight we should always wage."

Democrats have signaled that their plan is to cast Scott, who at times was critical of Trump, as a disciple of his policy pursuits. They called attention to his social views, calling him a "MAGA Republican" who wants to ban abortion and block certain types of birth control.

Jace Woodrum, executive director of South Carolina ACLU, said much has changed in the state and country since Scott was a local elected official. He said as the senator is gearing up to be a major White House contender, it is worth knowing if he learned a lesson or has changed his mind about the Ten Commandments.

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"These actions in 1997 did not reflect the core value of religious liberty that South Carolinians hold and that is enshrined in our Constitution," Woodrum said.

"Sen. Scott speaks very openly about his faith and about religious liberty, but I think what he's actually talking about is religious dominance, and forcing his own religious beliefs on Americans."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How Sen. Tim Scott's faith, Ten Commandments fight appeals to voters