The 10 commandments

This is inspired by another thread started by EnhancedSpirit. I was just curious as to how people on this forum, Christian/Jewish or not, felt about these rules. Do you agree with them all or only some?

If there are any that you don't agree with then is there a caveate or rewording which you think could make the commandment more agreeable for you?

After a few other people have posted, Ill post my own views but I'm at school right now and I know as soon as I start trying to write something with a little more depth to it, I'll have to stop half way through.

Edit: a poll will follow when I get home and figure out a way of condensing the commandments into 100 characters or less per option. Sorry for the wait.

Edit 2: okay because I can't fit the commandments into the poll without paraphrasing them, Ill just list 1-10 and descriptions of them are as follows:

www.religioustolerance.org said:

1st Commandment; Verse 3: "Thou shalt have no other gods before me."

2nd Commandment; Verses 4-6: "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image,
or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath,
or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor
serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers
upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me. And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments."

3rd Commandment; Verse 7: "Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain."

4th Commandment; Verses 8-11: "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it."

5th Commandment; Verse 12: "Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee."

6th Commandment; Verse 13: "Thou shalt not kill."

7th Commandment; Verse 14 "Thou shalt not commit adultery."

8th Commandment; Verse 15 "Thou shalt not steal."

9th Commandment; Verse 16 "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour."

10th Commandment; Verse 17 "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ***, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's."

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As the basis of a system of ethics, I think the 10 commandments are overrated. For one thing, they say nothing about human potential.

You see the 10 commandments aren't the only guidelines that HaShem gave to the Jews at Sinai, the entire Torah was given at Sinai.
and, of course, techinically these rules are only for the Jewish people, were as the rest of the world has the not stringently enforced Noahide laws

unless of course your one of these christians who say that Jesus did away w/ the law, and then i have to ask why they get in a tissy about homosexual marriage, because, you know, jesus did away with that law

Personally, as a Buddhist, I follow some of the Ten Commandments, as they match portions of the Five Precepts. The ones relating directly to worship of God, and graven images, are not replicated in Buddhism. The others are generally covered under either the Five Precepts or the Eightfold Path.

I agree with them, and well, try to follow them.

IMO, the thing lacking from the 10 commandments is a positive view of human nature. What's the goal of life? What's the good life? Those are questions that the ancient Greeks made central to their systems of ethics, but which the 10 commandments, taken in themselves, lack. So, can the 10 commandments be taken as a basis for ethics without the rest of the bible? I doubt they make a suitable basis by themselves.

I'll go through each commandment and explain whether I follow it or not...
To state right off the bat.. I do not follow any rule completely and wholly down to a tee. There is an exception to everything, and thus one should make their own judgements as to what is right and wrong. So basically... if I say yes to any of these, it is that I view it as more of a "Suggestion" instead of a "Commandment".

1. "Thou shalt have no other gods before me."
No I do not follow this rule, as I am a polytheist.
2. "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them"
No, I do not follow this rule.
3. "Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain."
Nope, I don't follow this one.
4. "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it."
I dont follow this one either.
5. "Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee."
I generally agree that one should honour their mother and father (and other elders), but I do not believe in blindly obeying anyone. I strongly feel that one should always question what anyone asks of them before they obey.
6. "Thou shalt not kill."
This one is a little tricky. I believe it is wrong to kill another human being outside of self-defense. I also believe it is wrong to kill any other creature without cause. As someone who is not a vegetarian and eats meat, I realize that something had to die for me to eat that, and I view nothing wrong with that. So yes, with exceptions is my answer to this one.
7. "Thou shalt not commit adultery."
I believe that if a couple has made an agreement to remain exclusive, cheating is wrong. However, if both/all parties agree to an open marriage/relationship, then I dont have a problem with it. So "no" in general, but "yes" for exclusive couples.
8. "Thou shalt not steal."
Yes, with exceptions.
9. "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour."
Yes, with exceptions.
10. "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ***, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's."
Tricky one, but overall, no. Jealousy is considered a negative emotion, but I do not view it as being wrong. I actually think jealousy is healthy to an extent. A problem would arise though if one acted on their jealousy in a negative way.


and there you have it

Sunstone said:

As the basis of a system of ethics, I think the 10 commandments are overrated....

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Respectfully, I have to disagree. Here they are(in short form) from bible.com:

• You shall have no other gods before me.
• You shall not make for yourself a graven image.
• You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
• Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
• Honor your father and your mother.
• You shall not kill.
• You shall not commit adultery.
• You shall not steal.
• You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
• You shall not covet.

Considering 1-4 relate to man's relationship with God, imagine if people followed rules 5-10 how much better life would be for everybody.

I don't think any one claims that by themselves they are the be-all and end-all of a Life: An Owner's Manual, but as a basis for en ethics system, I'd say they are a darn good start. When you read Exodus 20 and understand the context in which God sent these Commandments, I think you'll see that is how they were presented.

So, to address the thread starter's original question, I agree with these laws and do my best to follow them. I try to understand God's intention for Man in these Commandments and not get hung up on verbage. As for the Commandements and how they apply to Christians, Jesus spells it out pretty clearly in Matthew 19:17-19. Peace.:162:

SK2005 said:

I agree with them, and well, try to follow them.

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As do I, susan - I think that they are a basis for a moral way of living. What I also think is that the same ten commandments (less the ones that relate to a God) apply just as well to atheists.

I can't really disagree with anything you've said, Captain. My only point is that, when taken by themselves, they are an incomplete basis for an ethical system.

michel said:

As do I, susan - I think that they are a basis for a moral way of living. What I also think is that the same ten commandments (less the ones that relate to a God) apply just as well to atheists.

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Yes, I agree, that they are a basis for a moral way of living.

CaptainXeroid said:

Considering 1-4 relate to man's relationship with God, imagine if people followed rules 5-10 how much better life would be for everybody.

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technically 1-5 are dealing w/ man's relationship w/ HaShem, 6-10 w/ other men

Sunstone said:

I can't really disagree with anything you've said, Captain. My only point is that, when taken by themselves, they are an incomplete basis for an ethical system.

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So, Sunstone,

What do you think needs adding to them to make them a complete basis for an ethical question ?

Which version of the Ten Commandments?

Roman Catholics number the Commandments in a different way?

What interpretation of the Ten Commandments?

I really don't have a clue as to what I would be voting on.

I agree with the 10 Commandments. I agree with Paul that they are like a schoolmaster which brings us to Christ. For, as much as I agree they are right and good, and from a Holy God, I have broken each and every last one of them and am thus guilty before a Just and Holy God. The 10 Commandments point out that we are not Holy as God is, therefore we cannot be in Heaven with Him. But the good news is that Jesus paid for all our sins, His blood covers them, and Isaiah says God is satisfied with the payment. So, the commandments show us we are sinners in need of a Saviour, and God loves us so much He gave us His only- begotten Son to make a way for us to be reconciled to Him, through His blood which washes away all our sins the moment we place our trust in Jesus.

MaddLlama said:

See, I have to take issue with this because the 10-commandments are originally from the Torah which does not teach that mankind needs a savior. So, to a Christian they may say that, but it would be better to resoect the actual tradition they came from.
Just a thought.

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I respect the tradition, but Jesus, who was Jewish, is all through the OT if we have eyes to see. And He came to be the saviour of all the world, and He is. Jesus is the central theme of the Bible:
Abraham saw His reflection in Melchizedek, king of Salem.
Jacob called Him Shiloh.
To Moses He was the Passover Lamb and the Lifted-Up One.
To Joshua He was Captain of our Salvation.
Ruth saw Him as Family Redeemer.
Samuel portrayed Him as our King.
David called Him Lion of Judah and Good Shepherd.
To Solomon He was the Beloved.
Ezra and Nehemiah pictured Him as our Restorer.
To Esther He was our Advocate.
Job said He was my redeemer.
Isaiah described Him as a Suffering Servant.
Jeremiah saw Him at the Potter's wheel.
Ezekiel called Him the Son of Man.
Daniel called Him the Prince and the Smiting Stone.
Hosea likened Him to a Bridegroom redeeming a fallen wife.
To Joel He was the Restorer.
Amos saw Him as a Heavenly Husbandman.
To Obadiah He was Saviour.
Jonah saw Him as Resurrection and Life.
Micah called Him a Witness.
To Nahum He was a Stronghold in a day of trouble.
Habakkuk described Him as God of my Salvation.
To Zephaniah He was a Jealous Lord.
Haggai said He was the Desire of All Nations.
Zechar4iah called Him the Righteous Branch.
Malachi declared Him the Sun of Righteousness.
And in the NT, John said, "Look! There is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"

From the very beginning, God had a dream for man to be restored into full fellowship with Him., Jesus was the answer to that dream. All the Godly men across the ages who wrote the Bible through the Holy Spirit, picked up snatches of that dream and included it in their writings. So throughout the Bible the writers referred to this messianic dream.
As you read through the Old Testament, there looms on the horizon of history One Person through whom God would establish His Kingdom on earth: Jesus Christ. Micah said He would be born in Bethlehem. Isaiah said He would be born of a virgin and would be called Emmannuel, God with us. David and Isaiah tol how He would die, and job prophesied of His resurrection. Others pointed out He would be introduced by a strange prophet (John the Baptist) similiar to Elijah, that He would work miracales, speak in parables, be rejected by leaders, be a Smitten Shepherd, a Man of Sorrows, would enter Jerusalem riding on a colt, would be betrayed by a friend for 30 pieces of silver and would be led as a lamb to the slaughter. He would die with the wiced. His Hands and feet would be pirced. Not a bone of His body would be broken. Lots would be cast for His garments. He would be in a tomb three days, would rise from the dead and would ascend to Heaven at God's right hand.
It was foretold by David, Isaiah, Daniel, and Jeremiah that the Messiah would offer a new covenant for His people. He would send the Holy Spirit and His Kingdom would be of the Gentiles and would be universal and endless. This was all written hundreds of years before Crist's birth, at which time the angels appeared to the shepherds on the hillside, saying they had good tidings of great joy. [taken from "Power for Living" by Jamie Buckingham, p. 101-103, slightly revised]

Sunstone said:

I can't really disagree with anything you've said, Captain. My only point is that, when taken by themselves, they are an incomplete basis for an ethical system.

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That's why there are all those other pages in the book.

And from my pov, there are some additional textbooks that further amplify on subjects covered in this one.

btw, regarding "Thou shalt not kill." Isn't this better translated "Thou shalt not murder"?

joeboonda said:

[taken from "Power for Living" by Jamie Buckingham, p. 101-103, slightly revised]

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What does this sermon have to do with the OP?

I respect the tradition, but Jesus, who was Jewish, is all through the OT if we have eyes to see. And He came to be the saviour of all the world, and He is. Jesus is the central theme of the Bible:

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Sorry, but I'm with the Jews on this one. They don't see it quite that way, and since the OT is from Judaic tradition, I'm more inclined to believe what *they* say over what you do.

And, like Booko said it reallt has nothing to do with the topic.

joeboonda said:

I respect the tradition, but Jesus, who was Jewish, is all through the OT if we have eyes to see. And He came to be the saviour of all the world, and He is. Jesus is the central theme of the Bible.

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Oh my gosh! Will wonders never cease! I actually agree with you, Mike.