I have heard it said that we have a million laws to enforce Ten Commandments, a list of rules that several religions have adopted as the basis of, or at least an important part of, living a good life. Interestingly, much excitement and furor has been stirred up recently because of that list of rules connected to a few religions. Words have never intimidated me, but some people have panicked when this harmless list was posted in their schools and/or their government offices.
Giles County, Va., is currently panic central for this debate. The County School Board decided in December to remove the publicly displayed Ten Commandments from the schools. In January, they decided that they were wrong for removing them and decided to flip their decision and reinstalled the lists in their schools. Now, in February, they have flopped and decided to remove them again. This decision came after discussing the issue with the district's legal counsel. I think that it might have been better to have that discussion with the lawyers back in December.
I struggle a bit with all the excitement over this issue as various religions once again clash with schools and governments. I have always believed that there is a God, but I am not sure that God had this vision of formal religions in mind as he looked over us. I venture a guess the direction that formal religion often heads is one of God's disappointments.
As I thought about this list of rules, I thought maybe we could solve all this confusion by developing a set of politically correct Ten Commandments. So, I've tried to make it something that could hang in our schools and government buildings without creating mass hysteria.
The Ten Highly Recommended Suggestions for Life Behavior:
1. You are not the center of the universe. Believe in something or someone who is greater than you are. When looking for that guiding power, be careful. Many who present themselves as someone with the answers will lead you down some bad alleys.
2. Show some respect to the source of guidance you are given. There are many ways to show respect. One would be to say good things and use good words when you talk about the one guiding you.
3. Take some time off regularly to honor and thank the spirit who helps you through life.
4. Love, honor and respect your parents for their efforts to do what is right. Try to remember that there are no set rules or blueprints for parenting. All parents make mistakes, but most of them are doing the best they know how with the skills and knowledge they have.
5. You will not kill. Nothing has to be changed to make this politically correct.
6. Protect your bond with the one you love. That bond of wife, husband, life partner or soul mate is a wonderful one. We are human so we often fall short of showing that one person the love and respect they deserve. Trying to share that bond with more than one person at a time makes no sense.
7. You will not steal. This again seems straightforward. If it's not yours, you have no business taking it. It doesn't get much simpler than that. If you want something, work for it.
8. Just tell the truth. It is so much easier than trying to remember how you twisted it. In the end, the truth will keep you out of trouble.
9. Don't covet your neighbor's wife. As Soupy Sales once said, "It always looks greener in the other guy's wallet!" If you aren't happy with where you are, there is a good chance you wouldn't be happy in someone else's life or with someone else's wife, so don't bother coveting.
10. Stop wishing for your neighbor's stuff. Your neighbor's stuff will not make you happy either.
This politically correct business is tougher than I thought it would be. Even though this set of rules eliminates any specific reference to God or religion, I am sure in this politically correct environment, it would still offend some group. That being the case, I have another idea. It is a way we could cover all bases and, I hope, not offend anyone. We could also save on printing costs because this solution only uses a few words. There wouldn't be a long list to remember and maybe just a few people would take note making the world a little gentler and kinder. At the entrance to every school and every public building in all bold capital letters, let's post these eleven words: DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO YOU!
The Ten Commandments Controversy: A First Amendment Perspective
Wash. Post: Ten Commandments in school stirs fight in Va. district ...
Court Split Over Commandments - washingtonpost.com
Ten Commandments restored at Virginia schools - Washington Times
1. I will not kill. What does this mean? How will I eat? Can I not defend myself from harm?
2. Tell the truth. Really? What if by telling the truth, I allow others to come to harm? Should your commandment to be honest trump the right of another to live?
3. take some time to thank the spirit that helped you through life. I'm not sure what this means. Do you mean a metaphorical spirit, or an actual, supernatural entity?
At their core, your 'commandments' suffer from the very same problems as the 'original'; poor wording and an absolutist philosophy. If there truly was a God who commanded these things in the first place, why couldn't he have done so in a way that was more articulate? Why not: Thou shalt not kill another human, unless your own life or the life of a loved one is threatened? That seems to make a bit more sense, doesn't it? Unless of course you believe that you are being moral by allowing someone to harm or kill you or a loved one with impunity.
Nice comeback and thank you. Many of my pieces are different from what the titles may suggest and much of what I write is tongue in cheek. In my book it is about the grins. I invite you to read the most important piece I feel I have ever written. It is called, The Play-Doh Theory of Life and is in the Huffpo archives under my name. It is about the light a young girl sent out into the world and I want her light to reach as many as possible.
Peace,
To5m ( the 5 is silent )
And people who have an issue with the Ten Commandments only have an issue when it's displayed in a public/government place. The same way I suspect many would have an issue if their County School Board posted excerpts from the Koran in it.
Or better yet, how about posting "A Secular Humanist Declaration" in the County School Board:
http://www.secularhumanism.org/index.php?section=main&page=declaration
Would you be against that? If you are, does that mean you just "don't have anything meaningful going on in your life."
People look for cancer in soceity because they don't achieve what they want too. For some it's the tea party or the progressives, for othes its Islamics or Jews. For others it's about being Green or Geedy.But how much of those things, if changed to support a single view would actually make their life better?
And for 'christians.'
So, I'll have to take a pass, as I want my children to have their best chance in life.
1. Treat others the way you want to be treated.
2. take responsibility for yourself and your actions. You hold the key to your success or lack thereof. Stop blaming every one else and the establishment for your problems
3. Be honest in all aspects unless dire circumstances call for something otherwise (I think someone pointed out stealing after Katrina. I understand stealing food and provisions but I dont understand trying to walk off with tv sets and dvd players. Big difference there, the first understandable, the second just dumb and unneeded).
Church. State. Keep them separated.
It really is a summation of the former 5 commandments. All about no looking at what one's neighbor has and desiring it to the point of murder, stealing, lying, putting the old parents away, going after someone else's love. To Covet is really where it all starts. Nations look at another nation and want their gold or oil. So they start a war. Sons and daughters want what mom and dad have and don't take care of them. Lindsey Lohen sees a necklace belonging to someone else and wants it...so she takes it. It all starts in the head!
What made this country great was the fact that we were not a church/state as old Europe had been.
Freedom of Conscience is God given. If you are not a believer in God then you can describe it as your basic human right. No man can force another to believe or not to believe.
It would one thing if the whole country believed in God the Creator. After all that is the One that claims to have written the 10. In the 4th commandment He states that he is the Creator of everything. That 4th commandment gives the reason that He claims the authority for obedience.
Without that commandment written out in full then anyone could have written up a set of rules.
Just as this Tom Gerdy has done. His rules have no authority. Even what he ends up with misses the first part that Jesus said. Love God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself.
That sums up the 10 First 4 for God the 6 for fellow man.
For starters, I wouldn't ask others to engrave some slogan on all our public buildings. It's expensive and probably won't help anything. And I don't want that kind of waste done unto me, either.
Presumably, what you would have me do is to be tolerant of your religion and not try to push my own religion onto you or your children. So you should do the same unto me and just get over this whole "Ten Commandments" nonsense. They don't belong on public property.
1) No, I will not believe in irrational, unfounded notions.
2) No, I will not respect that which does not deserve my respect.
3) No I will not thank any spirit. My friends and family help me through life, I'll take time to honor them.
4) I will love and respect my one parent who was good to me. The other one that abandoned my family gets no respect from me.
5) I will Kill. In self-defense or to provide food for my family in dire times. Or to kill a pest in my home.
6) First one that made sense.
7) I will steal. If it is to save my family. If I were trapped in the aftermath of Katrina, I would be one of those people stealing to survive. And you would be too.
8) I will not tell the truth. If I were hiding a jewish person in my basement during the Nazi regime, and Nazis came to my house and asked if I there were any jews in there, I would lie and say "no" to protect that person's life.
9) Makes sense. But I wouldn't lump coveting my neighbor's wife with coveting his car like they are both property.
10) No. I will look at what others have attained in life and see how I could work hard to get the same thing.
This shows they are no absolutes. Reduce harm, that's it.
Treat the earth and all that dwell thereon with respect
Remain close to the Great Spirit (or your own divinity or beliefs)
Show great respect for your fellow beings
Work together for the benefit of all mankind
Give assistance and kindness whenever needed
Do what you know to be right
Look after the well-being of mind and body
Dedicate a share of your efforts to the greater good
Be truthful and honest at all times
TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR ACTIONS
The last, to me, is very important as we tend to blame things on others.
I'd hate to pass judgement, but it is quite obvious that a large majority of my christian friends have a ways to go before they can boast about incorporating morals and ethics in their lives.
Another observaton that I would like to make is it is not at all necessary to incorporate a god, deity, or higher power in ones life in order to live an ethical, moral, and dare I say, even a devout life.