Tuesday, June 28, 2005
The Ten Commandments
As one can plainly see, there is no reason for any but #6, #8, & #9 to be posted anywhere near a courtroom in the United States, & those were not only Hebrew prohibitions. One is legally permitted to break any of the others, or to obey them, it's a personal choice. The first four aren't even concerned with ethical behavior, although I was raised to consider #3 discourteous in public.
1. You shall not worship any other god but God.
2. You shall not make a graven image.
3. You shall not take the name of God in vain.
4. You shall not break the Sabbath.
5. You shall not dishonor your parents.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not commit perjury.
10. You shall not covet.
(Code of Hammurabi)
Although the Christian right is inclined to believe Cecil B. DeMille's famous movie starring Charton Heston is an American historical docudrama, the route from the Sinai code to our present constitutional system is very indirect.
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." Thomas Jefferson
1. You shall not worship any other god but God.
2. You shall not make a graven image.
3. You shall not take the name of God in vain.
4. You shall not break the Sabbath.
5. You shall not dishonor your parents.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not commit perjury.
10. You shall not covet.
(Code of Hammurabi)
Although the Christian right is inclined to believe Cecil B. DeMille's famous movie starring Charton Heston is an American historical docudrama, the route from the Sinai code to our present constitutional system is very indirect.
