The Ten Commandments

Many of the Ten Commandments are good ideas for keeping a civil society.  The problem is that many things have been attributed to them that are simply bogus.  First of all, they are not the first code of laws: Hammurabi pre-dates Moses by at least 500 years, and Hammurabi’s code is well enough developed it seems likely he got it from somewhere else.  Given the historical relationship of the Israelites and the Babylonians, it seems pretty clear where the Israelites got the idea.

Another problem is the idea that there’s something special about that particular code of laws.   Clearly not, since they were just the first ten.  Exodus and Leviticus go on and on with hundreds more.  Moreover most Christians have explicitly rejected the second and fourth, as well as a rather high percentage of the Mosaic legal code—and well that they have, for much of it is poor law, and a lot of it is nonsensical and/or cruel.   Jesus himself spoke on this point extensively.  For example, Mosaic law advocates vengeance, but Jesus realized that the feuds that this provoked solve nothing and create more problems than they solved.  Codes of laws are undeniably a good idea, but it’s been nearly four thousand years since Hammurabi, and we’ve learned a lot since then. 

Here are the Ten Commandments as they appear in Exodus 20 in the King James translation.  I’ve stripped out some of the supporting text for brevity.    As you can see, quite a few of them are not particularly relevant to a modern, civil society:  The first four are purely about religion, and have no place in the legal code of a free society.  Notice, significantly, that the third is not about foul language, but instead about using God’s name for personal vanity, for example thanking him for helping you score a touchdown. The fifth, seventh and tenth are certainly good advice, but have not survived codification as law.  That leaves three:  killing, stealing, and bearing false witness.   30% is not a passing grade on most tests, "Judge" Moore.

Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

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 take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

Thou shalt not kill.

Thou shalt not commit adultery.

Thou shalt not steal.

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

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 ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.