If the Old Testament was overturned, what's the big deal with the 10 Commandments?

Question

the 10 are not the basis for US law, we're based on the English system
the 10 are not the first written law, that's the Code of Hammurabi
the US government is secular (note that secular=/=atheistic)
there isn't even one set of 10,... religions differ on what the 10 actually are.


So what's the big deal?

Why can't the government and its buildings just be neutral territory where no religious groups are elevated and none are discriminated against?

What is so evil about neutrality?

Answer 1

It seems like a lot of people here don't even know what the 10 Commandments are. Sure the last five are moral laws. But some of the first five include: Thou shalt not make and graven images, (I forget the exact wording but) Thou shalt only worship one God, etc. These are SOLELY religious, and yet these are insisted on being included, even to command secular society!

As for the OT being overturned, I can only guess that different sects of Christianity have different ideas of this. I have heard people quote Lev. (which is in the OT) which not only "condemns" homosexuality but also has a bunch of other "laws" such as forbidding the eating of shellfish. Many rebuttals have Christians say that the OT laws were overturned once Jesus died for their sins.

It's sad when I seem to know more about the Bible than some said practitioners of Christianity.

But for your question devlsadvoct, I'm all for neutrality. Either include and represent all religious morals to be posted, or put none at all.

Answer 2

I am not sure what you are exactly asking but I think what you are saying why do Christians follow some of the laws of the Old Testament over the teachings of Jesus. For example while Jesus teaches that someone should forgive an agressor and "turn the other cheek" the US government follows the Old Testament in that it seeks punishment over forgiveness with an-eye-for-an-eye policies.
The reason why the US goverment is not secular is because it was founded as a specifically Christian goverment. The original settlers were a group of Puritans who fled Europe in the face of Protestantism and this tradition of Christian Conservatism is at the heart of the US goverment (along with the principle of hypercapitalism). Although later amendments to the constitution have allowed more religious freedoms for citizens there is still a strong Christian government which has little desire to secularise and lose teh majority vote of the white right-wing Christians.
Neutrality is not evil - it just gets no votes!

Answer 3

The 10 Commandments and ALL Levitical Laws WERE overturned by Christ Jesus, that was HIS PURPOSE in coming to Earth and being the Sacrificial Lamb of God. He was "pre-shadowed" by the sacrifices the Aaronic Priesthood performed before his coming and the Lamb that was slaughtered on Passover (from Moses' day to Christ's death, then turned into the Last Supper Rememberance AFTER his death). So, here we have proof again, that with his coming, he brought (as HE SAID) a New Covenant, and that the Old Covenant was done away with. (1 Cor. 11:25; Luke 22:20).

The 10 Commandments are good rules to follow (but they are not LAW), the Old Testament is NOT to be done away with. The Old Testament is every bit as important today as it ever was, however, the Mosaic Laws are NOT IN FORCE. Instead, the laws handed down throughout the New Testament by Christ Jesus are "in effect." So, again, using the 10 Commands won't get you into trouble and may just keep you out of it. Even if its not the present day law, its still Gods word and worthy of respect and honor to us!

WHATS THE PROBLEM WITH NEUTRALITY? If your are TRULY NEUTRAL, that is you take no political views, you don't care who is in office, you don't believe in fighting in wars (one side or the other), you don't think of yourself as any political party because you consider yourself "no part of this world" and you don't believe in contributing to the worlds problems, then you just described a Jehovah's Witness. That is exactly their belief, Christ told his followers to wait for his return and spread "the good news of his kingdom, and be NO PART OF THIS WORLD OR THIS OLD SYSTEM OF THINGS." This world and everything in it belongs to Satan, if it didn't how could Satan offer it to Christ as a Temptation, if it wasn't his to give?

Answer 4

The Old Testament wasn't overturned. It still contains good guidelines of how to live to please God, especially the Ten Commandments. Of course the government shouldn't discriminate against any groups, but true neutrality is impossible, because the government is made up of people, all of whom have their own beliefs, and those beliefs make up who you are. You can't separate them, or just remove them like an article of clothing. Whether we like it or not, or think it's fair, it affects everything we do, whether it's a president doing his job, or a lawyer defending a criminal. Whether you're for or against a certain religious belief, it's going to offend someone, and make someone feel discriminated against.

Answer 5

Well, the Old Testament is NOT overturned and God is still God. :o) The Ten Commandments make sense. If people obey God, then they will only want to do good things to each other. If people do good things to each other, then there will be no need for any other laws. Think about it. If people really DID obey the Ten Commandments, then wouldn't it be a nicer world for everyone to live in? No stealing, no lying, no children disrespecting their parents, no spouses cheating, no envy. Why are you so against those things? Aren't those the things that make our society's prisons brimming with lawbreakers?

Besides, you are mistaken in another point as well. The issue is NOT that people are trying to make these government places "spiritually neutral" but they are targeting ONLY the Ten Commandments. The laws are not against the display of ANY OTHER religious documents EXCEPT those from biblical Christianity. Hmmm, I seem to remember a small phrase that says, "Congress shall make no law respecting religion...." But if they make a law that prohibits the free exercise of the Christian religion, aren't they making a law that is in regards to religion?

And, if you would merely study the men who who signed our Declaration of Independence and our Constitution, you would see that the majority of them were very religious men (many were seminary graduates) who worshipped the God of the Bible. Many of them agreed that without the Bible as the basis of our country, our country would begin to disintegrate. The first Bible published on US soil was published BY the US Congress for the specific purpose of being used in public schools to teach the children what the basis of our government was built on. If we take out the Ten Commandments, we are denying our own heritage that was rooted and established on biblical truth.

Oh, and have you ever read the Mayflower Compact? It's quite short and tells exactly what the people who landed here wanted for our country. Here is the first half of it:

"In the name of God, Amen. We, whose names are underwritten, the Loyal Subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord, King James, by the Grace of God, of England, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, e&. Having undertaken for the Glory of God, and Advancement of the Christian Faith, and the Honour of our King and Country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia; do by these presents, solemnly and mutually in the Presence of God and one of another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil Body Politick, for our better Ordering and Preservation, and Furtherance of the Ends aforesaid;"

Answer 6

Instead of taking down what is already there, why not post others? None of the Ten Commandments disagree with US law, so why not post others that also agree with US law? Would that not be fair, neutral and non-discriminatory? On the other hand, taking down the Ten Commandments discriminates against what they stand for.

Answer 7

I wasn't aware it was overturned, maybe because I'm not big into fiction.

I agree with you though, our government and all of its properties should be religiously neutral.

There are those who say that while our government was partially founded on the principal of "freedom of religion" that does not mean "freedom from religion". I wonder how stringently the would stick to that argument if the Treasury Department started printing "In Odin We Trust" on their cash.

Answer 8

The government should be neutral.

Jesus said to keep the Ten Commandments. They were very basic and common sense type stuff. Don't kill, don't steal, don't commit adultery, don't be jealous of other people…

I've never heard of Abrahamic religions differing on what the ten were.

Answer 9

The Old Testament was NEVER overturned. I wish you would read something before you judged it. Wake up for pete's sake.

Answer 10

Your ignorance about the Ten Commandments can only be superceded by your ignorance of what the Founding Fathers said about the importance of the Ten Commandments and its impact on this government remaining free!