ATHEISTS, what do you think of the ten-commandments?

Question

Do they serve as good guidlines for society? Do you disagree with any of them>
1. I am the lord, you shall not have any other gods
2. don't take the name of the lord in vain
3. keep the sabbath day holy
4. honor your father and mother
5. don't kill
6. don't commit adultry
7. don't steal
8. don't gossip/envy/insult against your neighbor
9. don't desire your nieghbor's wife
10. don't desire/wish for your neighbor's goods

Answer 1

well...

1) I won't have any gods at all, thanks, so this first one really doesn't apply to everyone as not everyone has any gods at all... and some feel very comfortable with many gods, none of which supposedly came up with these rules. Not a universally acceptable guideline. Don't like it. Toss it out.

2) Hm...... well, this COULD be interpreted as "don't say swear words" and sometimes I think it's best to try to flex ones vocabulary muscles instead of wearing out the tired old bleep bleepity bleep bleep... but then again, they can be effective if used sparingly and with the right emphasis and timing. So... veto. Toss this out too.

3) Ooooo a day off! No... wait... I can't condone ordering everyone to make a day holy if they don't follow this particular faith and don't consider any certain day to be "sabbath" or "holy". And by the way, people still get injured on "the sabbath". I think I'd prefer that doctors and support staff and emergency response folks stay on the clock in case someone gets hurt. Toss it!

4) Yes, as a general rule... with a myriad of exceptions. You know, listen to mom and dad, they've been around... just don't let them treat you like crap by means of psychological warfare or physical abuse or sexual molestation or neglect or anything else like that.

5) Hm.... yep, in almost all instances this is a good plan. Of course, self defense is always a good idea if someone chooses NOT to follow this rule and tries to kill you.

6) Yes yes yes always yes. Even if you're miserable and you just HAVE to be with another person... BREAK UP BEFORE YOU DO IT, DOOFUS.

7) Yes, acceptable... with possible exceptions.

8) Don't cause drama. Good advice. Don't spend too much time saying "wah wah I wish I was him wah wah". Live your own life as it's all you get. Also good advice. Be considerate. Also good advice.

9) A little harder to control. Desire pops up regardless of whether we want it to. Self restraint is a good lesson to learn and unhealthy yearning doesn't do many people any good... so yeah, generally good advice.

10) Well, wanting isn't so bad until it takes over your mind and you can't function day to day. Setting up goals and rewards isn't a bad thing... and if you say "I'd like to work hard so that I can get a fancy new (insert Bob's fancy new something or other here)" and then you work hard, the means are pretty beneficial even if the ends are kind of superficial... so... the jury is still out on this one.

Answer 2

I'm Agnostic, which, in my view, is the only legitimate position. I believe the so-called "10 commandments" were concocted by man, but presented as Godly decrees, in order to better gain popular compliance and/or to put those who received/relayed those rules in a position of power. The bogus genesis of these "commandments not withstanding, I think that 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, and 10 are dumb. 4, 5, 6, and 7 are generally good guidelines, remembering there are always exceptions.

Answer 3

The bible is an excellent resource for a moral code, a guide to live our lives, and as the foundation of our laws. That's just what the 10 Commandments are the foundation for all of our laws.

The problem is when organized religion gets involved and when people think that every single word in the bible is the literal truth. Galileo proved that the moons of Jupiter revolved around the planet. He therefore proved that the bible was in error when it said that everything revolved around the Earth. For this crime he was imprisoned in his tower for the rest of his life. That's what happens when religion runs amok.

For more on this see my answer: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AhMdith7CsGryh9WzDM3Vm7sy6IX?qid=20060920005804AAGk4Gw

I will also proudly announce that I was brought up the Roman Catholic Church, the first, the original and the best form of Christianity. But, I am willing to listen to other views. I have an open mind and I see where the Baptists differ on the bible and I understand them more because of it. I can also respect them for their views. I understand them better than I do the Charismatic Religions who believes the opposite view. I don’t understand why their children are not allowed to see such evil movies as Ghost Busters or Star Wars though. I also have a problem with this same Charismatic Preacher who used his house as his temple. He was able to take the funds from his flock to pay for the renovation he had done to it and then he was able to persuade his flock to do his gardening for him. It sounds like he is taking advantage of his flock. Can you explain that for me? Can you explain the 100 excesses that Martin Luther found with the Catholic Church? Can you explain how the Church of England is a legitimate church, when the sole reason that it was founded was to give King Henry VIII the divorce the Roman Catholic Church would not. Does that diminish the Church of England, does that diminish all the various protestant sects? Then what about the feud between the Sunnis and the Shiites, they don’t even have any written records on exactly what happened? These people can even agree on when the feud started or why, how do you explain this? I am asking you these questions to show you that the average atheist knows more about the various religions than you do.

What is your opinion on Christianity? How do you reconcile with those that want to declare Jihad on Christians when The Profit said to honor other faiths that believe in one God, because they just know God by another name? Who do you reconcile all the hatred toward the Jews who worship the same God as the Christians do? If it was a simple land dispute then it could be settled with an exchange of money. The Jews can have their country and the vast money sent to fund terrorist organizations can be used to buy the Palestinians huge homes in it. They could then employ Jews to raise and harvest their crops. The money could even be used to make artificial islands for the Palestinians as the Sultan of Dubai is doing. But, no one thinks about this because they don’t want to get along. The Moslem extremists are just itching for a reason to fight. I can’t blame them the Christians did the same thing during the Crusades. Did you know that the Crusades built Venice? The Crusaders needed ships to cross the Mediterranean Sea and Venice rented them and provided the port facilities for them. So Italy got rich off the Crusades.

But, then few people are born atheists, they need to get educated enough first.

Answer 4

1. Complete nonsense.
2. Complete nonsense.
3. Complete nonsense.

4. Generally right, but with exceptions. For example, a father who rapes you should NOT be honored.

5. Generally right, but with exceptions. For example, a suicide bomber who is about to detonate himself on a crowded bus should be killed to save everyone else.

6. Makes sense.
7. Makes sense, unless you are like Robin Hood (stealing from the greedily oppressive criminals to feed the starving innocent poor).

8. If the gossip is lies, it is bad. If the gossip is the truth, it is good. If your neighbor is a rapist, everyone should know and take precautions.

9. Makes sense.
10. Makes sense (unless in the Robin Hood sense of you starving and your neighbor having more food than he reasonably needs).

Answer 5

I an not an atheist. Where did you get these 10 commandments? They are not the original 10 commandants. You must be a Catholic who have replaced the 3rd commandment with the 4th one to eliminate the commandment " Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image".

Answer 6

The first 3 are typical of what you'd get from some desert tyrant who demands loyalty & tribute.

The prohibition of lies, theft & murder have made it to modern laws, but they're much older than Moses.

As far as the rest, they've existed in most societies - even if they had no connection to Judaic tradition.

The point is "commandments" are not much more than codified human morality - not the other way around.

Answer 7

1. goes against the principles behind a multicultural society
2. god dammit, it's just stupid.
3. If I'm crazy enough to want to work Sunday, who are you to stop me? (and what about all those people who have to work, like ER doctors?)
4. Only when they deserve it.I don't have to blindly accept what they say.
5. I've got no problems with this one (except maybe mercy killings or doctor assisted suicides)
6. It'd be nice if the people involved just divorced their partners first.But I guess that's not always possible. Sooooo, it'd be nice but not necessary.
7. Stealing is bad (unless you really need to, to support yourself/your family)
8. Why can't I insult my neighbor if he's being stupid?
9,and10. Envy's natural, acting on it is and doing hurtful things is bad.

Answer 8

Obviously, I don't think much of 1, 2, 3. 4 - I honor my mom and dad, but there are many who do not deserve respect. I like 5, 7, 8, 9, 10. 6 depends on your definition of adultery - if it means cheating on the one you've made a commitment to, I like 6. If it means extra-marital sex, I don't like it.

Answer 9

MOST of them are good guidelines for society, yes. The first three are useless. The rest are pretty obvious. But I've never needed a book to tell me how to be a decent human being. So there you go.

Answer 10

Common societal morals mixed with religious propaganda.

The moral ones existed long before the commandments were written. The others were a desperate attempt to get people to believe that they can only believe in one religion.