Ten Commandments?

Question

I am often told that the United States and Bill of Rights were founded based on the Ten Commandments.

So, I was looking at it and the only really applicable ones are 'Thou shalt not kill' and 'Thou shalt not steal'.

Adultery is grounds for divorce, but not a crime.
Lieing is only criminal in court and with respect to contracts and advertising, even so pretty limited in nature.
Honoring thy parents has gone in the complete other direction, no penalties for this what so ever, besides social ones.
Nothing about keeping the Sabbath holy. Hell, I'm at work right now.
Freedom of religion is in direct conflict with worshiping other gods/idols.
I take God's name in vain all the time, at police even, no charges have ever been pressed.

How am I to believe the two, nearly universal, ethical codes that do actually apply are somehow a 'founding principle' based on your Bible?

Answer 1

Actually it is a crime and the punishment is a granted divorce and usually other things along with it. Just because it does not call for jail time does not mean it is not a crime. It is a crime if you look at either way (adultery) Honoring thy parents is important if disobeying them is usually why we have juvenile deliquents which result in crimes. Taking Gods name in vain you are creating your own personal doom! You will have to take that up with God my dear and just because it may not be punished here do not fail to think it won't be later

Answer 2

Nope

Sunday has ALWAYS been a day off in America, which was founded by Christian Pilgrims.

In fact, SELLING BOOZE on Sunday was illegal in New York until THIS YEAR and now it can be sold for 6 hours only.

New York has a SIX DAY MAXIMUM WORK LAW. NO employer may REQUIRE any employee to work more than SIX consequtive days or NY fines them. That's a LEGAL SABBATH. A legal DAY of REST, backed with criminal charges and fines from a State authority.

Adultery WAS a crime once, as was FORNICATION and "unnatural" sex acts, such as oral sex. All of these laws were dropped by 1980.

At one point, however, Adultery, Oral Sex and Fornications were all Felonies in EVERY STATE of the US, except for Fornication in California, taht was never illegal.

Honor they mother and father was probably not a specific law. We have, however, enacted a Law called Social Security, that allows them to STOP working at age 65/67. That HONORS our Elderly. We also call the older politicians Elder Statesman. We also based many jobs on the Seniority basis. But most of these are traditions not laws.

As for God, NO ONE has ever been allowed, as far as I know, to PLEDGE their ALLEGIANCE for STATE or FEDERAL office on ANYTHING other than a "Holy" Christian "Bible" or Nothing.

In some States you MUST believe in God to hold office. It is a requirement, that Athiests know, all too well, exists.

We have a MUSLIM coming into Federal office and he wants to use the Quran, I can't wait to see what happens.

Also, please not, the HEbrew Bible says that in every 7th year a slave shall be forgiven of all debts and freed. Our Bankruptcy laws are based, also, on a 7 year concept.

Answer 3

The US constitution and the bill of rights weren't based on the ten commandments, in fact, the founding fathers were Atheists and Deists. YOu just pointed out how very little of the bible is applied in today's law and it would be irresponsable to say that before the ten commandments everybody thought that there was nothing wrong with killing or stealing. A lot of cultures besides the christian mythology pointed out those actions as wrong.

Answer 4

Adultery is illegal on the books in some states. So is spitting in the wind. It was "based" on ten commandments.
Baring false witness against a neighbor is illegal, just as you said and it depends on the circumstance as to how limited in nature it is.
Freedom of religion is not a conflict. If anything it follows God's example of leaving us free to choose. What you do with the choice is what God's interested in.
Up until lately, most places were closed on Sunday (for the Sabbath).
You are to believe that "based" does not mean verbatim.

Answer 5

Adultery used to be a crime not that many years ago.There used to be what was called the blue law and it was a law that only a grocery store could remain open on Sunday.In Texas this law was still in effect in the early 70's.As far as the rest of what your talking about it's been lost.Sad because most of the rest of it there shouldn't even have to be a law.It's just good manners not to lie and take God's name in vain.Sadly manners are something of the past to.

Answer 6

Yes, there were ten, at least. There were fifty at least, actually. What? Oh, what they meant was, the Bill of Rights was based on some of the commandments. They didn't mean all of the commandments.

There are a lot of commandments beside the ten you know about. Let me give you an example, there is a commandment that says anyone who curses his parents should be killed. I can give you the Biblical reference if you want.

But you will find nothing in the Bill of Rights about cursing your parents being a felony worthy of death. Just one example.

So whoever told you that was probably one of the church people; somehow they got that in their heads and can't get it out.

It's really hard for them to learn something, and then it's hard for them to unlearn it too.

Answer 7

First of all the ten commandments were given to show man what sin is.They could say to man this is what a Holy god requires.
This drives man to ask what can I do.I have broken God"s righteous law,so I try harder and break even more laws.
Solution I need a sacrifice,Jesus came never broke even one
of His own Laws,as the perfect Sacrifice,The Holy God looks
at the repent Believer thru the Blood of Jesus and declares Forgiveness. ---Now as regard to civil law ,We pass thousands of laws cause man will not keep the last five of ten commandments. Seven of ten commandments are repeated by Christ in Mark 10:19 Here is something to try,make a sign
with words ( Do not throw Rocks at this house) You know as I know a young teenager who never thought about throwing rocks at your house,will ask himself wonder what would happen if I rock this house,an he will zing a rock and run.Now to answer every law in every nation,should you examine will be a penalty for breaking law.and further examination will lead back to ten basic laws,maybe called something else.

Answer 8

*I have never heard that. It would help to know who tells you. Teachers, friends, a club. News papers, magazines. And exactly fwhich 2 "nearly" universal ethical codes are you speaking of. I understand the 10 Commandments. Are you calling the bill of rights a universal code. Come on. Speak a bit plainer.

Answer 9

Because Christians sometimes get so defensive about America's Christian Heritage that they plant historical inaccuracies. But its better than the contrary who say America has no Christian heritage, because they are wrong in virtually every detail. The Christians, however, are only wrong in glorifying America's Christian heritage, calling for a return to America's roots, an painting the Founding Fathers as orthodox Christians. Both sides dont have all their facts straight, but I'm working on making them see the truth.

Answer 10

Good question to ask! The Ten Commandments are provided for us to live in principles. I do not know much about the Bill of Rights. I do believe the Bible as the inspired word of God. Please read your copy of the Bible & follow the principles in it.