2007-01-16 10:24:55 · 15 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Politics
It certainly would change the face of politics if they were thrown in jail for lying.
2007-01-16 10:29:06 · answer #1 · answered by Al Dave Ismail 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
The ten commandments are actually a part of the basis of Western law. Thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor, these are all found in Western law. While not all the ten commandments are used to shape and create law, as some are religious commandments (Keep holy the Sabbath) rather than social commandment (like those listed above). Others like thou shalt not covet are simply unenforceable as it is not a crime under Western law to want something your neighbor has.
While some of the ten commandments do form the basis of Western law and morality, they are not suitable as the only law of the land.
2007-01-16 10:31:02 · answer #2 · answered by msi_cord 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most of the 10 Commandments are not suitable to use as national laws. How can you enforce "Thou shalt not covet?"
The country would certainly be better if most people obeyed the 10 Commandments.
2007-01-16 10:29:09 · answer #3 · answered by The First Dragon 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
AS far as the 10 Commandments go,There's a few BILLION people,in the world, that have absolutely no concept of them,nor do they choose to,and I also doubt they are aware of the laws we currently follow
2007-01-16 10:29:50 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Horrible, you can not live under the 10 commandments. They are an ideal at best, but impossible to live by. No lying? No coveting, there goes the entire economy. Even thou shall not kill, some interpet that to mean any living thing, so no more killing of bugs, mice, rats etc. They are and always have been impossible to live by, they serve only as a ideal.
2007-01-16 10:32:52 · answer #5 · answered by psycmikev 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It would be horrible.
First, how can you enforce "I am the Lord thy God; you shall have no other Gods before me"? The "literal" way (i.e. you can only worship "god" and no one else) or the "expanded" version (being greedy puts money or property before God. Protecting your children at the expense of prayer puts them before God. )
We would punish people for "thought" crimes (such as coveting) how would we do that?
How would we punish "thou shalt not kill"? The "limited" version (i.e. no murder) or the "expanded" version ("he who hates his brother kills him" or putting toxins into the river is "killing") And what about the exceptions in the Bible? War? Self-Defense? What about unintentional killing? Woah, now we're getting pretty far away from the text.
What about all of the laws that make our (modern) society function? Say you make a business, and that business fraudulently coerces you into investing. Who is punished? The business? It's a fictitious entity; it doesn't exist. The person who convinced you? What if that person didn't know the whole story?
What about protection of intellectual property rights? Are you "stealing" when you quote someone in a book? But without IP ALL inventions would cease, because there would be no incentive to invent without being able to have a short-term monopoly on that.
What about swearing? Crude language? What's "taking the name of Thy Lord God in vain"? That could potentially be extremely restrictive on speech. And we lose the marketplace of ideas.
How about "commit adultery." Does that mean all sex except straight sex is banned? So 85% of people become felons? Or do you interpret strictly, meaning that all sex is OK so long as you're not married -- child abuse, rape, etc.
(And of course this presumes that all people are suddenly Judeo-Christian and would be willing to worship and recognize one common "god.")
yeah, not going to work.
2007-01-16 10:50:44 · answer #6 · answered by Perdendosi 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
The fact that you use the word better instead of worse is shocking. Every kid would be in jail for not honoring there parents. If we can't covet goods how is capitalism supposed to work.
2007-01-16 10:36:27 · answer #7 · answered by mrlebowski99 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Um, many of our laws are already based on the 10 commandments... murder, adultery, theft being the ones that come to mind..
2007-01-16 11:02:01 · answer #8 · answered by MoltarRocks 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Many of them are currently the same anyway . But the 'new wave thinkers' are getting more new and crazy laws passed and old ones undone everyday .
2007-01-16 10:29:57 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Yes and to be displayed in public view
2007-01-16 11:36:33 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋