If so, did the sins that are transgressions of the Ten Commandments exist beforehand?
Most laws we bring in do not retrogressively make acts illegal and punish people for them, due to our acceptance of the concept of natural justice. If God is a perfect being, then surely his laws should also be perfect and hence not so unfair as to act retrogressively?
This is different to breaking a law or committing a sin and saying that you were not aware that that was what you were doing.
If you believe that the Ten Commandments did act retrogressively, do you believ that the sinners therefore went to Hell?
If you believ that the Ten Commandments were effective only from their delivery to us, why did God choose that moment to deliver them? Were we incapable of sin beforehand, or did God want to wait and see how we behaved without his laws first?
2007-04-11 01:30:20 · 12 answers · asked by manneke 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Apologies for the typos in my question - I know how believe should be spelled. I'll remember to use spell-check next time.
2007-04-12 14:54:38 · update #1
Yes but they weren't sins they were human nature. There is no god. What a joke to think he etched these in tablets conveniently destroyed.
2007-04-11 01:42:34 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Cain and Abel narrative, in which God holds Cain accountable for the murder of his brother, is strong evidence that the commandment of "Do not murder" was already in force.
Judaism teaches that some - but not all - of these laws were already given to mankind. The 10 commandements themselves are meant as a "root" to all the other commandments revealed by Moses to the Jews. The 10 Commandments were given to the Jewish people (and for the Jewish people) as soon as they became a nation - after leaving slavery. Since there was no Jewish nation before that moment, there was no reason for God to introduce the commandments earlier.
Other groups are not bound to uphod and maintain the laws of the 10 commandements. This does not mean that there are no behavioral standards for the rest of humanity, of course.
Christianity was the first to introduce the notion that all peoples should uphold the Ten Commandemnts.
2007-04-11 02:09:22 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes. Sin would not exist without the 10 Commandments. That is not to say bad things would cease to be bad without the 10 Commandments. People would still to bad things. Some of those bad things would even be criminally bad. However, without the Commandments, there would be no sin and therefore no eternal hellfire for those committing the bad act. Just a regular old prison here on Earth (if the bad thing warranted imprisonment).
2016-05-17 08:41:22 · answer #3 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sin first occurred in the Garden of Eden, so yes, it existed before the 10 commandments. Cane killed Able. We are born with a sinful nature unfortunately. I think it's God's way of weeding out who is who in the big picture of life. If God has forgiven these people than they perhaps are in heaven if they accepted Christ. If they did not accept Christ or turned their back on God - then yes, i believe these folks are in Hell.
God's timing is perfect.
2007-04-11 01:39:46 · answer #4 · answered by Hebrews 11 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
there was a moral and oral law long before the written law. Man has always had a consious of what is allowable and what is not. The law even in its written form cannot save you, it can only point out what you cant do. A speed limit sign tells you the law says 55 mph but it cannot make you adhere to the law. It is by the grace of God that we can live above the law.
2007-04-11 01:37:15 · answer #5 · answered by s. grant 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The principles behind the 10 Commandments still existed before the 10 were written and delivered. Those sins still existed.
The 10 Commandments is for those too dim to know better. They had to have it written down and shown to them.
It really is a no brainer - if you love others (even enemies, as Jesus asks), then you will automatically follow the majority of the commandments.
There really is no mystery behind them. It only shows how un-civil we are if we need to have it written down as law and shown to us.
~ Eric Putkonen
2007-04-11 01:48:56 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
God created man with an inherent awareness of right and wrong (which BTW isn't really the case with animals). These were codified in the Ten Commandments, but people before then were accountable.
2007-04-11 01:35:56 · answer #7 · answered by lda 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They were always there but God gave the commandments that they might appear sinful. You get aids whether you have the law or not.
2007-04-11 01:41:10 · answer #8 · answered by scotty_84116 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To answer your question - yes.
Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden by disobeying God. Sin entered the world then, and so we have all been born with a sinful nature.
2007-04-11 01:36:51 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The Law did not exist up until that point......
But people still had an inner conscience....as we all are born with.
Jesus Christ set all those captives of the law free by His blood
2007-04-11 01:33:30 · answer #10 · answered by primoa1970 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋