The Ten Commandments

[OnceConvinced]

Have you ever looked at the ten commandments and wonder what the hell was God thinking? Why did he put these ten things above all else? I can understand most of them, but certainly not all.

Just take a look at them:

1. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: (for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;)
3. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain
4. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates
5. Honour thy father and thy mother
6. Thou shalt not kill.
7. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
8. Thou shalt not steal.
9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

The first three commandments are all about God and if they are that important to him then it shows us what an insecure and jealous God he is (Note that jealousy is a sin). That’s 30% of the commandments! Is God’s ego that delicate that he had to include 3 commandments such as this? Then you have laws like “thou shalt not covet” which seems to be small fry in the sin department next to many other things. “Thou shalt not commit adultery” also seems to be a small fish in a big pond when things like rape and paedophilia seem to be given a very low priority.

So what about some of the other important stuff? Where are all the other commandments that would seem to be so incredibly important? Where is…?

Thou shalt not take another human being as a slave (You’d think God would take a harder line on this issue)

Thou shalt not rape (Sexual crimes seem to be unimportant as far as God’s concerned when it comes to the 10 commandments - apart from adultry. In fact the bible says God expects rape victims to marry their abusers)

Thou shalt not take drugs (or something like that. After all, God knows what will happen in the future and must have surely known it would become a major problem further down the line. He is either short sighted or has no knowledge of what will happen in the future.)

I am aware there are a lot of issues dealt with in other parts of the Torah relating to immoralities, however the 10 Commandments seem to stand out as God’s main issues and that is what I am trying to focus on here.

So my questions:
What commandments that haven't been included do you think should have been included and why?
Should any have been omitted? Why?
Should any have been reworded or elaborated more on?.

[cnorman18]

Why would your God care if someone honored the God of Crops, whether that God existed or not? Why the bug up his a**?

For the moment, I'll go along with the assumption implied in your question that this Commandment was God's idea in the first place.

As I wrote in an earlier post; this Commandment was one of the terms of a formal contract, or covenant, between the Jewish people and God. In that context, it makes perfect sense. If you have an exclusive contract witn NBC News, you don't get to report stories for CBS.

If you're not Jewish, the contract doesn't apply to you. Worship any God you like, and God doesn't care.

Christians see the Ten as applying to everyone. Sorry. They don't, and it says so in Exodus and Deuteronomy. We Jews aren't responsible for the views of people who don't understand what they read.

[alexdocherty]

Why would your God care if someone honored the God of Crops, whether that God existed or not? Why the bug up his a**?

For the moment, I'll go along with the assumption implied in your question that this Commandment was God's idea in the first place.

As I wrote in an earlier post; this Commandment was one of the terms of a formal contract, or covenant, between the Jewish people and God. In that context, it makes perfect sense. If you have an exclusive contract witn NBC News, you don't get to report stories for CBS.

If you're not Jewish, the contract doesn't apply to you. Worship any God you like, and God doesn't care.

Christians see the Ten as applying to everyone. Sorry. They don't, and it says so in Exodus and Deuteronomy. We Jews aren't responsible for the views of people who don't understand what they read.

What exactly do you imply by 'don't understand'?

[cnorman18]

Why would your God care if someone honored the God of Crops, whether that God existed or not? Why the bug up his a**?

For the moment, I'll go along with the assumption implied in your question that this Commandment was God's idea in the first place.

As I wrote in an earlier post; this Commandment was one of the terms of a formal contract, or covenant, between the Jewish people and God. In that context, it makes perfect sense. If you have an exclusive contract witn NBC News, you don't get to report stories for CBS.

If you're not Jewish, the contract doesn't apply to you. Worship any God you like, and God doesn't care.

Christians see the Ten as applying to everyone. Sorry. They don't, and it says so in Exodus and Deuteronomy. We Jews aren't responsible for the views of people who don't understand what they read.

What exactly do you imply by 'don't understand'?

Hardly an implication. I said it straight out.

According to the Bible itself, the Ten Commandments apply to and are binding upon only Jews, and not Gentiles. They were not addressed to all people, but to the children of Israel only. Those who claim they are for all people are entitled to their opinion, but the Bible says otherwise.

Though some Christians claim to be the rightful heirs of the Covenant and the True Israel, having replaced the now obsolete, apostate and abandoned Jews, that's hard to credit since they have discarded virtually all the commandments (small c) of Mosaic law. It's odd that they have retained the Ten in this specious claim.

Christianity is a fine and honorable religion, but is neither "completed Judaism" nor the successor to Judaism. It is a Gentile religion and entirely separate. Since the Ten are for the most part misunderstood and misinterpreted by Christians anyway, it's a good thing they don't apply to them.

[alexdocherty]

Why would your God care if someone honored the God of Crops, whether that God existed or not? Why the bug up his a**?

For the moment, I'll go along with the assumption implied in your question that this Commandment was God's idea in the first place.

As I wrote in an earlier post; this Commandment was one of the terms of a formal contract, or covenant, between the Jewish people and God. In that context, it makes perfect sense. If you have an exclusive contract witn NBC News, you don't get to report stories for CBS.

If you're not Jewish, the contract doesn't apply to you. Worship any God you like, and God doesn't care.

Christians see the Ten as applying to everyone. Sorry. They don't, and it says so in Exodus and Deuteronomy. We Jews aren't responsible for the views of people who don't understand what they read.

What exactly do you imply by 'don't understand'?

Hardly an implication. I said it straight out.

According to the Bible itself, the Ten Commandments apply to and are binding upon only Jews, and not Gentiles. They were not addressed to all people, but to the children of Israel only. Those who claim they are for all people are entitled to their opinion, but the Bible says otherwise.

Though some Christians claim to be the rightful heirs of the Covenant and the True Israel, having replaced the now obsolete, apostate and abandoned Jews, that's hard to credit since they have discarded virtually all the commandments (small c) of Mosaic law. It's odd that they have retained the Ten in this specious claim.

Christianity is a fine and honorable religion, but is neither "completed Judaism" nor the successor to Judaism. It is a Gentile religion and entirely separate. Since the Ten are for the most part misunderstood and misinterpreted by Christians anyway, it's a good thing they don't apply to them.

As an agnostic I completely agree.

[Beta]

Why would your God care if someone honored the God of Crops, whether that God existed or not? Why the bug up his a**?

For the moment, I'll go along with the assumption implied in your question that this Commandment was God's idea in the first place.

As I wrote in an earlier post; this Commandment was one of the terms of a formal contract, or covenant, between the Jewish people and God. In that context, it makes perfect sense. If you have an exclusive contract witn NBC News, you don't get to report stories for CBS.

If you're not Jewish, the contract doesn't apply to you. Worship any God you like, and God doesn't care.

Christians see the Ten as applying to everyone. Sorry. They don't, and it says so in Exodus and Deuteronomy. We Jews aren't responsible for the views of people who don't understand what they read.

You obviously did not read one of my previous short posts Kept short for a purpose .
Scripture says God gave the Commandments to the children of Israel EX.20v1 , 12 tribes in all but 10 of them were not jewish and had a non- jewish origin.
Who are you to deny the 10 non-jewish tribes the Commandments ? Please quote EX and DEUT referring to Jews only.

[Beta]

TRUE CHRISTIANITY should be neither wholly jewish nor wholly Gentile. Each claiming their own authority over people is entirely misleading and has in fact contributed to this deception the Bible speaks of.
Jesus had much to correct and condemn in Judaism and what is more they rejected HIM as the Messiah and son of God to this day - how can they then lord it over people ? Their own problems have not been settled yet Rom.11.

The Gentile Era began only after separating from the Jews and setting up a different following not fully based on Jesus or the original Apostles. (Nicean Council 325 AD.)
Consequently both Jew and Gentile are to this day in error. Only Christ will correct both at his second coming.

[Goat]

TRUE CHRISTIANITY should be neither wholly jewish nor wholly Gentile. Each claiming their own authority over people is entirely misleading and has in fact contributed to this deception the Bible speaks of.
Jesus had much to correct and condemn in Judaism and what is more they rejected HIM as the Messiah and son of God to this day - how can they then lord it over people ? Their own problems have not been settled yet Rom.11.

The Gentile Era began only after separating from the Jews and setting up a different following not fully based on Jesus or the original Apostles. (Nicean Council 325 AD.)
Consequently both Jew and Gentile are to this day in error. Only Christ will correct both at his second coming.

If Jesus was supposed to be back, he already came

Hebrews 10:37 - For in just a very little while, He who is coming will come and will not delay.

James 5:7-9 - Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. . . You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near.

1 Peter 1:20 - He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.

1 Peter 4:7 - The end of all things is near.

Rev. 22:20 - Surely I come quickly.

That was 2000 years ago.. the writers of the gospels expected Jesus back then.

[Beta]

goat , you quoted some scriptures which do not say what you claim they say. Not one says he has already returned and because his followers expected his immidiate return does not make it so. 2000 years with us is no more than 2 days scripturally in this case and it is human understanding taking a wrong reading.
Jesus has not yet returned but that event is extremely close as some have been made aware. The majority will not know until he has actually arrived for to them he will come like a thief in the night.

[Cathar1950]

TRUE CHRISTIANITY should be neither wholly jewish nor wholly Gentile. Each claiming their own authority over people is entirely misleading and has in fact contributed to this deception the Bible speaks of.
Jesus had much to correct and condemn in Judaism and what is more they rejected HIM as the Messiah and son of God to this day - how can they then lord it over people ? Their own problems have not been settled yet Rom.11.

The Gentile Era began only after separating from the Jews and setting up a different following not fully based on Jesus or the original Apostles. (Nicean Council 325 AD.)
Consequently both Jew and Gentile are to this day in error. Only Christ will correct both at his second coming.

Everyone tells their own stories and has their own traditions.
It is much the same for Jews and Christians.
The law was meant for Israel and many claimed to be Israel, including Jews after Ezra, Samaritans, Galileans, and of course Israel in Babylon and Egypt. Those of the Diaspora even had a Temple in Egypt which was destroyed b the Romans in 72 CE.
The covenant with Abraham was largely an Assyrian covenant in form and corresponds to when the Torah was being written. There is no reason to think that Israel is largely mythological and was a means to unite the tribes. We can thank Hezekiah and Josiah for much of what is thought of as monotheisms and the Law.
When passages speak of Jesus coming soon they where addressing the reader’s time and not some rhetorical time where God’s days are like a thousand years and mentioned in the anonymous writing. It is simply apologetics for failed expectations. At any rate the time of the Gentiles could be anytime after the fall of the Northern Kingdom when Empires were domination the scene.
I suggest the Law is for anyone that wants to follow them and they seem to be patterned after other ancient codes. You can find similar concepts in the Egyptian book of the dead and other codes and even the story of Moses is patterned after Sargon I.

[cnorman18]

You obviously did not read one of my previous short posts Kept short for a purpose .
Scripture says God gave the Commandments to the children of Israel EX.20v1 , 12 tribes in all but 10 of them were not jewish and had a non- jewish origin.
Who are you to deny the 10 non-jewish tribes the Commandments ? Please quote EX and DEUT referring to Jews only.

Before I go quoting Exodus and Deuteronomy to prove something that is glaringly obvious (that the Covenant was with Israel, hello), you might give your sources for the nutty idea that only two of the 12 tribes were Jewish. Since the tribes were the descendants of the 12 sons of Jacob, it's hard to see how any of them are or were more Jewish than any other.

This silliness is probably something conflated with the mythology about the Ten Lost Tribes, which were never lost in the first place. Such errors and hoaxes invariably originate with people who wish to claim that their own ancestry is actually Jewish when it isn't, or to prove that Jews aren't really Jews, as with the nonsense about the Khazars.

If one wishes to be a Jew, one can; the conversion process is long and arduous, but thousands go through it every year. But if one wishes to remain a Christian and claim that Christianity is an authentic expression of Judaism, one is simply mistaken. It isn't.