So let's take a look at these commandments. Different religions and denominations use different translations. We'll stick with the King James version. The commandments appear two times in the bible in slightly different form. We'll use Exodus chapter twenty. And the ten commandments are not numbered in the bible. Numbering schemes vary. We'll use the Protestant numbering.
- (1) I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
What a country! I can worship any God I want, or no God at all. I can worship cats, or dogs, or Elvis Presley. I can hold satanic prayer meetings at my house. Of course my neighbors might burn my house down, but it's still technically not illegal.
- (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; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
As I read it, this commandment would pretty much ban photography as we know it. But it's still legal to take a picture of anything I want to, including God if I can just put some salt on his tail. Of course, the jealous one will smite my great-great-grandchildren for it. If He exists.
- (3) Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
By law, you can call God anything you want. Of course, your neighbors still may burn your house down.
- (4) Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it 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: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Some towns do have Sunday closing laws. But some congregations (Jews, Seventh Day Adventists) observe the Sabbath on Saturday. So work if you have to and rest if you can.
- (5) Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
If I tell my parents to go to hell, I may go to hell, but I won't go to jail.
- (6) Thou shalt not kill.
Not just the law, but a good idea as well.
- (7) Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Adultery is not generally illegal. Although such laws are still on the books in some places, they are struck down regularly. This one is mostly left to spouses to enforce.
- (8) Thou shalt not steal.
Good law. Good idea.
- (9) Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
This one is a tough call. Slander is illegal. Libel is illegal. Lying under oath is illegal. But lying itself is not illegal. People do it all the time, and there aren't prisons enough to hold them all.
- (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.
Coveting illegal? This is America! We covet all the time. We covet our neighbors house, and his car, and her ass. Don't you watch TV commercials? Where have you been?
So of ten commandments, we have maybe three that have any basis in U.S. law. But somehow I don't think they'll be posting the three commandments at the courthouse anytime soon.
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