The Ten Commandments and US Law: Commandments Recap

The Commandments Recap

Before I get into my recap, let me note that I’m not saying you shouldn’t follow the Ten Commandments.  I suspect that if Christians actually did, they’d be better people.  Jesus emphasized two of the Commandments:

1 – Love God.  2 – Love your neighbor, and said all the rest are built upon these two.

Christians need to understand they are not judge and jury and that many atheists and theists of other faiths are their neighbors.  You can’t kill them all and let God sort them out.  You have to Love them all and let God sort them out.  Most of all, however, Christians need to know all Ten Commandments and to know which Commandments were never part of the US constitution and US Laws; that being the two Jesus claimed as the greatest of the Commandments.  If the United States Constitution doesn’t recognize the most important two Commandments, then the list of ten cannot be said to be the foundation of the Constitution and US laws.

1^st Commandment

The first Commandment tells us to worship only the one true God.  The constitution doesn’t care.  This is the first and most important Commandment and US Law ignores it completely.

The US Constitution mentions religion twice, both times to say that the Congress and Federal Law cannot be used to control or support religion.  The first note that no religious tests shall be required to hold office and the second that Congress may make no laws regarding the free exercise of religion.  I add that that includes the exercising of no religion at all (is neither prohibited or promoted).

2^nd Commandment

This Commandment is about making idols to worship (whether of the One True God or false gods).  US Law ignores this completely.  Build idols to your heart’s content and US Law doesn’t care.

3^rd Commandment

This Commandment prohibits the misuse of the Lord’s Name.  US Law doesn’t care how you use the Lord’s Name.  There are 7 words it does care about – at least at the FCC.  The Lord’s name isn’t one of them.

4^th Commandment

Remember the Sabbath.  Remember the Alamo... I digress.  US Law doesn’t care which days you rest and which you work.  

5^th Commandment

Honor your parents; obey and love them.  US Law?  It doesn’t really care.  Just don’t dump them on the side of the road or abuse them.

6^th Commandment

Don’t Murder.  Damn straight!  I did mention that this is a nearly universal truth in all philosophies and religions (I’m sure there are exceptions – there always are).  So claiming the laws regarding this are based on Biblical Truth and Revelation are weak.  In this regard, US Law owes more to the code Ur-Nammu than Moses (in fact, chances are good Moses, or his ghost writers, stole this from Ur-Nammu too).

7^th Commandment

Don’t cheat on your spouse – especially if you’re a woman (according to the ten Commandments) seems like a common sense law.  But US Law apparently doesn’t care (and good thing too for politicians, considering how often the commit this sin).

8^th Commandment

Don’t be stealing, y’all!  At first glance this might seem to be a relevant Commandment with regard to US Law.  The thing is, so would  the Code of Ur-Nammu.  I might not have noted this before, but the Code of Ur-Nammu predates the books of Moses by almost a thousand years (and the actual writing down of those books by much more).

9^th Commandment

Lying is a sin.  If you are testifying in court or for some official documentation purposes, that is perjury and against the law in the United States, too.  Claiming the 9^th Commandment influenced US Law in this regard has no basis, however.  It just makes good sense.   Lying in general, however, is not against the law (imagine being forced to tell your children that their works of art are ugly because lying is against the law).

All religions consider lying a sin.  Most governments punish lying to the government.  There is even a punishment for it in the Code of Ur-Nammu.  It’s older than the Bible.

10^th Commandment

Don’t covet your neighbor’s stuff.  Unless you live in the United States because our economy seems to be based on it (just don’t steal your neighbor’s actual stuff).  Obviously US Law really says nothing about the coveting part.  Of course, covet has a complicated history of meaning, but US Law is pretty quiet on it generally.

References:

If you want to look at the Code of Ur-Nammu, look here:

http://realhistoryww.com/world_history/ancient/Misc/Sumer/ur_nammu_law.htm

It was probably written about 2100 B.C.E., and certainly before 2000 B.C.E..  The Ten Commandments were created around 1300 B.C.E. (according to Jewish tradition) and written down even later (perhaps starting as late as 900 B.C.E).