Which one of the Ten Commandments would you replace with something else?

“Honour thy father and thy mother”

Because some people have complete douchebags for parents, and any rational adult should be able to decide who he respects and who he does not.

We’ll just take omitting the “have no other gods before me” as read.

@Seek_Kolinahr I never thought about it, because I had the greatest parents ever, but you do have a point there. I have seen parents that not only deserve to be dishonored, but most likely belong in jail.

Although I am somewhat in doubt on which ten you refer to, since even the bible isn’t clear on it, I have at least two:

“I am the Lord, thy God” – just drop it.

“You shall not covet thy neighbor’s ox.” – Should be: “you shall not cover thy neighbor’s ox”
Eddie Izzard said it best.

Good point, @whitenoise

Come to think of it, most if not all of the commandments can be done away with.

Have no other gods before me – I have no gods at all. Nyah.
No graven images – only Islam actually follows this one.
Don’t take the name of the Lord in vain – Why not?
Keep the Sabbath day holy – Well, I like the weekend, but the “holy” can take a leap.
Honour thy father and thy mother – See above.
Do not kill – kill what? Other people? animals? insects? bacteria? Too vague to implement.
Do not commit adultery – I’m not about to get in the business of consenting adults.
Do not bear false witness against your neighbor – Everybody lies.
Do not covet – That’s silly. Everyone covets. It’s called “ambition” and it’s a good thing.

We can keep “Thou shalt not steal.”

Love thy neighbor. ( I would add, only if they’re not a shit head)
Many aren’t even worthy of a hello.

None! All the commandments are positive! Makes for a better World if adhered too….that is when it gets hard for me!

I don’t know that I would change any of them in spirit- but I would sure change the general wording of honor thy father and mother. It’s part of love others as you love yourself, ie- don’t be a jerk- yet the wording used brings millions to believe they have to roll over and accept whatever their parents dish out.

I couldn’t disagree more. Even Jesus knew there were special cases, I wish the commandments would show a bit more of that.

ETA- A good piece about honoring abusive parents It is, of course, from a Christian standpoint. I agree with about 90% of it, so it’s about as close as I’ve found to how I personally interpret it.

although not directly helping to provide an answer to the question posted, please take a look at the link to Eddie Izzards scetch I included, above. I think it is truly hilarious and on topic. :-)

I would change “Thou shalt not commit adultery” with “Thou shall covet thy neighbor’s ass.”

George Carlin The Ten Commandments Broken Down

I agree with @BoBo1946. While the wording of the Commandments might be/sound archaic, their intent is still relevant in these cynical times. Take “Do not bear false witness against your neighbor.” Someone above appended it with the comment, “everybody lies.” First, I argue that not everyone does lie, but more importantly, is that the lesson we want to teach our kids, that if others do the wrong thing, it’s okay to do it, too?

@Austinlad ditto my friend!

Sometimes lying is necessary for self-preservation. People have the right and responsibility to make their own judgment calls in such situations.

I’d get rid of the God one and replace it with:
Thou shalt not knowingly spread a communicable disease.

@Seek_Kolinahr Absolutely. Like when you are being tortured by zealots who insist you must believe their god is the only go
If I am up against the wall and facing death unless I make an unprovable statement, I will do it.- But they’d better be watching their backs..

I want at least like, 6 more commandments regardless of what’s done with the 10 that are already there.

Half the Commandments are rules about how to regard God.
Seems a little self serving to me. Get rid of any of those.
Substitute “Read a lot, learn to think, and the rest of the Commandments will be self evident”.

@zophu loll..know you said that, “tongue in cheek,” but i’ve enough problems with the Ten!

The reason for the Ten Commandments is actually to show us how impossible it is to be good under our own strength. Everyone lies, everyone covets, everyone breaks all of them, that’s the point. We need help, we can’t be righteous on our own. It’s not about rules, it’s about our brokenness as human beings.

@sharpstick :))) Without Him, we are lost….got to run!

All need to be substituted and replaced by one…

All were written so that they would be broken….

The Bible aside, just about EVERY other philosophy champions the same sort of values, behaviors for lasting happiness and peace.

Personally, I think the Buddhist mantra of ‘Harm no thing’ incorportates ALL the commandments.

Lying, cheating, stealing, killng, bearing false witness, etc. etc. none of these things EVER lead to peace and happiness, they all have harmful consequences for self and other.

On rare occasion their may be exception, but, in general…the wisdom of the ages is there for a reason regardless of one’s perfection of the practices.

I would get rid of thou shalt not steal, and replace it with thou shalt not possess.

Thou shalt honor thy mother and father, if they raise you right.

I’d keep the killing and false witness. Replace any of them with any of these:

1. Do things to help other people.

2. Do not value your own happiness or success or suffering much more important than other people’s.

3. Count to ten before you do anything stupid.

4. Give a hoot; don’t pollute.

5. Find value in other people. Even Matt Brown.

6. Reexamine your beliefs in light of new information. Be neither proud nor embarrassed to change your thinking.

7. Proofread before publishing.

8. Eschew pursuit of material goals for their own sake.

9. Share.

Thou shalt not commit get caught committing adultery.

@6rant6 I like what you say, but I wouldn’t replace any of the Ten Commandments with them. However, your list does make good sense.

Christopher Hitchens on the 10 Commandments

How about amending? Thou shalt honor thy mother and father and children and neighbors, and people who dress funny and have different opinions than you… Unless they’re REALLY offensive.

And That shalt not covet thy neighbor’s ass but instead will get Thy Own Self down to the gym and get your own ass in shape!

@ETpro Loll…that was good!

I’d add
Thou shat always use some form of firewall and/or virus protection.

Thou shalt always get naked in a summer rain

That’s a tough one.

I guess if I had to choose, I’d go with #10, which implicitly endorses slavery and treating women as the property of their husbands.

I’d replace it with something like “Try to find contentment with what you have instead of being envious of others.” I’d also get rid of the whole “anyone who disobeys this commandment must be killed” context, if possible. (Yes, breaking the ten commandments is a capital offense.)

Also, FYI, the Hebrew word is “murder,” not “killing.” The Ten Commandments don’t prohibit killing, they prohibit murder—which is unlawful, non-sanctioned killing. For a religious document, the Bible is quite alright with killing, going so far as to promote genocide in Deuteronomy 20:16.

Do away with any random of the ten and add:

Thou shalt not proselytize.

@FutureMemory Well I would want to do away with any of them, but I do agree with not proselytizing. My individual belief or faith is a very personal thing and I do not agree with knocking on doors, or preaching to others about my beliefs. Personally, I consider the folks out trying to round up new members as a cult, and that is not where I come from.

Eschew Obfuscation in place of the “ox” one

@Dr_Lawrence sorry, what is the “ox” one?

@RANGIEBABY thou shall not covet thy neighbor’s ox. As in wanting the ox next door.
Very shameful indeed.

@whitenoise Thanks, I will be the first to admit when I don’t know something, and then proceed to ask. I learned something new today.

@RANGIEBABY I thought you were kidding because the other part was so obscure so I just gave you a GA!

Silly me!

@Dr_Lawrence Silly you. thanks anyway. I will return it my friend.

@Dr_Lawrence or unintelligible. yes?

Guilty as charged!

@Dr_Lawrence you are cute, I like you. There you go.

What is wrong with proselytizing?

If a religious person knocks on my door and politely asks to talk about Jesus, why on earth is this a problem? Seriously. I am as non-religious as they come.

The way I see it, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to spread ideas. It’s the content of those ideas that can be problematic.

This is my viewpoint:

Don’t come to my house unless I know you, or have solicited your services. It upsets my dog, who is just getting to the age where Bully breeds decide they are the sworn protector of their people and hasn’t yet found the happy medium between “Save the baby” and “Eat the intruder”. This is not something I really want to deal with unexpectedly at 7:30 AM, particularly if the only thing I’m getting out of it is “Let me tell you about my imaginary friend”.

I think it’s safe to say that everyone in America has heard of Christianity, and knows how to find their way into a church, should they desire to hear more about it from the source.

If you don’t want people to knock on your door, you can just put up a “No Soliciting” sign.

Why should I have to put a big ugly sign up in the front of my house just to keep the bible-bashers from waking my kids up? Besides, there are plenty of solicitors I don’t mind. The Girl Scouts for instance. They’re offering delicious cookies. Or the guy who sells meat. I like him too. Or the kids in the neighborhood who will mow my lawn for $5.

I just don’t want to be bugged first thing in the morning by Jehovah’s Witnesses or in the middle of the night by creepy mormons looking for my mother in law.

But it sounds like it’s not the proselytizing that bothers you, it’s the content of the message they’re proselytizing. Which was my point!

Personally, I yearn for the day when some unsuspecting young missionary buzzes my apartment and asks to talk about Christ.

@Qingu
I would be equally annoyed if a Buddhist, Jew, or Hare Krishna knocked on my door at 7 in the morning. Or if they waylaid me in the parking lot when I’m trying to get my ice cream home before it melts (happened last week.)

Selling a product or a service is far different than trying to recruit me into your cult.

I’m not saying your problem with the content is limited to one religion.

Also, cults are (in a way) selling you something. Many cults (including Christians) expect you to eventually pay for services should you choose to join them, through donations or tithes or whatever.

It sounds like we need one more unwritten, but understood commandment. Thou shall not (in your face) impose your beliefs upon another.

They’re selling fear and control. Two things I am not in the least interested in. Other things I’m not interested in include over priced used cars and Republican political candidates. Both of those get their points across well enough though mailed advertisements.

I would change “Do not kill.” into “Do not kill except under these exceptions,
1. money,
2. fetuses,
3. spiders,
4. junkies,
5. gays,
6 .caucasians,
7. muslims,
8. executions,
9. witches,
10 old people,
11. deer season.

@Seek_Kolinahr – The promise of life after death gets you lots of cheap laborers. @buster – That’s the condensed list, right?

Here’s a modern version of the ten commandments in a form that could be useful to both atheists and believers:

1. Do not be greedy. Do not worship any material goods more than the ethical principles that work for the good of all. Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. If you are a believer, worship God as the motivating force behind all ethical actions.

2. Everyone should maintain vigilance and reject any cult of personality. If you are a believer, do not make idols or images in the form of God. An idol can be anything or anyone you worship by giving it more importance than God.

3. Everyone should respect our environment and all life on our planet. If you are a believer, keep in mind that to respect God is to respect nature. Do not treat God’s name lightly or with disrespect.

4. Dedicate or set aside a regular day each week for rest to slow down, ponder, contemplate and absorb wisdom to create a life of significance. If you are a believer, worship the Lord on your day of rest.

5. Give honor to your loving father and loving mother by treating them with respect.

6. All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person. No one shall be held in slavery or servitude. No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Do not deliberately murder a fellow human being.

7. Do not have sexual relations with anyone other than your spouse or partner, unless you have agreed to live in an open relationship.

8. Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property. Do not steal or take anything that doesn’t belong to you, unless you have been given permission to do so.

9. Be honest. Do not tell a lie unless you need to avoid offense or you are in emergency situations to protect yourself or others. Do not bring a false accusation against another person.

10. Do not desire anything or anyone that does not belong to you. Comparing yourself to others and longing to have what they have leads to jealousy, envy and other sins. If you are a believer, be content by focusing on the blessings God has given you and not what he has not given you.

replace thou shalt not kill with thou shalt not murder, put there in print. it’s important

@woodcutter The difference between murder and mere killing being that it’s righteous? Maybe I’m naive, but couldn’t you just append “Except where justifiable” to all the commands?

… not bear false witness except where justified…
... not commit adultery .. except where justified…
... not covet thy neighbor’s wife except where justified.

They don’t seem to have much use if you can say, “Well I’m righteous to do the thing now.” whenever you can convince three other people you’re acting appropriately.

I think this distinction between murder and killing is a smokescreen for people who want to excuse violence wholesale.

@Seek_Kolinahr I like your “Bully breeds decide they are the sworn protector of their people and hasn’t yet found the happy medium between “Save the baby” and “Eat the intruder”. ” do they really try to evangelize you at 7:30 AM? I say let the dog eat them.

Seriously, I used to talk to them especially the Mormon kids. I kind of stopped though because I think I talked a Jehovah’s Witness and a couple Mormon missionaries out of their religion. That’s a big blow for some and it was inadvertently cruel of me to change their way of thinking before they were ready. Needless to say, they don’t come to my house especially early in the morning.

My wife works evenings at the Hospital and the only reason to bother her before noon is if the house is on fire. I pity anyone that knocks before that.

Oh, I amost forgot to answer the question, I say drop the whole mess, George Carlin told us how. It can all be replaced by “do unto others as you would have them do to you”. Takes care of religion, karma, and most philosophical statements. Besides who wants an Ox? Do you know how much they poop?

@Ron_C, Talking those people out of their religions is the best thing you could have done for them. Now if you can talk some Scientology of of theirs, they will be better for it.

@reijinni I think that the Scientology people think they live in a science fiction story. L. Ron Hubbard essentially said that he could invent a religion for the tax deductions. I doubt that he actually thought that some people would take it seriously. I guess there is no limit to what people are willing to believe.

But I do feel a little guilty about ruining people’s religion, for some people, it’s the only hope they have. I’m an atheist but can understand how people base part of their identity on a religion.

Well since we are no longer under the Ten Commandments, as it is a part of the Mosaic Law, I would replace the one about observing the Sabbath. However, the other 9 are reiterated for Christians so you still have to follow them (if you are Christian.)

@JenniferP Matthew 5:17–19 “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

How then are the Law and the Prophets null and void?

thou shall keep thy nasty religion to themselves.

@ETpro I will get back to you with a response in the near future.