But not as you think you know them

The Ten Commandments, a set of general, Policies

Rules, and Guidelines (PRGs) or a set of political
diktats needed to keep together a bunch of refugee
tribes escaping from Egyptian tyranny.
Christians in particular claim these Ten

Commandments like other parts of the Bible should
be taken literally, so let‟s take a look at them, not
from some theological position or standpoint but
from the point of view of the simple lay person who
is asked to believe and follow these rules and live
their lives governed by them.
Even the numbers of commandments seem to differ

from religion to religion from denomination to
denomination and from sect to sect, Just how many
are there and what relevance do they have today.

Three or four thousand years ago and right up to

modern times, virtually all leaders, kings pharaohs
etc either claimed to be living gods or at least
especially picked by a god. It is how they kept
control and demonstrated their power over their
minions. The Pope for example claims to be the
infallible vicar of Christ. Of course not all Christians
believe this and hundreds of thousands have died
because they said they don‟t.
So what makes Moses, this guy who sneaked off

up a mountain to have a meeting with a God, any
different, in fact he would be expected to be chosen
by a god or at least in direct contact with some
powerful supernatural entity. As for the
commandments surely anyone taking on the task of
leading a bunch of refugees across a desert for 40
or so years has to set out some rules of behaviour
or the social cohesion would not exist and the tribes
would drift away on their own.

This group of refugees are moving out from well

organised settled lives to wander across a very
harsh wilderness so it‟s not surprising that there
should be some pretty strict rules and what better
way to ensure compliance than by saying they
come direct from god himself, but why all the
secrecy and if these wretched people were slaves
of the Egyptians and fleeing this intolerable
existence where did they get their slaves from are
we to believe that as slaves of the Egyptians they
had slaves of their own. If the Almighty Hebrew god
was so concerned about „his people‟ why all the
theatricals he after all promises to brush aside the
people that already inhabit Israel, the Egyptians
wouldn‟t have been much of a problem after all they
didn‟t have real gods to help them did they.

The lists known as the Ten Commandments

are given in passages in two books of the
Bible: Exodus 20:2–17, Exodus 34:11–27
and Deuteronomy 5:6–21. Various religions
and denominations group the
commandments differently; In fact they are
interpreted so differently it is impossible to
find a consensus. It would appear that it
became necessary to shorten the list to ten
that most could agree on. Some put these
differences down to translation others to
interpretation if this is the case how can they
possible be taken literally.

The Roman Catholic Church uses the translation 'kill' (less

specific) instead of 'murder'. Some Lutheran churches use
a slightly different division of the Ninth and Tenth
Commandments (9. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours‟
house; 10. You shall not covet your neighbour‟s wife, or his
workers, or his cattle, or anything that is your neighbour‟s).
Sources within Judaism assert that this is a reference to
kidnapping, whereas Leviticus 19:11 is the Biblical
reference banning the stealing of property. This
understanding is based on the Talmudical hermeneutic
known as /davar ha-lamed me-inyano, (lit.
Something proved by the context), by which this must refer
to a capital offense just as the previous two
commandments refer to capital offenses. The \"Talmudic
Division\" is the breakdown held by modern Judaism, and
dates to at least the Third Century. The \"Philonic Division\",
which dates to the first century, is found in the writings of
Philo and Josephus. They ended the first commandment
after verse 3 and list the second commandment as verses
4-6, similar to most Protestants (non-Lutheran) and the
Eastern Orthodox Church.

So let‟s look at these PRGs from
Exodus 20:2–17

The Name of the LORD represents His power,

actions, and reputation in the
universe. Almighty God cannot be “conjured” or
treated as an object, since He is the Master of
the Universe and subject to no one. It is chilul
HaShem to attempt to invoke the Name of God
for selfish or manipulative purposes (Exodus
20:7).
 Is this not exactly what people do when they
pray? Do all the Saints and Icons of the modern
Church not represent Idols? Or the fact that
Christianity is riven with schisms with each new
breakaway Church claiming God as their own
not treating god as an object to be fought over
like two dogs with a bone.

I am the Lord your God, who brought
you out of the land of Egypt, out of
the house of slavery;
So is this God the same one the

Christian worship? Because if it is why is
there such a difference between their
respective religions. Neither Christianity
nor Judaism has anything remotely in
common. The plagues of Egypt can now
be seen as being natural disasters,
which are so easily claimed as acts of
an angry god....... after the fact.

Do not have any other gods before
me.
Why mention other Gods if he is the only

one, just how many are there?
 Or is this an indication that this God like all
others is just a made up a device for
controlling the masses..
 If indeed there are no other Gods why is
this one so worried about this, after all
worshiping some inanimate object should
only cause concern for the person‟s sanity
and couldn‟t possibly be a threat to an
almighty God, maybe just a hint of
paranoia along with the jealousy then.

You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the
form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on
the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the
earth.
 So it would appear that this God does
indeed think that there are other Gods to
worry about. In fact they seem to be
everywhere. If so where are they
hiding?

You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I
the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing
children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the
fourth generation of those who reject me,
Surely for a God this is pretty vindictive,

malevolent, malignant and downright
brutish behaviour.
Would you want this as a friend?

Sounds like, this God has some serious

mental health issues.
Three or four generations sounds a bit on

the harsh side.
dictatorial Gods are just like their human

counterparts.

But showing steadfast love to the thousandth
generation of those who love me and keep my
commandments.
A pretty big promise here? Three or four

generations of punishment dished out
for a wee bit of wickedness but rewards
for keeping the faith run to a thousand
generations. No wonder people followed
this guy; he should have written a book
on motivational techniques.

You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the
Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who
misuses his name.
No turning the other cheek for this God

then. It is all sounding more threatening
than loving but what the hell all
megalomaniacs sound the same.

Remember the Sabbath day and
keep it holy.
Oops seems that he should have said

which day it is, as there seems so much
confusion about whether it is Saturday
or Sunday, which are curiously both
named after Pagan Gods, .which I don‟t
suppose pleases this bad tempered
sod.... Oops.. god.

For six days you shall labour and do
all your work.
Obviously not a farmer then, or

someone who needs to work to survive.
An early version of the European
Working Time Directive, working like
slaves 24/6 cheers mate.
 No National minimum wage either....

But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God;
you shall not do any work—you, your son or your
daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or
the alien resident in your towns.
This God seems to be really hung up on

the Working Time diktats.
 And where do the aliens come from
Mars perhaps.
 Here again he seems to endorse
slavery, and where did the „towns‟ come
from these refugees were wandering
about aimlessly in the desert.

For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the
seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the
Sabbath day and consecrated it.
The more you say it the more bizarre it sounds. I

think he should have explained this a bit more as it
has led to the most outrageous claims. That he
didn‟t really do it but a thing called Evolution,
Natural selection and millions of years where
needed, ok, if he was trying to keep it simple for
the wandering ex slaves with their towns we might
be being just a little too critical. So does your god
believe that slavery is ok but working on the
Sabbath day.. .that one he took off as a rest day, is
a sin? The mind boggles at this hypocrisy and
what about the rest of the time since, has he
retired or something.

Honour your father and your mother, so
that your days may be long in the land that
the Lord your God is giving you.
Is this the holy land perhaps, the land

that‟s now so full of holes
 the same land that now flows with blood
rather than milk and honey?
 And belonged to someone else....

You shall not kill (murder)
Kill or murder let‟s not quibble about the

words they both mean someone dies,
 not much notice is taken of this
particular one anyway as two thousand
years of Christian barbarity can testify
 Maybe it‟s in the singular and therefore
Genocide is acceptable.....

You shall not commit
adultery.
Another one that is completely ignored


You shall not steal.
Unless it is from some one that does not

believe or is this just a guidance a bit of
wishful thinking or did it lose something
in translation. Stealing is exactly what
Christianity does best..For the
Americans amongst you try asking
what‟s left of your own indigenous
people.

You shall not bear false witness
against your neighbour.
Remember you don‟t have neighbours your

God slaughtered them.
Tell this to the Popes and the Bishops that

have slaughtered millions in genocidal
rampages across the world. That committed
incest rape and adultery. Tell this to the Jews
who stole the Palestinians land. Tell this to the
indigenous peoples of the world that had their
lands taken from them their children stolen,
their gold and wealth taken from them at the
point of a sword. Yep his followers really know
how to break the rules.

You shall not covet your neighbour’s house; you shall not covet
your neighbour’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or
anything that belongs to your neighbour.
Slavery again, no mention of

paedophilia yet, I wonder if this is why
it‟s so popular amongst priests
 it‟s ok to do a bit of coveting if you are a
God coveting the Egyptians slaves but
what really hurts he waited till all the
building work was done.
 Does this extend to souls, the ones
Christians are so eager to collect.

Exodus 34:11–27

Observe what I command you today. See, I will
drive out before you the Amorites, the
Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the
Hivites, and the Jebusites
Not just coveting here or petty larceny

this looks alarmingly like genocide.
 Hitler couldn‟t have said it more
menacingly.

Take care not to make a covenant with the
inhabitants of the land to which you are going,
or it will become a snare among you.
No peace treaties,

 definitely sounds as if this is his final
solution.

You shall tear down their altars, break
their pillars, and cut down their
sacred poles.
Yep, a Blitz Krieg, reign of terror.

 One mans sacred pole another Gods
piece of fire wood.
 This must be where Christians got the
idea for God on a stick.

(For you shall worship no other god, because
the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous
God).
A Jealous, bloodthirsty war mongering

and genocidal maniac.
 paranoid about other nonexistent Gods
more like.
 And a closet coveter.....

You shall not make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, for
when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to their
gods, someone among them will invite you, and you will eat of the
sacrifice.
This paranoia is getting beyond a joke,

which one of the ex slaves would dare
break this rule and face the wrath of this
dictatorial nut.
 Oops! the Christians.

And you will take wives from among their daughters for your sons,
and their daughters who prostitute themselves to their gods will
make your sons also prostitute themselves to their gods.
Afraid of these femme fatales or is God

losing faith in his chosen people,
 Should have warned them of the
dangers of inbreeding....

You shall not make cast
idols.
Just when they were getting out of the

Neolithic,
 none of him either presumably or literally
speaking.
 Oops! these darn Christians should pay
more attention.
 Would TV Evangelists fall into this
category as most of them seem so stiff?
And are idolised by millions.

You shall keep the festival of unleavened bread. For seven days
you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the time
appointed in the month of Abib; for in the month of Abib you came
out from Egypt.
This one can‟t be taken literally it must

only be for the Jews,
 if not oops again.

The next lot of commandments deal with the
cost of joining this select band of wandering ex
slaves

All that first opens the womb is mine, all your male livestock, the
firstborn of cow and sheep. The firstborn of a donkey you shall
redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its
neck. All the firstborn of your sons you shall redeem. No one shall
appear before me empty-handed.
High price to pay for your freedom,

 human sacrifice just about tops the league
on cruelty.
 Or shouldn‟t we take this too literally?

For six days you shall work, but on the seventh
day you shall rest; even in ploughing time and in
harvest time you shall rest.
More Working Time Regulations,

 But no mention in this one about men
from mars or slaves having a day off.

You shall observe the festival of weeks, the first
fruits of wheat harvest, and the festival of
ingathering at the turn of the year.
The Christians just renamed this.

 Most if not all farming communities
celebrate harvest time so this is nothing
new and I doubt if it really needed to be
enshrined in Law.

Three times in the year all your males shall
appear before the Lord God, the God of
Israel.
A wee bit sexist

 or still afraid of the girlies.
 Much the same as today.

For I will cast out nations before you, and
enlarge your borders; no one shall covet your
land when you go up to appear before the Lord
your God three times in the year.
Must be a God thing.

 there has been a lot of coveting going
on round the holy land for centuries and
lots of casting out,
 along with all that flowing blood and
making holes in each other.

You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with
leaven, and the sacrifice of the festival of the
Passover shall not be left until the morning.
The Christians amongst you aren‟t doing

too well,
 this is another one that you let slip.

The best of the first fruits of your ground you
shall bring to the house of the Lord your God.
The best to the High Priests who sit

about doing bugger all except making up
Working Time Directives of course.

You shall not boil a kid in its
mother’s milk.
You don‟t have to be Gordon Ramsay to

know this; it‟s just „Fucking‟ sick.
 Just surprised that this needs to be
carved in stone.
 And why would a god be bothered about
recipes.

What does it all mean?
So what have we got a set of rules for a

bunch of superstitious refugee Hebrews?
 Some sound bites, a bit of spin and
propaganda, a huge number of threats and
some recipe advice.
 Or the literal historical word of a Jealous
Genocidal, bloodthirsty and paranoid god
running a protection racket to keep a bunch
of equally malignant high priests in power
to service their vanity and greed.

Must be just guidelines!
What surprises me most is not that

people believe that this rubbish comes
from a god, but the fact that they think
that they are following these
commandments today.

As an Atheist
As an Atheist I of course had already made up

my mind, at about the age of ten or was it
twenty seven but then what‟s in a number.
Even as a child I could see that these laws,

commandments or PRGs were being used to
manipulate the Hebrews
they are nothing more than what was needed

at the time To keep them together.
As mankind advanced Theology was needed

to insert new meaning, new interpretations and
to twist what was essentially tribal laws into
political tools.

Hebrew God
Do Christians believe in this Hebrew

God?
 If so why all the differences we see
today between the three main religions
that use the old testament?

Alpha leader.
Or is it that humans need to be governed, ruled by

an Alpha type leader. All religions change not by
commands from god but by very human leaders.
Throughout the history of mankind religions and
politics have been closely bound, political systems
change and so have Gods. The ancient Greeks,
Romans, Mayans and all the multitude that make up
the population of this planet believed in their Gods
with as much faith as any evangelist today. So too
have the political systems, from God Kings,
Emperors, Pharaohs, Chiefs, Elders and all the rest
of the political classes. Both evolved to suit their
times; to cling to the past no matter how comforting
is to stifle mankind‟s thirst for knowledge.

nomadic tribes
If you want to hold on to the past, and

get comfort from primitive tribal religions
that‟s ok but don‟t hold the rest of us
back with preposterous notions that a
god wants us to be like a semi nomadic
tribe wandering across the desert
escaping persecution from Man Gods
Pharaohs.