chaz wyman wrote:The 10 commandments are a load of crap, very little to go on.
The principles of the sanctity of life and property are everywhere the basis of civil and criminal law, in their every aspect. Not that anyone needed to be told to neither kill nor steal— law existed long before Moses or even Abraham. These commands were included so that there was no doubt about the nature of the true deity. Other 'deities', constructs of humanity, provided grey areas about theft and violence, as were convenient to local rulers. Those principles of the sanctity of life and property are basic to human, even animal existence. The laws on adultery and giving false witness were extensions of those basic laws. The law on coveting was an extension of them into the psyche, to motivation. It was not a law susceptible to policing, law with capacity to provide legal redress. It was a law that foreshadowed a 'law' that was to come, an
internal one. The law on honouring one's parents was contingent upon the existence of revealed law in a particular association of people, because it was by personal transmission from parent to child that their law was to be perpetuated. It was to place an onus on parents to behave responsibly, in accord with their own commandments; and this induced responsibility for child care in parents that is famous in Jewish families even now. The law on Sabbaths was foreshadowing of the liberation promised to the revered ancestors Abraham, Isaac and Israel (Jacob). It was indication that the law of Moses was only a temporary provision until a better remedy was given. In a sense, the Law contained the germ of its own destruction, and this would have been perceived by thoughtful Israelites as they sat quietly in their dwellings on sabbath days.
The interests of the weak, women, children, health, everything useful in any society, are founded upon those principles of the sanctity of life and property; to disregard them is to favour anarchy, barbarism and eventual extinction. Those interests were mentioned specifically, in detail, in other commandments. Modern governments might make a good deal of social progress if they were to apply more Mosaic principles in their legislation. Alas, capitalism has taken its grip globally (which could never have occurred in Israel) and Bismarck's dictum that politics is 'the art of the possible' operates.
If god exists and this is his word I'd suggest that he was a sad fucker to make it all about him.
It was firstly about
him in order to make it about
people, because people do not respect each other enough. A nation that had been saved from slavery by a series of mighty miraculous acts might have been expected to have respect for its deliverer. Which was indeed the case, until generations grew up that did not suppose that their society owed any debt to that deliverer. But then people are like that, as we know from modern politics and societies. People learn the hard way; but then they have to learn it again.
Plus ça change...
The Decalogue has logic and sagacity of comprehensive and indeed supernatural nature also, once it is understood fully, in its full context.
Not that the Decalogue and six hundred other commandments made as much difference to the Israelites as might be expected, because, as mentioned, they often found it too hard to apply their laws. Mosaic Law was set up as the moral ideal in its contemporary setting. It was intended to show precisely that most of humanity does
not have respect for itself; or, to express it another way, that people do not value a clear conscience. It was called a 'schoolmaster' to lead to a messiah who would motivate to treat others as one would wish to be treated, with love, which looks after one's best interests. As declared by him, that messiah did not come for all, but for those who were troubled by their consciences and wished to have them cleared more than they wanted anything else. Those, according to the respective lore, are ever a minority.
Hope this helps.
Too late! Hope it went well.