How realistic are the commandments in the yr 2005?

[smile95]

ok I have a question...this is not to offend anyones beliefs....just wanted to start with that. Also, I am catholic and just have a question.

 

How can adults living in the yr 2005 live by the commandments. I have said "oh my God" without thinking about it. I have lied. I have held a job on Sunday(the day of rest). So I understand they are basic ideas and rules(and being a catholic, we have confession if we feel we have sinned) but in this day and age is there ANYONE who does not break one?

 

I understand thou shall not kill. Understood. And committing adultery. But lying, working on the day of rest, saying the Lord's name in vain......are those considered sins these days? I mean are people aware they are sinners? I know that we are all sinners and that is what forgiveness is about, but it is depressingif I think about it. is it just becasue times have changed that it seems unrealistic?

[moimeme]

Torture is still torture even if you find a reason to justify it. Most of the sins are sins for a reason- they hurt someone. That never stops being a problem. As for 1 through 4, there are different interpretations but 5 - 10 are pretty straightforward and haven't lost their relevance.

[smile95]

how does using the lords name in vain hurt someone. Or working on Sunday?

[Nicholas]

I'm not a legalist, so I'm probably not the best person to consult on laws that are, figuratively and literally, set in stone.

 

I think I look at the first two a little differently than most though.

 

I am the Lord thy God. Thou shalt not have strange gods before me.

 

Obviously you don't worship Ba'al. The way that I keep this commandment with me is to, as often as I can, take a step back and recognize my priorities. Am I too focused on whether or not there's money in the tip jar? Strange gods include money, sex, your career--it's when the pleasures of the world overtake your desire to help your brothers and sisters.

 

Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.

 

I think this commandment has nothing to do with saying "Oh my God" or "God damnit"--I think that's stuff you tell kids so they'll watch their mouths. I think taking the Lord's name in vain is when you use God or religion to hurt other people instead of for how it's intended.

[smile95]

nicholas......can you use an example of what you think "using the lord's name in vain" would be?

[Nicholas]

http://www.whitehouse.gov/

[laRubiaBonita]

well, i would say they were pretty right on, and like moimeme said, they have some gray areas that could apply to other areas, loosely.

 

here they are~

 

ONE: 'You shall have no other gods before Me.'

 

TWO: 'You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.'

 

THREE: 'You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.'

 

FOUR: 'Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.'

 

FIVE: 'Honor your father and your mother.'

 

SIX: 'You shall not murder.'

 

SEVEN: 'You shall not commit adultery.'

 

EIGHT: 'You shall not steal.'

 

NINE: 'You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.'

 

TEN: 'You shall not covet your neighbour's house; you shall not covet your neighbour's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbour's.'

[Nicholas]

It's interesting how different religions group the 10 commandments. It's not Universal.

 

She mentioned she was Catholic, which means her set would differ slightly from what's above.

 

This page has a good table of how the different religious groups organize them : http://www.kensmen.com/catholic/10commandments.html

[Nicholas]

Also, here's more than you ever wanted to know about the decalogue : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_commandments

[laRubiaBonita]

well, i am confirmed lutheran, and i live by the Golden Rule.

[smile95]

so does that mean you have never had premarital sex? Lied? Worked on Sunday?

[laRubiaBonita]

Originally posted by beth5201

so does that mean you have never had premarital sex? Lied? Worked on Sunday?

who?

 

 

[Nicholas]

Originally posted by beth5201

so does that mean you have never had premarital sex? Lied? Worked on Sunday?

 

The 'golden rule' (or 'Great Commandment') is referring to the idea that you love God above all else and love your neighbor as yourself. It's Jesus' teaching that if you follow that commandment, you're following a more important law than the ten commandments.

[smile95]

you. Or if you break a commandment do you ask for forgiveness? DO all religions have confession? I do not consider myself a bad person, but I have lied. So, according the the bible I am a sinner, correct?

[smile95]

ooooh OK thanks for clearing that up Nicholas! I guess I never heard that -i thought she was referring to living by the commandments. thanks

[Nicholas]

Originally posted by beth5201

Or if you break a commandment do you ask for forgiveness?

Do you?

 

I probably should.

DO all religions have confession?

I don't know. I know a lot of Protestant religions reject all of our sacraments except for baptism and the eucharist.

 

Confession evolved from Irish monks who would discuss their sins in groups.

I do not consider myself a bad person, but I have lied. So, according the the bible I am a sinner, correct?

We're all sinners. We're born into sin, and it's a part of our humanity.

[smile95]

I used to confess my sins to a priest until I was very uncomfortable once when he asked me if I was having sex. I was 12 and never went back. Catholics now have "group confessions" ususally around Christams and Easter. We light a candle and then blow it out symbolizing forgiveness or throw a rock in a big basket getting rid of our sins so to speak. I really was freaked out about that priest so I was glad that they now have "group" confession.

 

To answer your question....yes, Iask for forgiveness regualry. Not that I am a bad person as I said, but according to the bible, I am a sinner, as you said everyone is.

[Auz]

Beth

 

Ofcourse we can live by the 10 Commandments

 

Firstly you need to realise, that to be a catholic you dont need to actually be 100% sin free. In the catholic church, it is understood none of us can live totally sin free - only God himself is - but the 10 commandments are a guide for us to strive towards this, in some ways, unatainable perfection. Some people will get closer to this perfection than others - but none of us will ever acheive it perfectly. Remember, a church isnt a collection of perfect saints. It is a collection of people who acknowledge that they arent perfect, but want to try work towards acheiving this goodness as closely as possible and can admit that certain actions that they have done are wrong, and that deep down they do know they are wrong, and are willing to ask for forgiveness.

 

Most of the commandments are easy to live by - and the others just take a bit of self control.I believe Keep the lord's day holy doesnt so much mean dont work. Sure, if you can avoid it, then do so - but it also means take time out to go to church, and work on your belief.

 

Its not that hard not to lie - sometimes you may find that you said a 'white lie' because the circumstances deem that you have no choice - ie Your mum asking 'Hows your housemate' and you telling her 'yeah she's fine' even though you havent seen her for a week, but dont want your mum to start freaking out because you are home alone because she has a weak heart... But knowing that you have lied, and that is not right, and that you are truly sorry for it, is how you can work on living with the commandments

 

Dont be jealous - another tougher one...but one that you can work on...

 

I guess what im trying to say is that they are a guide to a better life. Yes, there are times when you will break one of them..ie arguing with your parents, wishing you had won that lottery and not your friend - but the fact that you acknowledge that you have sinned, and are truly sorry and willing to try improve yourself is what is most important.

 

Auz

[laRubiaBonita]

Originally posted by beth5201

you. Or if you break a commandment do you ask for forgiveness? DO all religions have confession? I do not consider myself a bad person, but I have lied. So, according the the bible I am a sinner, correct?

I have sinned, i am a sinner. i do repent, in my own way, and i do feel i will be forgiven.

since moving, 7 years ago, i have not found a church i really connect with , unfortunately.

 

but, i do feel i connect with God, and that i am heard, and forgiven, eventually.

[smile95]

thanks Auz

 

GOod post. I am just now starting to learn about my religion even tho I am 28 yrs old. I went to church every week and SUnday school , but when you are young, I do not think it sinks in. I am now at a point where I choose to go to church(not going just cause my parents tell me to go) I go alone now.

 

I realize they are guidelines. I think that this all came up when my friend asked me about stem cell and how do we know God would not have approved. And my answer was thou shall not kill. Stem cell in my eyes is killing. So of course then she said, well no one follows the commandments anymore.

 

I agree that they are what we strive to do and keep in mind thru the day.

[Pocky]

Originally posted by beth5201

DO all religions have confession?

 

No.

[amerikajin]

All this biblical crap just doesn't make sense. I've never understood why a God would go through the trouble of creating life for the sole purpose of testing whether or not it believes in its creator's existence. If I created some form of intelligent life, I'd do it because I think it was interesting - like some kind of lab experiment or something. I'd do it just to see if I could succeed in building a stable planet in which all of my creations could somehow live in some degree of harmony, not because I need to appease my ego and have them believe that I exist. I'd assume that if I were successful at creating intelligent life, they'd sooner or later figure out that something more powerful and more complex than them was responsible for their existence. Having said that....

 

ONE: 'You shall have no other gods before Me.

 

...okay, then. I'll live by that condition - if God would be just do me the courtesy of eliminating all of the other pseudo theologies of which he speaks. Give me a sign or something - like if I start reading Zen Buddhism, give me a painful case of temporary arthritis. After two or three times, I'll get the picture - trust me. I won't touch a Buddhist text ever again after that.

 

TWO: 'You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.'

 

Hunh? Don't make carved images of the heavens above or soil beneath? Umm, that is sooooo B.C., man.

 

THREE: 'You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.'

 

Sounds like this God's got a bit of an ego.

 

FOUR: 'Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.'

 

And then God said 'Let there be Capitalism'. Okay, maybe God didn't...but a lot of his most ardent supporters sure did.

 

FIVE: 'Honor your father and your mother.'

 

Agreed - assuming they honor us.

 

I'm cool with 6 through ten, though you might want to replace your neighbor's donkey with "car" or modern appliance...and it might be more p.c. to leave out the references to "servants."

[Nicholas]

All this biblical crap just doesn't make sense.

It's not supposed to, to some extent. We're guilty of humanizing God a little too much.

[moimeme]

If I created some form of intelligent life, I'd do it because I think it was interesting - like some kind of lab experiment or something. I'd do it just to see if I could succeed in building a stable planet in which all of my creations could somehow live in some degree of harmony, not because I need to appease my ego and have them believe that I exist.

 

If you have a bunch of five-year-olds, you tell them to never cross the street without you. At that age, they may not really be able to absorb the concept of what a car accident will do to them so you give them simple instructions. You'd think it pretty funny if you found them speculating that if they were you, they'd let anybody cross the street however they wanted to.

 

It's a curious trait of humans that on the one hand they admit God is the highest intellect in existence and then on the other think they can out-think Him

 

is referring to the idea that you love God above all else and love your neighbor as yourself. It's Jesus' teaching that if you follow that commandment, you're following a more important law than the ten commandments

 

Actually, it's not that they are 'more important' but rather that all the commandments fit into those neatly. 1-4 are represented by the first, 5-10 by the second. Of course there's a lot more to the second than just 5-10. Puts a lot more onus on humans to behave in a civilized manner to their fellow humans.

[amerikajin]

If you have a bunch of five-year-olds, you tell them to never cross the street without you. At that age, they may not really be able to absorb the concept of what a car accident will do to them so you give them simple instructions. You'd think it pretty funny if you found them speculating that if they were you, they'd let anybody cross the street however they wanted to.

 

Well, I don't pretend to know what's on God's mind these days, but I figure it's better than reading a book written by people I don't know. Otherwise, you may as well accept L. Ron Hubbard as your savior, and wait for a DC-8 to come flying through the Universe with its 300 million person cargo.

 

It's a curious trait of humans that on the one hand they admit God is the highest intellect in existence and then on the other think they can out-think Him

 

I didn't say I could out-think him, only that I think I might have an alternative theory for understanding him - and I'm not sure that God's even a "him" to begin with.