In Defense of the Ten Commandments

Since there are some who say that the Ten Commandments play no role in the founding of our nation, or in the moral fabric that keeps it together, I have written this as a reply.

First, let me offer my definition of “God.” As St. Anselm of Canterbury said, God is that than which nothing greater can be imagined. Remember this definition as you read the rest of this message. God, of course, is referred to often.

We begin with what I consider the two most liberating verses in the Bible. The first is obvious: I am the LORD your God, who brought you...out of the house of slavery. That is certainly a liberating statement. The next verse is not nearly as obvious: You shall have no other gods before Me. This doesn’t seem to be liberating since it is a prohibition. But it forces you to ask the question, “who or what is my god?” Your god is that thing you hold so dearly that you would give up everything else in your life just to keep it. Your god could be family, logic, money, your spouse, your car, sex, drugs, rock and roll, anything. But, if your god is of this physical, finite world that is in constant change, then your god will someday abandon you. What do you do when what you hold most dear forsakes you?

Christians believe that your devotion should be directed to something beyond this physical world. We believe that something is God, who we believe to be Perfect Love. Allow me to quote myself regarding perfection, “For everything we experience in our physical world (objects, emotions, love, truth, beauty) there is a Perfect Form. If I draw a circle on a piece of paper, I can understand the quality of that circle because there is a Perfect Circle that I can compare it to (from post titled Perfection).” Everything in our world is a reflection of its Perfect Form. This is from Plato. Nothing, no thing can be understood unless you understand the Perfect Form it reflects. For example, I wouldn’t be able to understand the circle I drew on a piece of paper without understanding the Perfect Circle. St. Anselm said that God is that than which nothing greater can be imagined. God is perfect, He is Perfection, and Perfection requires existence. God does not change and is not moved. Everything in our world is finite and fleeting, but God remains constant, existing beyond space and time. Therefore, He alone is worthy of our devotion. He is the only thing that will not abandon us. So, God says, “You shall have no other gods before Me.” That commandment liberates us from this world and brings us into a greater understanding of God, the universe, and ourselves.

The Second Commandment: You shall not make for yourself an idol. Again, we should not give our loyalty and devotion over to something of this world. Everything in this world is finite just like us, therefore nothing in this world is worthy of our worship.

Third: You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain. Doing so shows a desire to remain chained to the earth because you are not fully devoted to God, who, as we have seen, is the only One worthy of your devotion. This Commandment also ties in with the Ninth since oaths are made to God and oaths must be honored. If you do not honor your oath, which you made to God, and instead lie, then you have taken His name in vain.

Fourth: Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. This is for our benefit. We all need a day off to recover from the week and also to reflect on our relation with God so that we do not get distracted.

Fifth: Honor your father and your mother. If your mother is a drunk and your father is a child molester, yes, you should still honor them. Honoring your parents means more than just obeying them. It also means helping them, even when what they need help with is themselves. You should not attempt to punish them. They will receive the consequences of their actions. Besides, you are the product of their union. You are what they are. This Commandment is also warning us against pride. You are not any better than your parents. Here, we see the foundation of our ideal of equality. No one is better than anyone. We all have parents. We are all flesh. We are all fallible.

Sixth: You shall not murder. We have already seen how the Ten Commandments are the foundation of our belief in the Right to Liberty. Here we see the foundation of our Right to Life. Our nation is founded on the belief that all men are born with Natural rights to Life, Liberty, and Property. These Rights are first expressed in the Ten Commandments.

Seventh: You shall not commit adultery. This, again, is about honoring your oaths, in this case the oath you made to your spouse. There is no secular law against adultery. However, adultery does constitute a breach of a legal contract that results in the dissolution of that contract (divorce). And, of course, it is not a wise thing to do. It causes emotional stress for all those involved (the problem is compounded if children are involved), and it can lead to disease.

Eighth: You shall not steal. Here we see the foundation of our Right to Property. These Natural Rights (Life, Liberty, Property) are all protected by the government. According to the Declaration of Independence, that is what a government is created for.

Ninth: You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. Perjury is illegal. But one can be sued for libel as well.

Tenth: You shall not covet. This means several things. First, you should not covet your neighbor’s property because that can lead to stealing. Also, you don’t want to get into a situation where you simply must have a better car, or bigger house than your neighbor. But most important, this commandment tells you to keep your focus where it belongs: on Perfection, not this world. Nothing in this world is worthy of your devotion.

So, you see, the Ten Commandments serve as the foundation of our basic and essential Rights to Life, Liberty, and Property.

See also You Can’t Tell Me What I Shalt and Shalt Not Do!.

–J.E. Heath
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