The Ten Commandments

As part of the consideration for who we think that we are in America, I wanted to ponder "The Ten Commandments." Interestingly, while driving north from Cincinnati to Columbus, Ohio, somewhere near Washington Court House, along the interstate, a farmer posts The Ten Commandments on large signs. He concludes with another sign exclaiming "Hell is Real!" Also observed was a sign in his yard, "Trump-Pence."

Not too far away is a billboard advertising "The Lion's Den," a pornographic materials shop that has been a fixture in the community for many years.

Rural America voted for Trump-Pence. Reared part of my life in rural America I know many who stayed and rarely, if ever, left their community. With the exception of what they see on television, they are culturally isolated.

Contradictions are commonplace. Quakers founded many rural Ohio communities. Quakers oppose violence and war. They were among the leaders who gave refuge to slaves fleeing from the South.

Quakers (or Friends) are members of a historically Christian group of religious movements known as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of the various Quaker movements are all united in a belief in the ability of each human being to experientially access "that of God in every person," and therefore they profess the priesthood of all believers, a doctrine derived from the First Epistle of Peter. They include those with evangelical, holiness, liberal, and traditional Quaker understandings of Christianity.

The Ten Commandments

In biblical Hebrew, the Ten Commandments are called עשרת הדברים‎ (transliterated aseret ha-d'varîm) and in Rabbinical Hebrew עשרת הדברות‎ (transliterated asereth ha-dibrot), both translatable as "the ten words", "the ten sayings" or "the ten matters". The Tyndale and Coverdale English translations used "ten verses." The Geneva Bible used "tenne commandements", which was followed by the Bishops' Bible and the Authorized Version (the "King James" version) as "ten commandments."

I am the LORD thy God
No other gods before me
No graven images or likenesses
Not take the LORD's name in vain
Remember the sabbath day
Honor thy father and thy mother
Thou shalt not kill
Thou shalt not commit adultery
Thou shalt not steal
Thou shalt not bear false witness
Thou shalt not covet

There is only one great spirit that is known as God. God is without sexual attribution. God may very well be transgender. God doesn't like competition, but created science to help explain things.

• God doesn't need or want symbols. Stars, crosses, and statues have to go.
• Swearing is not permitted.
• God wants people to take a day off to reflect.
• Parents are important. 
• Killing is not permitted.
• You can't mess around with another person's spouse.
• Stealing is not permitted.
• Lying is out.
• Cherishing material things is forbidden.

The conclusion is that human beings should live a sparse life and to love one another. Moses, a Jew, recorded them on stone tablets.

The Ten Commandments