Editing Moses
July 9, 2000
I sure wish I lived in a world where people abided by the ten commandments and the golden rule. Ah, Me! Human nature being what it is, I shall never see that day. Perhaps the language of the commandments makes them obscure. What young person understands that their father's hoary head means gray hair? My neighbor does not have any beasts of burden in his back yard on Melba Street. I do not covet his ass! Therefore, with apologies to the first author, I take the liberty of updating the ten commandments.
1. Know that all there is, is created by the Great Creator. All the earth and everything in and on it is created by the Great Creator. The stars, the atoms that make up your body and the elements that make up the atoms, was thus created. Let us glorify the Great Creator and give thanks for the gift of life and for the world that We have inherited. Put aside some time each week, dedicated to him/her, to give thanks and to petition for guidance and blessings. Worship nothing greater than the Great Creator, neither money nor power over others nor power to control your own life nor statues and images nor your own image shall be greater than the one who created everything. First, love God.
2. Meet with others who share your religious view. Worship jointly, so your glorification of the only God is magnified. As you are made in his/her image, his/her love flows through you to others. Worship God in community.
3. Let each individual become all he is capable of being. Manifest yourself and your talents. You are responsible for the health of your mind and your body. Fill your mind with knowledge and wisdom gained of experience. Do not pollute your mind with negative, hopeless thoughts or images of violence and distruction. Keep your body strong and healthy. Do not pollute your body with addictive substances or substances that obliterates your reality. Each biological function has its place. Use moderation in all things biological: eating, sleeping, sex, elimination, exercise. Know that God gave you two guidance systems to help you through life. One is your mind and the ability to reason. The other is your emotional barometer that tells you if you are in a good place or a threatening place. Reason alone leads to inhumanity. Emotional indulgences alone leads to hedonism or irrational behavior. Use both guidance systems in balance. You alone are responsible for your actions and your life. Love yourself
4. The earth is made for the Glory of the Great Creator. Everything in and on it belongs to the Great Creator. Every species is from his/her hand. As the dominant life form on earth, it is humanity's responsibility to care for the earth. Only God can erase a species by his/her natural processes. Mankind shall not distroy any species, which has been given the right to life by God, whether it is useful to us or not. Likewise, mankind shall gently use and enjoy all the blessings of the earth, air and water and return each element, unchanged and unspoiled, so each element is healthy and abundant for the next generations to come. Our biology requires us to eat, but there will come a day when We shall rise above this and not have to eat any living thing, which extinguishes individual life. Until then, eat as low on the food chain as you can and still maintain your health, which is also a gift from God. You are a steward for the earth. Love the earth and everything on it.
5. You are a conduit for God's love. It is your responsibility to administer to others, by yourself or in groups, to uplift others, to manifest this love, to the best of your ability and with wisdom, so that no harm or humiliation or dependency is created on the one who needs help. The one question you will be asked when you return to God after your death is this: "What have you done to help others?" Deal with those around you, as you would have them treat you in your dealings in life. Look for no payment. If you can, be helpful anonymously. Know that the Great Creator created all races and individuals no matter how different they seem to you. We are social beings and need one another. Work in community for the good of all, even those who hold minority positions. This is your responsibility and is not to be avoided, hoping that someone else will step in. Let love manifest in community. Love and help one another.
6. Give honor and respect to your parents, regardless of their age and usefulness to you. They did the best they could for you as you were growing up. Being human, they made mistakes. Forgive them. Take care of them when they can no longer take care of themselves. They gave you life, your biology and your cultural heritage. They took care of you when you could not take care of yourself. Love your father and your mother.
7. The Great Creator created marriage as the foundation for families. It is sacred. There are three entities in marriage: two persons and God. It is a covenent. Therefore, don't interfer in another's marriage. Do not commit adultry. Likewise, single adults should reserve sex for marriage. A physical union without emotional commitment is exploiting one another for hedonistic purposes. Likewise, having children outside of marriage is a sin because it deprives the child of the benefit of growing up within a marriage. The children's needs supercedes the hedonistic urges of the parents. Let love manifest in marriage.
8. Parents are commanded to take child raising very seriously. It is all right to choose to not have children, but if you do, children are a responsibility, a charge from God. They are not possessions, nor are they an extension of your ego, even if they look like you. Children should be treated with respect and educated with discipline so they will grow up with the ability to self-discipline, with knowledge of the commandments, with the ability to work productively and in community. Know that the light of God is within the smallest child. Life begins with the first viable breath. God breathed into Adam and he became alive. Let love manifest in families.
9. You are commanded to respect each others personal boundaries. If it isn't yours, then you shall not steal it, covet it, or distroy it. You shall respect your neighbor's property, his family, his right to live peaceably in community. If your neighbor's child is in danger, rescue him as if he was your own. You are commanded to not distroy other's reputations by gossip or rumor or lie. If you have anything to say, say it face to face. In this way, if there is an error in your understanding, it can be corrected without damage to anyone. Guard carefully what comes out of your mouth. Much distruction comes from that source. Live by the golden rule: Treat others as you want them to treat you. Love and respect your neighbors.
10. All life comes from God. Only God can call it back. It is a sin to perform group murder called war among nations. It is a sin to murder in the name of the state which We call capital punishment. It is a sin to extinguish another person's life. Do not murder.
We live in a modern age, electronic, noisy and crowded. Sometimes it seems as if Mose's commandments are outdated, but they are not. Most of the ills of our societies can be traced to a lack of understanding that these basic tenants are still wise and still function to guide us through our life. I have learned these truths through my own life experiences.
July 9, 2000
I sure wish I lived in a world where people abided by the ten commandments and the golden rule. Ah, Me! Human nature being what it is, I shall never see that day. Perhaps the language of the commandments makes them obscure. What young person understands that their father's hoary head means gray hair? My neighbor does not have any beasts of burden in his back yard on Melba Street. I do not covet his ass! Therefore, with apologies to the first author, I take the liberty of updating the ten commandments.
1. Know that all there is, is created by the Great Creator. All the earth and everything in and on it is created by the Great Creator. The stars, the atoms that make up your body and the elements that make up the atoms, was thus created. Let us glorify the Great Creator and give thanks for the gift of life and for the world that We have inherited. Put aside some time each week, dedicated to him/her, to give thanks and to petition for guidance and blessings. Worship nothing greater than the Great Creator, neither money nor power over others nor power to control your own life nor statues and images nor your own image shall be greater than the one who created everything. First, love God.
2. Meet with others who share your religious view. Worship jointly, so your glorification of the only God is magnified. As you are made in his/her image, his/her love flows through you to others. Worship God in community.
3. Let each individual become all he is capable of being. Manifest yourself and your talents. You are responsible for the health of your mind and your body. Fill your mind with knowledge and wisdom gained of experience. Do not pollute your mind with negative, hopeless thoughts or images of violence and distruction. Keep your body strong and healthy. Do not pollute your body with addictive substances or substances that obliterates your reality. Each biological function has its place. Use moderation in all things biological: eating, sleeping, sex, elimination, exercise. Know that God gave you two guidance systems to help you through life. One is your mind and the ability to reason. The other is your emotional barometer that tells you if you are in a good place or a threatening place. Reason alone leads to inhumanity. Emotional indulgences alone leads to hedonism or irrational behavior. Use both guidance systems in balance. You alone are responsible for your actions and your life. Love yourself
4. The earth is made for the Glory of the Great Creator. Everything in and on it belongs to the Great Creator. Every species is from his/her hand. As the dominant life form on earth, it is humanity's responsibility to care for the earth. Only God can erase a species by his/her natural processes. Mankind shall not distroy any species, which has been given the right to life by God, whether it is useful to us or not. Likewise, mankind shall gently use and enjoy all the blessings of the earth, air and water and return each element, unchanged and unspoiled, so each element is healthy and abundant for the next generations to come. Our biology requires us to eat, but there will come a day when We shall rise above this and not have to eat any living thing, which extinguishes individual life. Until then, eat as low on the food chain as you can and still maintain your health, which is also a gift from God. You are a steward for the earth. Love the earth and everything on it.
5. You are a conduit for God's love. It is your responsibility to administer to others, by yourself or in groups, to uplift others, to manifest this love, to the best of your ability and with wisdom, so that no harm or humiliation or dependency is created on the one who needs help. The one question you will be asked when you return to God after your death is this: "What have you done to help others?" Deal with those around you, as you would have them treat you in your dealings in life. Look for no payment. If you can, be helpful anonymously. Know that the Great Creator created all races and individuals no matter how different they seem to you. We are social beings and need one another. Work in community for the good of all, even those who hold minority positions. This is your responsibility and is not to be avoided, hoping that someone else will step in. Let love manifest in community. Love and help one another.
6. Give honor and respect to your parents, regardless of their age and usefulness to you. They did the best they could for you as you were growing up. Being human, they made mistakes. Forgive them. Take care of them when they can no longer take care of themselves. They gave you life, your biology and your cultural heritage. They took care of you when you could not take care of yourself. Love your father and your mother.
7. The Great Creator created marriage as the foundation for families. It is sacred. There are three entities in marriage: two persons and God. It is a covenent. Therefore, don't interfer in another's marriage. Do not commit adultry. Likewise, single adults should reserve sex for marriage. A physical union without emotional commitment is exploiting one another for hedonistic purposes. Likewise, having children outside of marriage is a sin because it deprives the child of the benefit of growing up within a marriage. The children's needs supercedes the hedonistic urges of the parents. Let love manifest in marriage.
8. Parents are commanded to take child raising very seriously. It is all right to choose to not have children, but if you do, children are a responsibility, a charge from God. They are not possessions, nor are they an extension of your ego, even if they look like you. Children should be treated with respect and educated with discipline so they will grow up with the ability to self-discipline, with knowledge of the commandments, with the ability to work productively and in community. Know that the light of God is within the smallest child. Life begins with the first viable breath. God breathed into Adam and he became alive. Let love manifest in families.
9. You are commanded to respect each others personal boundaries. If it isn't yours, then you shall not steal it, covet it, or distroy it. You shall respect your neighbor's property, his family, his right to live peaceably in community. If your neighbor's child is in danger, rescue him as if he was your own. You are commanded to not distroy other's reputations by gossip or rumor or lie. If you have anything to say, say it face to face. In this way, if there is an error in your understanding, it can be corrected without damage to anyone. Guard carefully what comes out of your mouth. Much distruction comes from that source. Live by the golden rule: Treat others as you want them to treat you. Love and respect your neighbors.
10. All life comes from God. Only God can call it back. It is a sin to perform group murder called war among nations. It is a sin to murder in the name of the state which We call capital punishment. It is a sin to extinguish another person's life. Do not murder.
We live in a modern age, electronic, noisy and crowded. Sometimes it seems as if Mose's commandments are outdated, but they are not. Most of the ills of our societies can be traced to a lack of understanding that these basic tenants are still wise and still function to guide us through our life. I have learned these truths through my own life experiences.
posted by gardenbug at Thursday, November 17, 2005
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