Even though the United States is supposed to house a secular government the Ten Commandments can still be read at most government buildings. This is mildly disturbing. Considering, of course, the extremely violent context and selectivity behind the original Ten Commandments. Perhaps I should back up a bit first though...
A good friend of mine lent me a book entitled The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins. Now, ever since I was young enough to make my own decisions, I had began to question the legitimacy of religion. I like to think I have a rational, scientific mind. Rationality and science are two of religions biggest nemeses (that is why religion works best with those kinds of people that have no trouble blindly following and not questioning what is being 'preached' to them). I was never one to believe without quetioning. This questioning lead me, of course, to my interest in science. Anyone with commen sense and a small amount of scientific knowledge could easily figure out for themselves that religion, of any form, is ludacracy. While the idea of a creator, a supernatural being for that matter, watching over us and telling us what is right and proper (the Ten Commandments) and answers our prayers (when he/she/it feels like it) is romantic, it's completely absurd. There are too many details that would take a long time (and a lot of blog space) to go through, and perhaps I will do that at another time to further support my arguement, but for now, just consider (if you can) that there is no God.
There is an arguement that those that do not believe in a god have no morals to live by. Again, ludacris. There are (or, at least, should be) examples in a childs life other than religion that influence that childs ability to live a moral adult life. The history of the mindset of people of today and knowing what is and what is not acceptable is a long and tedious one so, for the purposes of keeping this relatively short, just know that there is information 'out there' about this topic and it is in favor of my arguement.
Moving forward, there is no reason that an atheist cannot live a moral life becaaaaaause there are more sources of 'right' and 'wrong' than just the ten suggestions offered by a fairytale in the sky. Oh, and there is the minor fact to take into consideration that Jesus was a Jew. The Commandments were 'sent' to Jews. Therefor, unless you and your "neighbour" (Thou shalt not bear witness against thy neighbour) are Jews, it doesn't pertain to you anyway.
Therefore, in order appease all those in favor of religion, against religion, and those who just haven't decided yet, it has been suggested to adopt a new set of commandments. These are not religion based, but morally based and can be adopted by anyone and everyone. They are not selective of anyone. Some of the 'updated' commandments may seem similar to the 'old' ones, but the new ones are not religion based. It's just saying that some of the original ten commandments were not complete crap, just most of them.
I know, you're tired of waiting. So here is a list of the new set of commandments, suggested by an online group, to replace the existing ones. They are just suggestions and not a perfect set by any means... but it's a start. Please, Enjoy:
1. Do not do to others what you would not want them to do to you
*This is almost a "duh" one
2. In all things, strive to cause no harm
*Again, "duh"
3. Treat your fellow human beings, your fellow living things, and the world in general with love, honesty, faithfulness and respect
*Similar to one, but including all living things
4. Do not overlook evil or shrink from administering justice, but always be ready to forgive wrongdoing freely admitted and honestly regretted
*Everyone is wrong some of the time. YOU will be wrong some of the time. Others will not hold it against you to be wrong, if you do not hold it against them.
5. Live life with a sense of joy and wonder
*This is not saying "be naive." This is saying "enjoy the little things; enjoy everything; don't take anything for granted." Those days when you can drive with the windows down, is a good day, no matter what else has happened.
6. Always seek to be learning something new
*The saying goes, "conflict builds character." I believe "challenge builds character." Challenge yourself mentally, physically everyday. Be the most interesting person you know.
7. Test all things; always check your ideas against the facts, and be ready to discard even a cherished belief if it does not conform to them
*This one pretty much speaks for itself. Listen to the opinions and ideas of others, but don't take them as your own until you've researched it enough to form your own ideas and can support them.
8. Never seek to censor or cut yourself off from dissent; always respect the right of others to disagree with you
*Not everyone will believe what you do. Learn to accept that.
9. Form independent opinions on the basis of your own reason and experience; do not allow yourself to be led blindly by others
*This is directly the opposite of what religion would like you to think. Do NOT blindly follow what someone else says.
10. Question everything
*The idea behind science: question something and look for evidence for or against it.
Again, these are not perfect, but it's a good start to a replacement for the current ones. I hope to follow up/add to this in the future. This is a new favorite topic of mine. I suggest you check out Richard Dawkins. I don't bow down to everything he says, but when I read his work, everything that I questioned as a youngster makes sense. It's refreshing to know that someone of his calibre has the same ideas that I developed at such a young age. There others out ther that believe what I do.
You can find the New Ten Commandments and more thorough commentary on each at:
http://www.ebonmusings.org/atheism/new10c.html
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