The Ten Commandments

Detlev gave me ten commandments (Schreibgebote) for writing. In doing so, he reminded me of the Ten Commandments after many decades of forgetfulness. When I was a child, I learned them, but I did not understand them at the time. Consequently, I dismissed and forgot them in my early adolescence.

But now, Detlev made me curious. So now, after 50 years, I take a closer look at the Ten Commandments. My source is the “Ten Commandments” as published by the Evangelical Church of Germany (EKD). After all, I believe the Evangelical EKD is more enlightened and modern than their competition. I found the Ten Commandments on the EKD website. I assume that is the current and official version?

As I understand them, commandments should always clearly tell you what to do. I will now cite the commandments and then write as a comment what comes to mind at each of them in cursive letters.

#Beginning of origial EKD text with personal comments

The Ten Commandments

(after Martin Luther’s Small Catechism)

Jewish and Christian churches have different traditions for the numeric order. The following version will stick by the Lutherean and Roman-Catholic tradition. Another counting mechanism will be arrived at where the prohibition of images – “You shall not make any image“ – is cited as the second Commandment, like in the Anglican, Reformed and Orthodox traditions. In these traditions, the “ninth“ and “tenth“ Commandments are merged into one.

1. The First Commandment
   I am your master and God. You shall have no other Gods before me!The First Commandment is an outrage. There is a higher authority above me, demanding subordination without compromise. This is the end of autonomy and free decision. The second sentence, however, is not a commandment. Instead, it is a forbiddance: we will not tolerate  competition.
   
2. The Second Commandment
   You shall not take the name of the lord your God in vain!Again: not a commandment, but a forbiddance. I must not abuse the name of the authority I have to subordinate myself to. That sounds a little imprecise to me. How would you define abusing a name?
3. The Third Commandment
   Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy!At least, this is a commandment. But what exactly does it mean to keep a festive day holy? Enjoy life consciously? Live well? Incidentally, they might mean something totally different.
4. The Fourth Commandment
   Honour your father and your mother!Here we have another commandment. But the formula is far too restricted. You should also honour your children. The “honour” might then bounce right back to the parents. But perhaps you should also honour your fellow humans? Or even the entire creation?
   
5. The Fifth Commandment
   You shall not murder.Another forbiddance – including the typical weakness when trying to define it. Whom not to murder? Humans? Or just my friends? Or are animals included, too? Is there a balance of values? Can I let others do it for me?
6. The Sixth Commandment
   You shall not commit adultery. 

   And again a forbiddance!

   I had expected commandments that tell me what to do, not prohibitions that basically leave everything open.

7. The Seventh Commandment
   You shall not steal. 

   Another forbiddance!
   

8. The Eighth Commandment
   You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.
   Forbiddance!
9. The Ninth Commandment
   You shall not covet your neighbour’s house. 

   Forbiddance!

10. The Tenth Commandment
    You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbour’s.

Prohibition of desires! But desire is part of our being. Can you forbid something that is part of our identity? Well, I guess you can prohibit anything. The question is: does it make sense?

#End of EKD citation with personal comments

To sum it up, all I can say is that I fail to understand the Ten Commandments today, just like I failed to understand them when I was young. In fact, they are not Ten Commandments, but 9 prohibitions and 2 commandments. The wording sounds very imprecise to me.

Now I hear you couintering that I must not take it all literally. After all, it is just a collection of metaphors that need to be interpreted. But the Ten Commandments are the basis for a powerful religion. A religion that expects total subordination under their lord and God from its members (see First Commandment). And it takes its very legitimation from exactly those metaphors that need interpretation, again see First Commandment. Basically, that is not something that should be allowed.

I can still very well remember when, as a pious Roman-Catholic child, I returned home from confession at St-Antony’s Church in Augsburg and how I was then led towards First Holy Communion. And to this day, I am glad that I overcame that phase when I was still a teenager and that I found my “God“ with the big trees in the beautiful Wittelsbacher Park of Augsburg.

RMD
(Translated by EG)

P.S.
Detlev did a lot better than the EKD with his Commandments . After nine irrelevant prohibitions, he said everything that needed to be said in the Tenth Commandment! But Detlev would also make quite a good Pope.