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Below are principles underlying each original Commandment, modernized with utmost respect.
[in brackets, virtues to counter each of 7 deadly sins]
1.
Place no gods before Me
Prioritize your most noble calling.2.
Make no idols
Don't be distracted by impostors or by false goals. Money and shiny objects are not good goals. Don't seek payoffs, but progress. Move with purpose & intent. [temperance not greed]3.
Don't adopt the LORD's name for vanity
Be authentic. Never pretend for appearances' sake. Looking good isn't the same as being good. Say what you mean and do as you say. [humility not pride]4.
Rest (and dwelling with God at His appointed time) is sacred
Downtime and self-care are important, enabling mindfulness (in the interest of 1,2,3 above). Measure twice to cut once: Deeply consider every action, to ensure no action is wasted. Be as punctual about rest as you are about work.5.
Honor your father & mother
Be altruistic. Bring honor to your family and associates. No one is self-made. Deflect credit to your supporters and share your successes. [devotion not sloth]6.
You must not kill
We're not exclusively talking about monstrous crimes. Don't even allow yourself to kill the joy, hope, or prosperity of others. Don't bully or ostracize. Don't hate. Don't be a buzzkill. In other words, keep positive be inclusive and nurture growth. [acceptance not wrath]7.
No adultery
Sustain lasting joy in relationships. In so many unions, intimacy fails long before any sexual misconduct occurs. One is a symptom while the other is a root cause. Bestow affection where it's cherished, and can blossom. Love is the only investment that matters. [adoration not lust]8.
Never steal
Do not profit at the expense of others. Rather than stockpile resources, utilize them to best effect. Always look for the win-win. Thriving is a collective concept. [charity not gluttony]9.
Remain honest
Mistakes happen, but blame is fruitless. Address errors gracefully and do damage control. Seek forgiveness. Focus on restoring good faith. This is integrity.10.
Do not envy
Waste no time wanting and wishing for material things. Do not envy. Focus on direct efforts instead. Be patient to reach your own rewards in due time. [effort not envy]Commentary (IMHO with no pretense of infallibility) No matter one's faith (or lack thereof) the same iconic fundamentals apply. No cheat-codes or exceptions. These rules are humanistic, real and practical, not lofty but foundational. Just as knowing logical fallacies can help us construct solid arguments, recognizing common pitfalls will help anyone build a meaningful life. Hope to be a good human? This is the way. Jesus distilled The Law down to 2 themes, "Love God & Love Your Neighbor". We hereby distill it further, to a single principle, the power of positive attention. (The Law of Attraction has been getting great press. It's not dissimilar.) Every good endeavor or message derives from the same notion. Positive attention begets growth. Positive impact is our calling. We live to serve. The 10 Commandments may be considered illustrations, direct applications of the core concept, tailored to specific aspects of ethics & morality. They teach us how to maximize our power for good. When we care deeply enough, such "rules" become 2nd-nature. They're not external but internalized, intuitive and heartfelt. The ministry of Jesus Christ had hoped to shift our thinking, from caring about rules, to caring about caring. tl/dr -- "Give a damn, or dwell among the damned!" Caring is not optional. This is a natural law. Hell is not destined to be anyone's fate because a vengeful God condemns them to eternal punishment but... IF they've opted into that MAINSTREAM group of small-minded hateful folk who stubbornly or blindly fail to notice & nurture the godlike elements of character amid their own human struggles, and among their cohort... certain souls already exist in a hell of their own making, a self-imposed desolation. When not devoted to bestowing life, existence becomes inconsistent with life. Universal and incontrovertible as Newton's Laws of Motion, this is a law of natural selection more potent than Darwin's. God conveyed the law to spare us the pain of ignorance, not to announce arbitrary thoughts or opinions. These notions were not new or fresh when He wrote them. These laws are so fundamental that they would still hold true without supposing that any god exists or that any battle between "good" & "evil" is being fought, with your soul or mine as the prize. (It is perhaps conceit to imagine that this is the case.) The simpler case is that as natural organisms we must either align to growth, or become extinct. |