God's Commandments, humanly approved version

Recently I wrote an article for the Presidential Prayer Team web site about legislation to promote the display of the Ten Commandments in school classrooms in the state of Texas.  Something I didn't talk about in the article is the fact that our culture, through popular media and educational outlets, has been busy rewriting the commandments for many years.  To present day ears, these comandments sound quaint;  they may even be incomprehensible to much of the population.

I tried to imagine what might be "Common Consensus" versions of each commandment.  I based these on what seem to be cultural norms of widely accepted social behavior.  The law of the land recognizes something called "community standards" in determining appropriate levels of public behavior.  Public schools also use this phrase to evaluate appropriate rules and discipline standards.  If we were to reword God's eternal commandments (the very thought feels blasphemous to write!) to reflect current opinions, here is what they might read like:   


I am the Lord your God.

You are the center of your universe and no one really knows where you came from.

You shall have no other gods before me.

Don't make narrow-minded, non-inclusive statements.

You shall not make for yourself an idol.

Everyone has values;  you are free to choose your own.

Do not take the name of the Lord in vain.

Nothing is really sacred, but you should follow social conventions in order to be well thought of.

Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.

The practices of older cultures may be of historical interest, but have only symbolic relevance to you.

Honor your father and mother.

They don't get it;  besides, even they think you should just look out for yourself.

You shall not kill/murder.

Don’t break social taboos about killing;  besides, it's certainly just as bad to kill animals for food.

You shall not commit adultery.

Practice serial monogamy:  with or without marriage, either gender.

You shall not steal. 

Don’t break social taboos about property. The ever-changing law will let you know what is acceptable.

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

Always insist on your own innocence. Sue others if they are not nice to you.

You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, and any thing that is your neighbor's.

Fight politically for equality, so that your rich neighbor will have to surrender his advantage.