George Carlin and the atheistic view of the 10 Commandments

[reverie0312]

Discussion starter: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CitfTtMIx8

Okay. So after watching that video (or after not watching it, I suppose), what do y'all think of the 10 Commandments? Good pieces of advice? Bad pieces of advice? What say you?  

[reverie0312]

Here's my take on the 10 Commandments.

God, ostensibly

#1-2) Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make for thyself an idol.

Not applicable to atheists. We don't have any god.

God, ostensibly

#3) Thou shalt not make wrongful use of the name of thy God

Not applicable to atheists, because we have no God to be respectful towards. I think a useful distinction here is the one between between being respectful of the religious person and being respectful towards the God. If it offends someone if I say things like "Oh my God! I can't beleive it!" in front of someone, I won't say it. However, that's not respect for the (nonexistent) deity, it's respect for my fellow person. I would do the same if someone was upset by the word "******** class="quote">

God, ostensibly

#4) Remember the Sabbath day and keep it Holy.

[Theophrastus]

I voted "mostly good," but for George's 10 commandments (2).

--Hilariously stupid commandments.--

Don't have other gods - why not (pretending is fun!)?
Don't covet - why not (as Carlin says, it drives people to achieve)?
Don't badmouth God's name - why not (what if I badmouth a tree or a can of soda?)?
Don't desecrate the Sabbath - why not (haven't seen a bolt of lightning yet!)?

--Commandments of questionable value--

Don't be a s**t to your parents - what if they are shits first?

--Things that were common sense long before they were commandments--

Don't lie - it's a violation of others' freedoms.
Don't steal - that's a violation of others' freedoms.
Don't cheat - that's a violation of others' freedoms.
Don't kill - that's a violation of others' freedoms.  

[ProjectOmicron88]

Mine would be something more awesome-sounding, like the Four Pillars of Righteousness:

-Honesty
-Fidelity
-Control
-Judgement

Or, if you wanna get specific...

-Don't lie or cheat.
-Don't betray those who care about you.
-Don't give into raw emotion.
-Don't act rashly in situations where it isn't due.

And now, apply Carlin's positive language:

-Always tell the truth.
-Remain faithful to those who care about you.
-Keep a serene heart.
-Calm your instincts.  

[Baron von Turkeypants]

Soy un hombre muy honrado,
que me gusta lo mejor

1. You must train.
2. You must pray.
3. You must eat your vitamins.
4. Believe in yourself, brother!

Las mujeres no me faltan,
ni el dinero ni el amor

 

[Theophrastus]

Baron von Turkeypants

Soy un hombre muy honrado,
que me gusta lo mejor

1. You must train.
2. You must pray.
3. You must eat your vitamins.
4. Believe in yourself, brother!

Las mujeres no me faltan,
ni el dinero ni el amor

How could I have been so blind this whole time?

*runs wild all over someone*  

[Covered-Up Boxers]

I just shot milk through my nose.

DAMN YOU, TURKEYPANTS!

The commandments was an okay idea, but a lot of them are completely unnessecary. confused  

[Ammonia Spike]

Damn, I wish YouTube worked on my computer. *grumbles*  

[reverie0312]

I think there's a google video version, if that helps?  

[Anavis]

Click me please!

I loved Carlin's take on the Ten Commandments. The way he addressed that "Some parents deserve respect -- most of them don't," was awesome. Anybody willing to face the fact that older does not equal smarter or better deserves a high-five. My personal opinion on the Ten Commandments? They aren't necessary. People should not need a list to tell them how to behave like an ethical human being.

I am serious. Click it.

 

[Fourscarf]

religious bits=stupid
common sense bits=we already knew about it before this religion  

[Freebird4077]

Fairyfly

Here's my take on the 10 Commandments.

God, ostensibly

#1-2) Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make for thyself an idol.

Not applicable to atheists. We don't have any god.

God, ostensibly

#3) Thou shalt not make wrongful use of the name of thy God

Not applicable to atheists, because we have no God to be respectful towards. I think a useful distinction here is the one between between being respectful of the religious person and being respectful towards the God. If it offends someone if I say things like "Oh my God! I can't beleive it!" in front of someone, I won't say it. However, that's not respect for the (nonexistent) deity, it's respect for my fellow person. I would do the same if someone was upset by the word "******** class="quote">

God, ostensibly

#4) Remember the Sabbath day and keep it Holy.

Not applicable to atheists. We don't have a Sabbath. Although taking a little break each week to contemplate life is probably not a bad idea.

God, ostensibly

#5) Honor thy father and mother.

A good idea, within reason. I think we should be careful not to conflate "honoring" with "blindly agreeing with," but in general honoring everyone, particularly people who sacrifice for you as much as your parents do, is a good idea.

God, ostensibly

#6) Thou shalt not murder

A very good idea. One could only wish religious folks abided by this more frequently...

God, ostensibly

#7-9) Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness.

Good ideas.

God, ostensibly

#10) Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife. You shall not covet thy neighbor's goods.

Eh. Coveting alone isn't that big of a deal. If you're consumed by your coveting, that's probably bad and leads to an fulfilling life. If you act on it, that's covered under previous commandments. Not a terribly important commandment, really.

Now, all of that said, I think there are some very conspicuous omissions from this above list. I think the fact that RAPE is not only missing from this list, but also explicitly condoned elsewhere in the Bible, is a glaring problem that does not get sufficiently addressed. Likewise for beating your wife, child molestation, enslaving people, and taking over your neighbor's land (somehow this doesn't fall under stealing, it appears).

This would be my personal list of commandments (in no particular order):

1) Don't murder.
2) Don't rape or sexually abuse anyone.
3) Try to defuse conflicts and avoid violence if possible, and do not initiate physical violence.
4) Do not be unnecessarily cruel or psychologically abusive.
5) Do not discriminate against people based on arbitrary, silly criteria, including but not limited to: sex (including the transgendered and intersexed), race/ethnicity/nationality, sexual orientation, socio-economic status.
6) Have integrity. This means being honest, practicing what you preach, and standing up for what you believe in even when there are negative consequences.
7) Be compassionate, helpful, understanding, and forgiving. When someone is having a difficult time, be kind to them even when they are frustrated. Try to give people the benefit of the doubt. Genuinely care about what happens to others.
8.) Don't steal.
9) Be giving. When you have more than you need, share with those who have less. Do not be stingy with your property.
10) Think critically and be open to ideas. Do not ignore possibilities because of your predetermined notions. Seek truth.

Now THAT is a useful, comprehensive ethical prescription.

[ProjectOmicron88]

Vivika von Mott

Click me please!

I loved Carlin's take on the Ten Commandments. The way he addressed that "Some parents deserve respect -- most of them don't," was awesome. Anybody willing to face the fact that older does not equal smarter or better deserves a high-five. My personal opinion on the Ten Commandments? They aren't necessary. People should not need a list to tell them how to behave like an ethical human being.

I am serious. Click it.

Age certainly helps anyway. Take Carlin himself, for example. wink

But I completely agree with him on the point of respect having to be earned.