urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:religion_ramble Ramblings by the Ramble of Relgious Nature religion_ramble 2007-02-02T10:15:14Z urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:religion_ramble:665 2007-02-02T10:15:14Z 2007-02-02T10:15:14Z Welcome to my Ramblings! Before I start tearing apart various fundamental beliefs, a few ground rules.<br /><br />You're perfectly welcome to friend me, but be aware I won't be friending you back. Not on this journal. So don't be offended. All the posts will be unlocked.<br /><br />This journal is to remain <i>anonymous</i>. No mentioning of names, no direction to my other journal. Odds are I'm going to attract some attention with this thing over time, I don't want any nasties getting a hold on my regular journal as well.<br /><br />... That's all I can think of right now.<br /><br />SO, without further ado ... Ramble One!<br /><br /><b><i>The Ten Commandments</i></b><br /><br />I just went and did a wiki search on the Ten Commandments, and boy, someone's really poured a lot into it. This requires more thought now ... its sure a lot different to the dumbed down versions we were taught in sunday school.<br /><br />So, after a bit of reading, here's a basic version and my take on each. Adapted from the text of Exodus (which actually breaks into about twelve commandments, but different branches have smushed them together in different ways).<br /><br />"I am your God"<br />Get stuffed.<br />You are my god only if I say you are. If god is omnipotent, he would have known man would eat of the apple, we were meant to gain intelligence and sin (if you follow that path ... I personally don't). We as intelligent, emotional beings must make our own choice that best suits us. I, as an individual, shall not be dictated to by ancient scripts crumbling and mouldering in the hands of ingrained culture and tradition.<br /><br />Of course then you have to define what 'God' is. I really dislike that religions grown from these texts use the name 'God'. God is a noun, a thing, an idea of a thing, but a thing. Not a name. I see the use of that word as a tool. (Okay this can so develop into another rant all together, so I'll leave it at that.)<br /><br />"You shall have no other gods before Me"<br />If I've chosen you as my God, then yes, completely ... if not, get in line. And no cutting.<br /><br />"You shall not make for yourself an idol"<br />I find this one amusing. Namely in that it forbids what every single religion has done. Christians raise the crucifix, the Jews David's star (I think that's the name any way). Maybe not quite <i>idols</i>, at least as they would have it defined, but most definitely a symbol.<br /><br />The thing is, we need symbols. They unite us, as well as divide us. They act as a focus. They identify us. They shouldn't be used to tear us apart, or in any malicious way, that degrades the very thing those idols are meant to stand for. But they shouldn't be an integral and rigid part of religion. I can carve myself a sheep taking a dump, and set it up on an alter, but as long as what I pour into that idol is good, then it shall remain good.<br /><br />"You shall not make wrongful use of the name of your God"<br />Define misuse?<br />Really, its almost gotten to the point where if you're not preaching, you're blaspheming. Of course shouting at the top of your lungs "God's a f***ing a**hole!" isn't going to gain much approval ... from those who think they speak of their god.<br /><br />It seems more like people make wrongful use of other people's gods. Its sure not their god if they disrespect it so. Disrespecting another person's god though is disrespecting the person.<br /><br />I'm still going to say "Oh my god!" and "thank god", those phrases are too well ingrained to pick them out easily, but its my god. So nah.<br /><br />"Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy"<br />Ah, the seventh day, day of rest.<br />Supposedly.<br />In reality, there are those that, if they took that day off, would starve for that day. I need my days off. This is as much a cultural reinforcement of a biological need as a religious rule (there are a lot of those). We all need rest. But we have the freedom to pick our own time to rest, that we not endanger our livelihoods.<br /><br />"Honor your parents"<br />*cough*<br />Those who know me know what I think of this one. In this case, I ask "define parent". My sire ceased to be a 'parent' to me a long time ago. He was still married to my mum, but he was no father.<br /><br />All those who manage to raise their children well deserve to be honoured. It is becoming rarer now. If they cannot manage that, they certainly don't deserve to be honoured as parents, by anyone.<br /><br />This certainly doesn't serve as an excuse for a kid to misbehave.<br /><br />"You shall not murder"<br />... Murder what?<br />I'm an omnivore and proud of it. I'm chewing on a hunk of meat right now. Did not someone murder this cow? Did I not benefit from it? I found no mention of <i>what</i> we're not meant to murder.<br /><br />But that's how life is. We must commit murder, every day, for us to live. It might be so small as squashing a mosquito to keep from being uncomfortable, or pulling up a carrot. Killing in self defense also happens.<br /><br />So I say, "harm least", and "honour life".<br /><br />(On a side note, I'm in favour of the death penalty, in extreme cases. Resources that could otherwise go to nurturing children or something shouldn't be wasted on people who will never and should never be allowed back into society.)<br /><br />"You shall not commit adultery"<br />Ah ... heh ... I'm guilty of this one. Define adultery. Not only does the wife know of my relationship with her husband, she was the one who first suggested it. If done with the full knowledge and consent of all parties, it can't be called adultery.<br /><br />"You shall not steal"<br />Yep, agree with this one completely. It should also include indirect stealing. Something my mum has taught me is that to be rich you have to make another person poor. Its no use sitting on millions when others need it.<br /><br />"You shall not bear false witness"<br />And may your tongue rot out should you do so.<br /><br />"You shall not covet your neighbor's wife"<br />Oh, covet all you like ... just don't let it grow into an obsession or actually do anything about it. No need to go flog yourself because you pictured a pretty married woman naked.<br /><br />"You shall not covet your neighbor's house..."<br />etc, same as above.<br /><br />I take note that the script given from Exodus states "you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor." Now slaves ... and animals for that matter ... You own a person only if they give themselves willingly and freely. And if an animal doesn't want to stay with you, you don't deserve to keep it.<br /><br />... I think that's enough for now. Enjoy the rambliness.