I have always found this amusing and irritating at the same time.
Everywhere you look, you see fridge magnets, tshirts, signs, flyers, etc etc with the 10 Commandments on them. But they are stripped of any meaning. I have yet to see a piece of 10 Commandments merchandise that includes the context of Exodus 20:1-17. I have yet to come across an average yankee Christian who knows the whole of the 10 Commandments. They know ten one-liners.
Why should the 10 Commandments be watered down?
Omitted parts bolded.
I Commandment.
"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me."
Storefront Commandment:
"I am the LORD your God. You shall have no other gods before me."
This one possibly annoys me the most. Do you think the Israelites would have listened to this Commandment put in this wording? Heck no. Oh, he's the Lord, eh? Yeah, but there's more to it. WHY shall you have no other gods before the Lord? Because he brought you Israelites out of the house of bondage. (slavery.) You owe him your loyalty. Not just because he is God, but because he delivered you.
II Commandment.
"You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments."
Storefront Commandment:
"You shall not make for yourself a graven image."
Oh, no graven images? Darn the luck. Say, isn't this Buddha carving darling? The watered down Commandment omits the specific instruction: no graven images, not of anything in heaven, not anything on earth, not anything in the water. This Commandment is VERY strict. Again, the reason for this Commandment is omitted. "for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments." This can't be any more straight forward. I imagine the craftstore Christians omit the last bit because it isn't "nice" or "cheery."
III Commandment.
"You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain."
Storefront Commandment:
"You shall not take the name of the LORD in vain."
Why do they admit "your God?" Don't like to be reminded? Want to appeal to moon-worshippers and pagans? Whatever floats yer boat. Again, you never see the last part. "the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain" I guess they just get caught up in the cute baby statuettes to be reminded that our God isn't one of them.
IV Commandment.
"Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work; but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your manservant, or your maidservant, or your cattle, or the sojourner who is within your gates; for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it."
Storefront Commandment:
"Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy."
D'oh! What does remember the sabbath day mean to your average secular American Christian? Go to Church! (if you can wake up on time or stomach missing the big game.) They never say why the sabbath day is Holy. It ain't because of football. Plus, this Commandment clearly states DO NOT WORK on the sabbath, something of which is offensively ignored by craftstore Christians, possibly due to the fact that nobody has read the 10 Commandments in context. (the whole theory of this rant.)
V Commandment.
"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the LORD your God gives you."
Storefront Commandment:
"Honor your father and your mother."
Oh, that's swell. Honor your mother and father. WHY? "that your days may be long in the land which the LORD your God gives you" Not just because it's a nice thing to do, but because the Lord has a PURPOSE for this Commandment.
VI Commandment.
"You shall not kill."
Hey, one they got right.
VII Commandment.
"You shall not commit adultery."
Okay, sailin' smooth.
VIII Commandment.
"You shall not steal."
Another 2 point shot for the craftstore Christians.
IX Commandment.
"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."
Wow, 4 in a row! They sunk your battleship!
X Commandment.
"You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his ass, or anything that is your neighbor's."
Storefront Commandment:
"You shall not covet."
D'oh. What shouldn't you covet? Very specific in context.
Everywhere you look, you see fridge magnets, tshirts, signs, flyers, etc etc with the 10 Commandments on them. But they are stripped of any meaning. I have yet to see a piece of 10 Commandments merchandise that includes the context of Exodus 20:1-17. I have yet to come across an average yankee Christian who knows the whole of the 10 Commandments. They know ten one-liners.
Why should the 10 Commandments be watered down?
Omitted parts bolded.
I Commandment.
"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me."
Storefront Commandment:
"I am the LORD your God. You shall have no other gods before me."
This one possibly annoys me the most. Do you think the Israelites would have listened to this Commandment put in this wording? Heck no. Oh, he's the Lord, eh? Yeah, but there's more to it. WHY shall you have no other gods before the Lord? Because he brought you Israelites out of the house of bondage. (slavery.) You owe him your loyalty. Not just because he is God, but because he delivered you.
II Commandment.
"You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments."
Storefront Commandment:
"You shall not make for yourself a graven image."
Oh, no graven images? Darn the luck. Say, isn't this Buddha carving darling? The watered down Commandment omits the specific instruction: no graven images, not of anything in heaven, not anything on earth, not anything in the water. This Commandment is VERY strict. Again, the reason for this Commandment is omitted. "for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments." This can't be any more straight forward. I imagine the craftstore Christians omit the last bit because it isn't "nice" or "cheery."
III Commandment.
"You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain."
Storefront Commandment:
"You shall not take the name of the LORD in vain."
Why do they admit "your God?" Don't like to be reminded? Want to appeal to moon-worshippers and pagans? Whatever floats yer boat. Again, you never see the last part. "the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain" I guess they just get caught up in the cute baby statuettes to be reminded that our God isn't one of them.
IV Commandment.
"Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work; but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your manservant, or your maidservant, or your cattle, or the sojourner who is within your gates; for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it."
Storefront Commandment:
"Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy."
D'oh! What does remember the sabbath day mean to your average secular American Christian? Go to Church! (if you can wake up on time or stomach missing the big game.) They never say why the sabbath day is Holy. It ain't because of football. Plus, this Commandment clearly states DO NOT WORK on the sabbath, something of which is offensively ignored by craftstore Christians, possibly due to the fact that nobody has read the 10 Commandments in context. (the whole theory of this rant.)
V Commandment.
"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the LORD your God gives you."
Storefront Commandment:
"Honor your father and your mother."
Oh, that's swell. Honor your mother and father. WHY? "that your days may be long in the land which the LORD your God gives you" Not just because it's a nice thing to do, but because the Lord has a PURPOSE for this Commandment.
VI Commandment.
"You shall not kill."
Hey, one they got right.
VII Commandment.
"You shall not commit adultery."
Okay, sailin' smooth.
VIII Commandment.
"You shall not steal."
Another 2 point shot for the craftstore Christians.
IX Commandment.
"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."
Wow, 4 in a row! They sunk your battleship!
X Commandment.
"You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his ass, or anything that is your neighbor's."
Storefront Commandment:
"You shall not covet."
D'oh. What shouldn't you covet? Very specific in context.
.... guess we just have to remember that they are doing the best they can with what they have....poor souls! Pray for them!
