Every morning I do some laps before I start my day— not enough but better than nothing. But before I jump in the pool, I have a prayer ritual I do. It ends with a new words of hope for the people in Ukraine, sometimes even including Russian conscripts, but not usually. Before that I do a relaxing Buddhist breathing exercise and before that an eyes-closed, fairly loud Muslim morning prayer. Before that comes an attempt commune with Jesus and I start the ball rolling with my version of davening, a Jewish ritual which I use to recite the 10 Commandments out loud.
The one I normally use is a Christian version which is based on the original Hebrew version but isn’t the same. This is the original:
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 beside Me. You shall not make for yourself any graven image, nor any manner of likeness, of any thing that is 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, nor serve them, for I, the Lord Your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.
You shall not take the name of the Lord Your God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that takes His name in vain.
Remember the Sabbath, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work; but the seventh day is a Sabbath unto the Lord Your God, in it you shall not do any manner of work, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your man-servant, nor your maid-servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger that is within your gates; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested on the seventh day. Wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and made it holy.
Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord God gives you.
You shall not murder.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s house, nor his wife, his man-servant, his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.
Various Christian denominations changed the order and the language over time. Most are pretty much the same, but Christians tossed numero uno entirely and split number two into one and a two. Also, while the prohibition against making and worshiping images was strictly adhered to in Judaism and in the Moslem faith, early Christianity developed different views on the use of religious images. This led to various interpretations and applications of the commandment against idolatry, especially as Christianity spread into the Greco-Roman world, which was swimming in visual arts and symbols.
Jesus himself emphasized the underlying principles of love and compassion, which he saw as fulfilling the law and early Christianity seems to have placed significant emphasis on the spiritual and moral principles behind the commandments, rather than their literal observance. But basically, as Christianity spread and adapted to various cultures, the wording and emphasis of some commandments were slightly modified to fit the new contexts and theological interpretations.
There have also been more recent attempts to modernize the 10 Commandments, something that could well become a big deal in MAGAdonia if— God forbid— Trump wins in November and the whole thing gets rewritten to fit his… lifestyle. But ’til now there have been humanist, secular and even atheist 10 commandments. In 2014 therewas a crowd-sourced competition to come up with the Ten Non-Commandments:
Be open-minded and be willing to alter your beliefs with new evidence.
Strive to understand what is most likely to be true, not to believe what you wish to be true.
The scientific method is the most reliable way of understanding the natural world.
Every person has the right to control of their body.
God is not necessary to be a good person or to live a full and meaningful life.
Be mindful of the consequences of all your actions and recognize that you must take responsibility for them.
Treat others as you would want them to treat you, and can reasonably expect them to want to be treated. Think about their perspective.
We have the responsibility to consider others, including future generations.
There is no one right way to live.
Leave the world a better place than you found it.
Those are fantastic and I want to incorporate them into my morning ritual. But they’re not exactly religious. What I decided to try doing is modernizing the original concept and keep it kind of religious or at least spiritual. It shares some elements with the “Non-Commandments, inasmuch as both versions emphasize treating others with respect and fairness and both highlight personal responsibility and the consequences of one's actions while stressing the importance of honesty and encouraging personal growth and spiritual development. (What can I say… I worked in a meditation center for over 3 years, so maybe mine are a little less rational and too preachy.)
Take care of your spiritual and personal growth. Find time for reflection and self-improvement while embracing diversity and inclusivity
Respect and honor your parents. They’ve been through a lot to get you here.
Don’t kill anyone. Value every life and care for the environment
Be faithful to your partner. Stay committed and honest in your relationships and practice compassion and empathy.
Don’t steal. Respect other people’s property while working to build a supporting and caring society.
Don’t lie or spread false information. Be truthful and reliable and value learning, wisdom open-mindedness, and the willingness to grow and change
Don’t envy what others have. Appreciate what you have and work hard for what you want while promoting justice, fairness, against injustice and working towards a more equitable society.
Respect other people's relationships. Don't try to disrupt them.
Don’t exploit others for personal gain. Be fair and just in your dealings.
Foster hope and positivity. Spread kindness, love, and optimism in all that you do, while focussing on gratitude and positivity in your life.
So... has the Louisiana state legislature decided which version gets posted in every classroom? Or will their be acrimoney, strife and bloodshed arguments develop over that? Wasn'tthat the kind of thing the Founders had in mind when they decided to keep Church and State separate? Not according to deranged Louisiana religionist fanatic, MAGA Mike: “I’m supportive of it, yeah. And I think it should pass court muster. I think there’s a number of states trying to look to do the same thing, and I don’t think it’s offensive in any way. I think it’s a positive thing.”
And it’s not just Louisiana trying to pull the country backwards. Sarah Mervosh reported this afternoon that Ryan Walters, the far right extremist and all around crackpot serving as Oklahoma’s state superintendent of schools “directed all public schools to teach the Bible, including the Ten Commandments, in the latest conservative push testing the boundaries between religious instruction and public education… The efforts to bring religious texts into the classroom are part of a growing national movement to create and interpret laws according to a particular conservative Christian worldview… Walters, a former history teacher who served in the cabinet of Gov. Kevin Stitt before being elected state superintendent in 2022, has emerged as a lightning rod of conservative politics in Oklahoma and an unapologetic culture warrior in education. He has battled over the teaching of race and gender identity, fought against ‘woke ideology’ in public schools and at times targeted school districts and individual teachers.”
