The third of the ten commandments.
We all know it. So highly symbolic are the Ten Commandments that almost all human beings on earth – even non-Christians – are aware of their existence. It is mostly because of the third commandment that shouting ‘Jesus Christ’ in conversation is frowned upon. I’d like to challenge that notion.
The Ten Commandments, The 10 Commandments
Does your God think less of you or possibly even punish you if you utter ‘Jesus Christ’ or ‘God damn it’? That’s too bad. Mine doesn’t! My God does not exhibit human-like pettiness. He does not care whether his name is used as an expression of surprise, anger or frustration. My God does not view uttering ‘Jesus Christ’ as a sign of disrespect. The need for respect from others is purely a human notion. God transcends all human reactions and emotions. He’s an entity that is much more grand than that.
Trust me folks. Your God cares much more about other things: kindness and helpfulness toward others; supporting those in need; sense of awe at his creations; sympathy; empathy; humility. You get the idea.
Who decided that the third commandment means saying ‘Jesus Christ’ is a blasphemous act? I want to meet that person. That’s just silly. Did that person talk to God personally? Who’s to say that the correct interpretation of this commandment should not be “You are not to make use of the name of the Lord your God for an evil purpose.” That would make much more logical sense. Here’s an example. In the dark ages, the church punished, in the name of God, those who did not believe the earth was the center of the universe. See what I mean? Here’s a more recent example: clergies abusing boys and covering it up.
Be skeptical of anyone telling you what God wants of us, or what he cares about (including me). No one knows that for sure. The only thing we can do is to employ logic, intuition, knowledge, and experience to arrive at a reasonable conclusion regarding God’s wishes and plans. That is why you are bestowed the gift of intelligence. One way or another, you must use your brain to untangle the mysteries of the ten commandments.
Here’s my personal belief: God doesn’t care about words. That is just silly! At this very moment, somewhere in the world, a child is dying of malnutrition or disease. At this very moment, a desperate person is praying to his creator, and asking for nothing more than a bite of food. At this very moment, innocent American and Iraqi lives are being wasted. At this very moment, someone is dying of cancer, and his family is grief-stricken. At this very moment, a woman is giving birth to a child. At this very moment, a new star is born in the universe. God is busy!
Does your God really make an adverse note about your foul language? Not likely! Don’t be afraid to challenge conventional wisdom (even religious ones). The Church has not always been correct in its teachings or its behavior. Exercise your remarkable and awe-inspiring gift of intelligence that God has given you. Think about it.
I welcome all respectful comments, including any of the ten commandments.
RSS Feed This Blog
I completely agree with you! In fact, I’ve had similar conversations with so many people. Good to read something that agrees with me on this one!
I know that the original word means name,authority,character. what does it mean to “take” his name ? I would think this means more like acceptance of his name,character, authority is not in vain because he is the Lord our God.
yet I would strongly caution against using his name lightly because his name is very weighty indeed.
and tossing it about willy nilly does in no way honor him in the way he deserves
I was just thinking about this today as I sang to Zero by the Smashing Pumpkins,
“She’s the one for me
She’s all I really need
Cause she’s the one for me
Emptiness is loneliness, and loneliness is cleanliness
And cleanliness is godliness, and god is empty just like me”
I can sing and say it because the “godliness” he sings about isn’t the God I believe in. I guess I apply that to everything & everyone that demeans God, because it’s not the same God i believe in.
p.s. If you would, please turn off that Snap View thing in your WordPress settings. It’s annoying.
Yup, Snap is annoying, isn’t it? It’s off now.
I could hear the fizz of a can of worms opening all the way down here when this was posted
I am not a religious person by any means but I was raised, and educated, as a Catholic in the 60′s & 70′s, so religion has been a major influence in my life.
I mention the timeframe because religion was, in fact, more important than your favourite sporting team or TV show or pop idol….
Let’s not look at the teachings (rants) of the narrow minded or those that “believe”, let’s forget the God and focus on the message; respect, caring & love of all that is beautiful. See the wonder in your child’s smile, at the sunrise, at the glory of a fast car, well that’s maybe taking it a little too far but you get the picture.
Time to go to the pub and have a few beers with my mates now; cheers!
here’s the thing. you can’t seperate God from his word. God does not lie! it’s like Jesus said “a house divided against itself can not stand” thus the vision that Abram saw. the flaming firepot passing between the pieces of flesh. Gods word which John said “became flesh and dwelt among us’ shines a light upon what divides us and bring us to repent if we are willing to look whithin ourselves and see just how diseased we really are! the word of God is not for me to use to judge you
it is the true and righteous scale for me to weigh myself in to bring me back to{as Jesus said of himself}the way the truth and the life.
this is how the blind see, the lame walk, and the captives are set free.
seek the truth and the truth will set you free.
your faith has made you well
blessed be the name of the lord
Oh, and have a great 4th July!
Aussieguy,
Thanks for your comment and the 4th of July wish.
I do not believe in a god that “cares” in a way any human being can describe in words or express though feelings.
We may all be connected through “vibrations” known as “energy”, as “thought” and “feelings” have their own “energy”, but their is no god watching over us, making changes in our daily lives.
Aliens on the other hand….beings and entities from other realms, dimensions and/or universes laugh at us, much like the world laughs at the American people because we allow people like current President Bush to steal our money, rape the world of her natural resources and destroy the lives of all living beings on the earth and beyond.
Corey Mondello
Boston, Massachusetts
http://www.CoreyMondello.com
7-14-08
Interesting how you began with the concrete elements of Scripture, the preserved revelation of God to man, and then drifted into the god of your imagination. I find that often when a person is uncomfortable with the reality of God’s revelation of Himself to mankind, they make up a god with Whom they are more comfortable. Congratulations on that. I hope for your sake you are right and that old venerable book that has survived the centuries unscathed is wrong.
Chances are, your wrong.
Josh,
Would you care to enlighten me?
I began with the scripture – as you said. I went on to drift into the God of my imagination – you’re correct again. Aren’t we all? The best we can do as mortal beings is to employ human senses and experiences to imagine a God in our own minds.
Consider every bit of scripture that is written about God. It is all presented in a way that is understandable by humans. Certainly, there has to be much more to God than presented in the scripture or that is understandable by humans. I’m sure you agree with that assessment; otherwise God would not be a very impressive entity.
Am I wrong? Quite possibly! Chances are we are all wrong about how we see and imagine God. Our faculties in this endeavor are very limited. Everything in the scripture is open to ‘human’ debate. Your interpretation of one passage may be different than mine – that’s what makes us human. It is dangerous to read a passage and to believe you understand its true intention. I can quote passages that support slavery as well as selling my daughter for money. How should I interpret those . . . other than I don’t understand them. No one does.
jmjorat,
As I was reading your commentary about the commandment, I just thought I would share something. Shawv is the hebrew word that we translated as “vain” and it actually means “emptiness, vanity, falsehood, emptiness, nothingness, vanity
emptiness of speech, lying, worthlessness (of conduct)”. So the definition of the word really means we shouldn’t use the Lords name (any of the terms we use for Him) in any worthless way or any way that is empty of the real meaning of his name. When you use His name you are essentially communicating with him (to prove, what happens when you overhear someone say your name, your ears automatically perk up and you want to know why) so unless you want to communicate with him, you shouldn’t be saying his name. So when one says “God Damn It” or “Jesus Christ”, the intention isn’t to communicate with Jesus or God, the intention is to express frustration. Do I think that God is petty? Absolutely not, but when I do something that is expressly forbidden by him, that probably angers him.
Also, when you say that someones interpretation of passages is different than anothers, I agree completely. But this fact needs to be taken somewhat lightly. Ok I interpret a passage differently than you, because of my experience/translation/word association/whatever, and thats good, that means that we are each gaining something from the passage. But the focus shouldn’t be on the differences, it should be on what God wants to be gained from that, and very often it could be different for each person. No one knows everything, and everyone can learn something from a passage, thats why its important to learn about the Bible.
You also addressed the situation when you don’t necessarily understand a verse. Well, initially I would ask, are you taking the verse in the context of the story? Are you comparing different translations, and the definition of the hebrew or aramaic word? Basically, are you doing your research? If you do your research, and you are actively searching for clarification, I highly doubt you wont gain any understanding of the passage.
That seems like a lot right there, so Im going to stop. I just hope that you are sincerely curious about God, and you aren’t just doing this for sport. Some people take this very seriously (me included) and poking fun at peoples belief structure is hurtful.
I would like to know a couple of things. Is Gods name really God or does he have another name we are not to use in vain? in the Third chapter of Exodus Moses said to God, “Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I shall say to them, `The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ Now they may say to me, `What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?”
And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, `I AM has sent me to you.’”
And God, furthermore, said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, `The Lord, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations.”
God’s personal name, as we translate its meaning in English, is “I am that I am.”
Was Jesus really called Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth? If a couple name their child Jesus, (which many do) and they scold that child, are they also scolding Jesus?
I am not trying to agree or disagree, but I have always wondered about this.
Larry, not sure if anyone answered this post or not, but yes, He has a name, as does Jesus:
Yahweh (YHWH) “The Tetragrammatron” is God’s real name
Yahushua or Yashua HaMashiach (Jesus the Messiah) is Jesus Christ’s real name
I would like to disagree with you on one point, and offer a different slant on another point.
You wrote, “God transcends all human reactions and emotions.”
If that is so, then in what way are we “created in his image”, if he is not like us in some way?
Futhermore, if “God transcends all human reactions and emotions”, then why does God say in the second commandment, “… for I the Lord, thy God, am a jealous God..”?
Second point:
It seems to me that in order to understand the commandment, “Thou stalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain…”, we must first understand what it means to “take the name of the Lord”.
So, follow me on this -
Miss Smith marries Mister Taylor.
She is now Mrs Taylor.
She takes the name of her husband.
If they were to get divorced, one could rightly say “She took his name in vain”.
Also, don’t forget the second half of the commandment – “…for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.”
None of the other commandments have this added to them.
The sixth commandment does not say “Thou shalt not kill, for the Lord shall not hold him guiltless who kills”.
So, it seems to me that the commandment is saying to us, “Don’t think that you’re going to get off scott-free just because you say that you’re one of My followers”.
Do you see what I mean?
So, remember, everyone, to keep things “in context”.
… and if we take that idea to its limit, well, we have to read the entire bible.
“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by Every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”
You are right your God does not think less of you for using his name in vain, because he can’t, he does not exist, he is a figment of your imagination. You have created a God that fits your sin and that’s called Idolatry, a direct sin against the second commandment.
We have a God that deals with not just our actions but also our heart. we have to realize that if we have stolen anything we are a thief; if we have told just one lie we are liars, if we lust after anyone with our eyes, we have already committed adultery; if we are angry with anyone without cause it is like murder.
We can not mold a God to fit our opinions, thoughts and sin but instead must allow the Law of God mold us to fit God’s expectations for us.
You know that using God’s name in vain is wrong or else you would not have wasted the time to even write this blog, God has already wrote his law on your heart, and you can deny that.
But I don’t want you to listen to me, do this read one chapter of the Old Testament starting at Genesis, one chapter of Psalms, one chapter of Proverbs and one chapter of the New Testament starting at Matthews ( that’s four chapters) every day for 6 weeks and I promise you God will revel himself and his expectation for your life to you.
You are in my prayers
Troy Pearsall
Dear Troy
I wanted to thank you for your words, God bless you for being brave for his glory. All these people are just sinners, just as we all are, but only one difference. We are saved, they are not. Have you ever watched “The Way of the Master”? With Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort. I was just looking looking for the 10 commandments to copy and paste on facebook, and I got these trash from these people who are trying to confused the unsaved, and the saved ones doubt. God bless you again for your post, it really makes a difference. Happy New Year!
it’s more than just reading the words though,
he reveals himself to those who truly seek him
but if your faith is even the size of a mustard seed
then will the mountains move
You wrote, “Here’s my personal belief:” Herein lies the problem. Your opinion is entirely irrelevant. In fact, as you–a mere mortal who calls a plumber to do his plumbing, an electrician to do his electrical work, a mechanic, a doctor, etc. ad infinitum-attempt to converse on the subject, you demonstrate that you are a non-authority. You are lost in the sea of relativism. You actually believe that what you think about this matters. It’s sad, pathetic, arrogant, and damnable. You read Scripture to find out what God thinks, not to cut, paste, or comment on how this doesn’t fit your schema of ethical behavior. The ONLY thing that matters is God’s “personal belief.” Is that so terribly hard to understand? Laughable blog when you consider who is commenting on Whom.
Unfortunately, David, you are quite right.
That needed to be said.
The truth isn’t always pretty, is it?
jmjorat,
What God wants and expects are plain because He has made them plain.
This not a line-item-veto situation.
The god that you believe is clearly not the God of the Bible.
A person should not dabble in things he doesn’t believe in.
God is able to forgive you all of these things if you will but repent and trust in the life-cleansing power of the crucified Lamb of God.
God is always willing to show more truth to him who want to be shown more.
If the things that you have believed were wrong would you want to know?
Wow talk about serendipity, in doing my morning devotion I came across the topic of this commandment. I did a quick websearch looking for an image of the 10 commandments and stumbled on this site. I struggle with the use of language that may reflect poorly on my faith. There are simply no replacements for some 4 letter words. I am a chaplain with a mouth like a sailor if unreigned. I really enjoyed reading the post and replies. My “2 cents” is that it ipretty easy to clean up the blatant blasphamous language, but there is no getting around that “shit” is just an awesome word and none other can convey its sentiment. But here is my thought, regardless of the interpretation, it seems we are being somehow warned to check ourselves. For me this means that if I am going to “wear” the title of Christian, Clergy, or simply a person of faith and/or spirituality — I feel cognizant that my actions are watched closely by others to see if I behave consistently with the “title I am wearing.” So I need to indeed “check myself” and be sure that my actions don’t become a stumbling block to someone else. Does that make sense “damn it”?
P.S, Nice blog
The word vain is Strongs Hebrew word 7723 = shav =from the same as 7722 in the sense of desolating (evil as destructive) literally ruin or metaphorically (especially guile), figuratively idolatry (as false subjective) uselessness (as deceptive)
false, falsely, lie, lying, vain, vanity
7722 = show, showah, shoah, from and unused root meaning to rush over, a tempest: by implying devastation desolate, desolation, destroy, destruction, storm, wasteness
Ezekiel 20:39… but pollute ye my holy name no more
Ezekiel 36:20 .. they profaned my holy name
Ezekiel 43:8 … they have even defiled my holy name
Jeremiah 34:16 … but ye turned and polluted my name
Jeremiah 29:23 … have spoken lying words in my name
Jeremiah 23:25 … that prophesy lies in my name
Jeremiah 14:14 … prophets prophesy lies in my name
Exodus 20:7 … Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain
1 Corinthians 8:9 … but take heed least by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to them that are week.
These words you support are considered cursings and are of the vilest of language, for the love of your brother and respect of our Fathers holy name, they should be brittled from being uttered from your mouth as swearing and cursing. Don’t cause your brother to stumble by saying God supports them, as he clearly does not. This is simply your own opinion and not the word of God. When you say God supports this and it is not his written word, then you are in fact taking his name in vain and making his word of none effect.
Christ says: Matthew 15:11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth this defileth a man. vs 18 but those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
Lest you forget your intelligence was given to you by Someone much greater than you. While I do believe we need to use our brains more than we do, I don’t believe our intelligence surpasses the Almighty…the One who created us.
All I know is that God said, “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.” Jesus is LORD, so if you use the name of “Jesus” (or “Jesus Christ” or “Christ”, etc.) as a cuss-word, then it seems to me that His name is being taken in vain. The same goes for “God”.
Also, you stated, “The only thing we can do is to employ logic, intuition, knowledge, and experience to arrive at a reasonable conclusion regarding God’s wishes and plans.” I don’t agree. We do have the Bible and it’s pretty straightforward on many issues…take these commandments, for example…we have a good idea of what God wishes because He plainly lays it out for us. When we start rationalizing away what’s printed on the page, we’re wandering into dangerous territory.
God told Adam, “but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” (Gen 2:17) The Serpent (Devil/Satan) came to Eve and questioned her about what God said regarding this fruit. She confirmed what God had said, but decided to rationalize it away after listening to the Serpent’s words.
When God clearly commands us to do (or don’t do) something, I think it is in our best interest not to interject our “logic, intuition, knowledge, and experience” to the point that we rationalize away what has been clearly commanded by God.
I agree with you completely on this one. If we take it in context instead of how it is literally translated (which makes no sense, since the literal translation isn’t the same as that which was written anyway), we are ignoring the important part. The important part to remember is that both sides of a war think they are the ones with God, (I only used war since it is an obvious one), so it stands to reason that can’t both be fighting the “good” fight…
one tool that help swith this is e-sword it gives you strongs numbers with definitions right at your mouse pointer it doesn’t change what the bible says but rather shows you a deeper richer picture.
like having more megapixels on a camera.
I think what happens is that our english language is so precise while the ancient languages were more vague that what we do in translation is limit the word of God so that we see only 1 fruit where there is a cluster, we glory in one facet and don’t see the rest of the diamond
and that’s a shame because it really is so very beautiful
Well, I’m not completely sure about any of this. All I know is that if The Lord OUR God had intended his word to us to be conveyed in some other phrasing, I believe he would’ve made it so. This is commandment, along with the coveting, lying, adultery (with eyes, I’m not that evil) and anger, I find are nearly always hard to live by. Of course, we all give in to temptation, but just because we know we have and will continue to fail (as we all do) does not mean we should cast aside the hard rules for naught. Also, I would consider not what God cares about using his name in such a way (which I’m sure the maker of all would like more respect than that), but what others, hearing us toss around the name of our Lord and Savior then think about us, and how that effects them, and possibly their life under the Lord.
the question isn’t will I fall. I’m lucky if I don’t fall daily. the question is will we get up again and dust ourselves off and let Jesus wash our feet.
” your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path”
” he was the light of the world”
” And God said “”let there be light”" and he looked and he saw the light that it was good and the evening and the morning were the first day”
“And the light shone in the darkness,and the darkness comprehended it not” or “would not receive it” I think it’s both! wouldn’t receive it and so comprehended it not
The errancy of your logic is that you are doing the same thing that those “bad” Christians are doing: creating an interpretation that fits with how YOU think it should be interpreted, rather than taking the time to understand the words and their implications.
If I were to claim “Jake” as my best friend, and then used Jake’s name as an expletive, like “Jake be damned”, or “damn it, I’ve been jaked”, I would not be surprised if Jake would begin to wonder if I really cared very much for him as a friend, since I call his name in vain every time I get irked at something.
It’s a respect thing. And if you can’t show God a modicum of respect by not taking his name in vain, do you really expect Him to beleive you sincerely care about Him? He does offer you a gift of unending Grace and mercy, but showing basic respect is part of how you live like you mean it.
The term “oh lord” and “oh goodness” come out of my mouth in the same tone and the same frequency. To assume that one uses those “in vain” in the negative isn’t to really open your mind…
Norm and David,
Unfortunately for both of you, the scripture is NOT clear. We cannot read anything in the Bible and come to the same conclusion. That’s why there are so many ‘sects’ of Christianity. Not everyone’s understanding of the Bible is the same.
Which brings us full circle to my argument. Every single passage of the scripture will have to be ‘translated’ by our own intellect first. Sometimes we gather help from clergy in understanding them. Either way, we are all humans and we must use what God has given us (brain) to untangle the information. The Bible is absolutely NOT clear. God does not come to earth every Sunday and answer direct questions.
And when you say God’s words are clear, you entirely imply that they are clear to you. And that’s precisely the problem. What’s clear to you based on your understanding and beliefs is not to everyone.
I personally know of many Christian who are in favor of death penalty. Gee, whatever happened to the Ten Commandments?
it becomes more clear as you go on it helps greatly if you can get it in the original language but who has time to learn aramaic and greek when I have difficulty finding time to get my laundry done?
Your logic is very confusing.
You seem convinced that nothing in the Bible is “clear” or concrete, as everything is open to individual interpretation.
Yet, at the same time, you are equally convinced that it is okay to take the name of the Lord in vain.
Based on…?
This is, of course, your belief, and you’re entitled to it.
But, if I understand your argument, your beliefs are no more valid than anyone else’s.
Your concept of God seems to be nothing more than an image of your own creation, and in that sense, is nothing more than an idol of gold, stone, or wood.
Personally, I believe that you should simply give up reading the Bible because I believe that, ultimately, you will find nothing of value in it.
Why not?
Because you are setting all of the standards by which you believe or doubt.
“I believe this verse, let’s keep it. But tear that one out, that’s a bad verse.”
Bottom line: You don’t believe the Bible, so forget about it.
You seem to believe in some sort of god, just not the God of the Bible.
So, forget about it.
This is how the commandment reads (KJV)…
“Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.”
How do you read it?
What does it say to you?
What is NOT clear about it?
You said that “We cannot read anything in the Bible and come to the same conclusion.”
I submit to you that we can.
You saw that Dave and Norm agreed.
I submit the things in the Bible that various brands of christians agree on vastly outnumbers the things that we disagree on.
wow thats just retarded
btw i totally agree with NR ;]]
NR,
I find it kind of insulting that you said “Personally, I believe that you should simply give up reading the Bible because I believe that, ultimately, you will find nothing of value in it.”
Why would you encourage someone to give up on discovering the truth about the Bible? I dont know if you are a Christian or not, but as a Christian, the last thing I want is for someone to just give up trying to find God. You have no idea if this person is searching for a belief structure because deep down inside he might be doubting his own. You telling him that is it worthless to seek understanding of the Bible is utterly ridiculous.Luke 11:9 and Matthew 7:7 both say that when someone seeks God they will find Him. I think that if he is seeking answers, God will provide them. Also, why shouldn’t he be asking questions? God does not tell us to blindly follow people and believe what they tell us (1 John 4:1) but to ask questions and “test” them. Essentially, that is what he is doing, so patience and understanding should be used, not discouraging remarks.
and what other religion will tell you that? eh?
to test the spirits and see if they are true.
to taste and see that the lord is good
to come to the waters and drink for free and without price.
to love your enemies.
what other God gives you where you came from and where your going and gives life purpose and meaning.
what other God breaks down the class barriers by stooping down to the level of his subjects.
What other God loves you?
does buddah? does mohammed?
what other God says that they love you so much that they would lay it all down,just for you.
what other God says I love you more than life.
that’s my God
That’s our God
That’s God!!! there is no other!!!!!!!!!!!
THIS IS NOT THE ORIGINAL TEN COMMANDMETS,
IF YOU THIK THIS IS THE REAL ONE THEN YOU DON’T KNOW YOUR OWN RELIGON,
I WONDER WHERE THE FOUND THIS.
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS WERE GIVIN TO MOSES, BASICLY TO THE JEWS, WAY BEFORE CHRISTIANITY EVER EXISTED.
AND SINCE THE TEN COMMANDMENTS EXISTED BEFORE JESUS, THEN IN THAT CASE ANYONE WHO CALLES JESUS LORD,IS BREAKING THE TEN COMMANDMENTS,, SINCE IT SAYS “SHEL NOT HAVE OTHER GOD’S BEFORE ME,,
IN THE ORIGINAL 10 IT DOSE NOT SAY SHEL NOT KILL,, IT SAYS SHEL NOT MURDER, BASICLY THIS COPY OF THE 10 COMMANDMETS IS FALSE ALL TOGETHER
properly it means to dash in pieces.
to me I can not seperate them. the ten commandments, the torah, the prophets,jesus, the new testament.
the word of God! and the word was made flesh and dwelt among us. Gods word is God and is like a son who does his will. also because the bible was written by the hands of men who were inspired by Gods holy spirit. the spirit of truth. It can be called the son of man. like a lamb to the slaughter it comes to us, and we do mock it, and we attack it’s name and we put on it a crown of thorns and we say hail the king of the Jews.
some of us deny it even when we’ve promised to follow it even unto death. some of us want to crucify it because it takes away our power or position, some of us just want to “wash our hands” of it because we can’t see the truth when we’re looking at it. some of us say if you’re the savior
save yourself and us.
but some of us
some of us say
Don’t you fear God? because the punishment we get we deserve but this one has done no sin
and it is to us that it says this day will you be with me in paradise!
you can take away my house my car my job and even my country but you will never take away that promise from God or my trust in it!
Ilan,
Check out this website http://www.crivoice.org/terms/t-kill.html which basically says that the hebrew word in the origin translation (ratsach) is a very vague word that can mean kill or murder. It is used numerous times in the bible to refer to both. As to which one is meant, I really couldn’t tell you. Im pretty sure that the context is to be taken as any violent act shouldn’t be done. Regardless, I think that saying that people dont know their own religion because the translation can be taken two different ways isn’t necessarily accurate.
You are definitely correct that the ten commandments were given to Moses to communicate to the Jews, but that is the extent of your accuracy in this post. Jesus existed long before the ten commandments were given to Moses. There are many different arguments to support this, one being that Jesus is God, and God existed at that time, and another being that the Bible says that God will know everyone before they are even born, so then we would have to debate on the definition of exist. Would the word exist only refer to people that are alive?
Basically that is a huge debate, and we can have it if you would like, but it’s quite a long discussion.
To explain my comments Kassie, I would like to offer two points:
1) It seems to me that Jmjorat isn’t looking for a belief structure. He has already found one to his liking and is defending it.
2) When Jesus sent the twelve disciples out to preach from city to city, He included the following instruction:
“And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.”
Mark 6:11(KJV)
I just don’t beleive that a person can be convinced of something against their will.
On another topic, Kassie:
If “Thou shalt not kill” refers to “any violent act” then God himself would be guilty of the whole law, due to His violent acts of the past, as well as His violent acts of the future.
“And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.”
Indeed, God commanded that murderers be stoned to death. That is to say “killed”.
“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.”
But I trust God that someday there will be no more need for violence.
I’m help a religion class in HS , educating kids ,relating to the lord in a way which they may search within themselves the true meaning of religion . I have read some of the replies and many of them are similar in that we are all scared and looking to be saved . The 10 commandments help us stay sane and remind us that we are human and will make mistakes along the way to salvation. That’s the whole point of these laws…if they didn’t exist no one would break them . Good and Evil . My wish is that you listen to your inner voice ( soul ) it will guide you , just listen and follow through. We all know right from wrong . God bless and smile today !!
Moses came down from the mountain with two stone tablets, they must have been very heavy and he was very old at the time. How did he manage that? Was he that strong or did God give him the strength? Did it really happen at all?
About the question the meaning of: thou shalt not take the name of the lord thy God in vain
It doesn’t mean what we call swearing. Let me give you an example or three. (1) Why is this man in the White House? The majority of Americans did not vote for him. Why is he there? And I tell you this morning that he’s in the White House because God put him there for a time such as this: – Lt. Gen. William Boykin, speaking of G. W. Bush, New York Times, 17 October 2003 (2) God gave the savior to the German people. We have faith, deep and unshakable faith, that he was sent to us by God to save Germany. Hermann Goering, speaking of Hitler ( 3) “God told me to strike at al-Qaeda and I struck them, and then He instructed me to strike at Saddam, which I did…” — President George W. Bush, Ha’aretz, Thursday, June 26, 2003
Boykin, Goering and Bush all took the name of the lord in vain.
yes they did. moses stuttered and murdered, Abraham commited adultery so on to forth. however they all repented for it and humbled themselves before God i really don’t think Boykin, Goering or Bush did. In fact they are/were pillars of self pride. For that i pitty them.
It’s facinating, does not the bible say that all sin is sin and that they all lead to death, that no sin is worse then another. If God put that in the commandments then it must be important, he knew that there would be people like you who would think lightly of it thats why it is there. It is bad and It is punishable by hell. you would do well to look furthur into it.
When it comes to religion there will be many comments whether good or bad. Every one will have their own comment based on what was read, the oponion, fact and the pictures. I am not here to scrutinize or sound like a bossy person.
First of all, every commandent is real and irregaurdless of what is going on in the world that does not give any proof or reasoning in thinking that the commandments mean less when they have the same value including everything going on in the world. I do agree with you that there are people praying for God to help send help and steer them in the right direction, this does not make any of the commandments non-existing. God did give moses the two stones with the 10 commandments, and yes all the commandments do have as much meaning as anything else in the world, and of course God does forgive you. However, you can’t take God’s name in vain and then say, “Oh, I didnt mean it- God please forgive me,” yes he will forgive you but it does not mean he ignores your mistake is forgotten, it does not mean you love God any less and is also does not mean God is looking down on you thinking, “dont worry about it, just dont do it again. I know you love me, you do so many other great things ill ignore everything else and let you get away with it.” I strongly do not believe that is how God works. We all have different views on God and his son and we all have different opnions and we also have different values but this does not make us any different than how God sees us. This world has a lot of crazy stuff going on. PLEASE do not think im being bossy or crucial, critical, mean, nasty, ignorant or stuck up. I do not know everything but I do when I am reading something and I am thinking, “wow, this is some crazy crap.”
Also, I do not believe that God is a one-way (how people see God, he works with everyone) he works with everyone, he’s not a God as if, God is “this” kind of God. God is God- no matter which way you slice or dice it. The Bible is the bible; whether or not people believe it God or the Bible he is God the Lord the Father, Ruler of the universe. Also, your opnion of God and Jesus I dont think makes him look at you any less but rather puts things into perspective.
Thank you… I hope you dont judge me on this, I am just putting my two-cents in. If no on likes it or thinks I am crazy thats fine. But this is what i truly believe. I have a lot of Faith, I grew up on FAITH. But I WOULD NEVER EVER PUSH MY BELIEFS ON ANYONE NOR WOULD I PUSH THEM TO BELIEVE SOMETHING THEY DONT WANT TO. Everyone has a right to their own belief and opinion, i do not judge you for it because it is not my job to judge it is God’s Job.
God Bless!!
Logic is illogical. Simply stated. Science and intellect mostly get in the way of absolute faith. I don’t talk bad about my friends or family. God is my family and friend; I understand why God would be upset and I respect his wishes. Its not the concept of the language itself… Obviously God is over all (transcends language etc.). Its the idea of showing such unappreciation towards the creator. You don’t curse at your mother, father, sister, brother, or friend… Unless your an ass.
Hey,
Read the post and much of the comments. I agree (as does the historical church) that God cannot be comprehended by human effort or thought. He is so far beyond anything that we can imagine on our own that our own imaginations are fruitless to lead us to the knowledge of him. However, the overarching point of Scripture is that God has condescended to reveal himself to us in a way that is understandable. As some of the others have said, we can either accept the way that He has described Himself, or modify it, so making a god out of our own thoughts. Aaron did this when he made a golden calf and called it YHWH. He did not tell the people to worship another god. Instead, he used his intellect to say that God, the true God, could not possibly care about such petty things as human sexuality. Thus, he modified the way that God had revealed himself, and made a god that he still called YHWH, but who would allow him and the people to do whatever seemed right in their own eyes.
One of the things about the God of Scripture that amazes me is precisely that He is NOT like a god I would make up! I mean, I would like a god who would let me do whatever I want. I would like a god who would not slaughter hundreds of thousands of people, both in the flood, the conquest of Canaan, and at the return of Christ. I would like a god that cares about only the things that I care about. But the point is that God has the right to define Himself.
I thought it was interesting, if not comical, that you post about a God who doesn’t care about having his name cheapened, because He is “above human pettiness” and yet cares about things like “humanity”!
If we reject God’s self revelation, contained in the Word, we are left in absolute darkness to construct a god from our own imagination. But the Scriptures reveal God as having condescended to take on the form of a man in the Person of Jesus Christ. Jesus said: “if you have seen me, you have seen the Father (John 14). This means that God is both loving, merciful, and wrathful. He is concerned with his own name (“Father, glorify your name” – John 17; etc.)
The only question is, will we accept his own revelation of himself? If not, there is no point in talking about any of the commandments, because they are part of this one revelation. Neither is there any standard of right or wrong in any act of man, even murder or rape, for who are you to define right or wrong apart from a higher authority? This sort of “whatever works for you” postmodernism is what allowed Hitler to massacre under the guise of morality… because the majority believed his actions were right, and there was no self-defining God to overrule the majority.
Anyway, please consider these things,
Phillip
I have to wonder how many other sins we marginalize. No, God does not say anything about cuss words, but when you cuss, using His Holy name, you are using it in vain. And you say God does not care. May I remind you that He says those who use His name in vain will be held accountable.
I think God think a lot about His name and how it is used. His name is Holy. His name is good. And to use His name in a way that does not bring about His holiness or goodness is using His name in vain.
There is also another Commandment you need to think about. It says we are not to make an idol or bow down to one. When you make a God in your mind that does not fit who God is, you are making an idol and worshiping a God that does not exist.
All I am saying, each of us could say God does not worry about our petty sins. Well, no sin is petty to the Lord and His name is above all names. The God who gives us eternal life. The God who died for us and rose again. The God who took on all our sins, so we might receive life and glorify Him. This is the God you would shame, by using His name in vain?
What if you had someone who saved your life. Took a bullet for you and died. Would you honor the person or would you use that person’s name in vain, saying it doesn’t matter? It does matter and no, you would honor Him.
Maybe it’s time to honor the One who stepped out of Heaven. The One who bore your sins and asked nothing from you, but to be thankful for what He’s done for you and to have faith in Him.
God is all about His name and character. Maybe it’s time to praise Him. And if you don’t know Him, I would suggest you call on His Son today. Because if you truly knew Him and you truly believed what He did for you, you could not write what you did. You would honor His name. You would not trash it.
Take care…
Nicely said, Sheldon!
Our Father, Who art in Heaven, Holy Be Thy Name!!!!!!
“Trust me folks”. Why? Who are you that I should put my trust in? Yes, God is busy but he is not you and can handle all those things you mentioned and still care about the details of our lives and how we conduct ourselves. HE IS GOD!Obey him. Or don’t. He gave you that choice.
All we need is love, Love. I work in a high school where cursing is more common than not. It is not a pleasant walk down the halls.
It is hateful and disrespectful. If you want to justify your hatefulness with “god is too busy” Thats on you.
Not Me
God is good, God is great!
All we need is Love, Love
Jesus warned every iddle word a man speaks he will give an account in the day of judgement. And the Bible says the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. Yes he is talking about the use of his Holy name as an word for your worldy pleasure.Why Would you want to do it anyway? Kind of childish. Also the way you believe is against another one of Gods commandments. You shall not make yourself any graven image. You can make false Gods with your hands or with your mind. You are creating a God that fits your needs and sins and the Bible calls this Idolatry. Idolatries will not inheret the kingdom of heaven. You shall not bear false witness is another that you are breaking. In Revelation John warns the christians about false withness and to know of there presence. You are a muderer of souls by telling them that it is ok to use OUR Gods name in vain you might just want to consider you actions before posting them. why is it that when God gives rules that humans tend to find ways around them The word Doesn’t lie you either belive it to its fullness or you don’t believe it at all I just pray that God opens your eye’s so that you can see that every command that he spoke to us in his word is seen clearly and met. I don’t want you to take this as an hate post this is just what I’ve read and believe. God gave us our soul with an option to do his works or to do satins it’s just up to us to act upon it and decide. I do know that Heaven is a place without spots and blimishes and our sins will not enter into heaven. No our God is not to busy to reconize that we sin. He’s not looking at us in anger when we sin but with sadness because we are his creation and he loves us. God Bless and I hope you get something out of this.
there are 11 commandments on that picture….
no. the first is a statement of fact not a command
Wow, what a thoughtful post! Thoroughly enjoyed it.
You will Go to hell for what you wrote on the Ten Commandments; 1.If you believe this your-self and 2.If you cause others to fall by believing you.Opinion or not.I found this site when looking up the 10 and this is one of the images that pops up in “search”,cache~So this writing of yours goes far and wide.Do you really want to parish forever?To be judged by your bad influence?To parish forever for not having it right?I recommend you get into a good bible based church and repent.The Seventh Day Adventist could help you.
love god
you
sunday law is coming to persecute the tRue FOLLOWER OF GOD
mp3 idoser…
[...]You Shall Not Take The Name Of The LORD Your God In Vain – A View Into The Ten Commandments « Logical Complex Infinitive[...]…