This week’s discussion made me think a lot about how the Ten Commandments have influenced me and the law. In Sunday school, I always accepted them for what they were and they eventually became a part of me subconsciously. The “do nots” seemed like the obvious way to do it. The law in America is basically the same, saying “you get in trouble for ____” and we all accept the way it’s written.
Don’t kill, don’t lie, don’t steal all seem pretty obvious, but how DID God and Moses figure out what to tell the Israelites? We had plenty of trouble agreeing on what kinds of rules to include on our master list in class, but what made these people follow it? Was it really the idea that they were God-ordained? People here break rules all the time, even the most Christian-y Christians. Sometimes people disobey for very good reasons.
Once again, a simple, black-and-white example from Sunday school turned grey because there really doesn’t seem to be a clear answer anymore. The law is complicated, but to me it says something about the role of God in religion and secular life. If the Ten Commandments were really god-sent, which I believe, then this list shows he knows what he’s talking about. “Do not murder” and “do not lie” seem pretty obvious, and seem to have clear exceptions, but just avoiding them in general is a good idea. Especially for the wandering and fragile tribes of Israel. Whether it’s a perfect example for society today or not, it worked for them and there’s definitely some good advice there.