Ten Commandments Are Still for Atheists
My last post generated this comment from a reader:
NotAScientist commented on Ten Commandments are for Atheists (Not Christians):
“I believe the main reason atheists (and others) want the Ten Commandments removed is because they don’t understand what it represents.”
Actually we want them down because they’re inherently religious in nature, and only three of the commandments are any good or have any corresponding law in our country.
Instead of answering NotAScientist in the comment forum, I decided to answer with another post. I have quite a bit to say on this subject and don’t want to keep repeating myself on this subject either.
Atheists do not want to be reminded that they are sinners. It’s that simple. But the reality is any Christian “religious” symbol is there to remind us of the most widely known man in the world – Jesus Christ. Even religions that hate Christians, most notably Islam, recognize the importance of Jesus. Atheists, agnostics and satanists know who Jesus is. The devil himself knows who Jesus is.
Any man that well known should have memorials to him all over the place – at courthouses, in public squares, in schools and even on mountaintops. No one tries to remove monuments to Lincoln, Washington, MLK or Mao, Stalin or Castro, or any number of other lesser men. Jesus deserves to be remembered. He certainly earned the honor. No other person in history suffered so much to free other people from bondage.
Say what you will about being “inherently religious in nature,” but I personally don’t need the Ten Commandments to remind me of the grace of God in my life. Jesus died on the cross so I would not suffer condemnation by others for making mistakes – which is inherently human. The fact that Jesus upsets atheists so much is all the proof I need that they still desperately need a reminder of what Jesus did for them by dying on the cross. The penalty for sin is death. Jesus paid off your death penalty for you. He bought your life back from death. The freedom you have is God-given; the laws of man did not give that to you.
Hence, the reason Christians fight for the Ten Commandments displays. Why would Christians deny others a chance to save themselves from eternal damnation? To do that, my friend, would make Christians inherently selfish.
And, how weak is your fortitude as an atheist that you can’t handle a little opposition? Is your “god” of absolutely nothing that easily toppled? Is your belief system so fragile that no other opinion can exist without jeopardizing your peace of mind? Does it upset you when others won’t acquiesce to your view of how the world should be?
You probably hang around with other atheists, secularists and weak-in-faith Christians, who all silently let you espouse your opinion without challenging you on the basis for your beliefs. I know there’s lots of people who disagree with you but are too polite to tell you. I know many people like that but I am not one of them.
I can prove to you (without using the Bible) that Jesus exists beyond a shadow of a doubt. But would you listen?
Can you definitively prove to me that God doesn’t exist? Of course you can’t; it’s impossible to prove the absence of something. In order to prove something does not exist, you must first prove it does in order to set the parameters that will invalidate it. No “evidence” of God doesn’t mean He doesn’t exist, it means you haven’t looked at the evidence of His existence that is literally right in front of you.
On your objection that the Ten Commandments are “inherently religious in nature, and only three of the commandments are any good or have any corresponding law in our country,” I disagree.
First, all the commandments are “good” because they come from God, who is inherently good and can do no evil. The Ten Commandments are the very things the anti-God people say they want to make an ideal society! No killing, no stealing, no cheating, everyone is loved, peace on earth, no wars, no suffering, no disease, no crime, valuing all people equally, etc. Funny, the very One who can give the anti-Gods what they want, is the very thing they scorn. It makes me wonder what they really want.
Second, the Ten Commandments are lineal, direct and tangentially related to the very core laws of the United States of America. (I assume the laws that concern you are the USA’s.) Ironically, commandments 6 through 10 are engraved IN STONE and IN HEBREW on the wall inside the Supreme Court in the courtroom where the justices rule on cases of law because they are “inherently not religious.”
Here are the first five of the Ten Commandments (as the Supreme Court, the final authority on matters of law in the USA has already deemed commandments 6 through 10 to be laws so it’s literally a moot point to defend them again). I have made note of appropriate parallel references to the laws under each commandment:
1. You will have no God but Jehovah (Yahweh).
- “One nation under God” – in the United States of America’s Constitution
- “In God we trust” – on USA currency
- “One nation under God” and “I swear to uphold the Constitution, so help me God” – from the Presidential oath of office
- “It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible” – George Washington, our first President, who recognized that without God as a foundation, governance was futile, as man is by nature lawless without God.
- “Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.” – George Washington again saying reasonable people believe in God.
- “The propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained” – George Washington saying without God’s presence a nation cannot expect to thrive or survive.
- God is also mentioned repeatedly in the writings of the very men who made all the laws in this country – Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Patrick Henry, John Hancock, Henry Cabot, etc.
2. Don’t make or worship images of earthly things.
- Human beings are the only “thing” protected by the laws of this country. Earthly things have no rights. Money is the biggest “thing” most people worship. There are numerous laws to protect humans from things, including money.
3. Do not use God’s name as a curse word or threat or for your own purposes.
- There may not be earthly laws against this but there are tons of other curse words can be used instead. And, most sensible people don’t curse anyway; it shows a lack of good breeding and manners.
4. Keep the Sabbath day holy (i.e., do no work).
- Labor laws prevent workers from working seven days a week – to keep from being exploited. Laws require days off.
5. Honor your father and mother.
- Your mother and father have the same rights and privileges as every other person by law. The honor part comes from parents having an elevated responsibility for others (their children).
Finally, let’s hear from John Jay, who in 1789 was appointed the first Supreme Court Justice of the United States of America by the first President of the United States, George Washington. He was also one of the founding fathers who was instrumental in writing the Constitution, one of the authors of the Federalist Papers, and was a two-term governor of New York state. In 1816, he wrote this in a letter to John Murray (Pennsylvania House of Representatives):
“It certainly is very desirable that a pacific disposition should prevail among all nations. The most effectual way of producing it is by extending the prevalence and influence of the Gospel. Real Christians will abstain from violating the rights of others, and therefore will not provoke war. Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.”
John Jay has the final word, as far as I am concerned, that this country was founded on Christian principles from the very outset. And those God-fearing men, who knew what real Christian values are, believed Christians make excellent leaders. And that the Gospel of Jesus Christ was the only way to true peace among all nations. Nothing has changed since John Jay wrote those words.
Merry Christmas and may the peace of Jesus reign forever and ever. Amen.
—————————————————–
READ: 2 Timothy 3:1-5
In the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control; they will be cruel and have no interest in what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act as if they are religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. You must stay away from people like that.
Third Grader Translation: Don’t think about yourself all the time. Love God and other people too.
