Are The 10 Commandments the Basis For Our Laws? Part V

The first 4 parts of my series on the 10 commandments covered the traditional commandments which are being debated in the supreme court of all places, at the moment.

Some believe that these commandments are the foundation for our laws. As we looked at the commandments as they appear in Exodus 20, it was evident that perhaps a couple of them are included in our laws but these laws didn't need much more than common sense to be included.

Christians in America don't really follow the 10 Commandments. If a person is decidedly Christian, it would make more sense if said Christian lived by the 2 great commandments of Jesus as these are all encompassing:

Matt 22:37-40. Jesus said to him," 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself'.

Most Christians do not practice these either but it would be nice if they did.

If you continue reading Exodus 20, there are more commandments that were left out. God says that he wants his altars made of earth or natural stone. If you use a tool on the stone or use silver or gold, he isn't interested in your altar. He doesn't want you to step foot on it either. God wants you to sacrifice animals on the altar.

20:23 Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold. 20:24 An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee. 20:25 And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it. 20:26 Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon.

Why did those who invented the 10 commandments leave this part out? Because we would have to take down all the churches in the world? What about Rome?

The chapters in Exodus that relate to Moses on Mt Sinai couldn't be less concerned with modern life than anything you could ever read. If you want to talk about "cafeteria" christianity, this hoopla over the 10 commandments is the perfect example.

I like the Skeptics Annotated bible for my online reading but you can also use The New American Bible which is a good translation and the New International Version.