The Bible's Two Versions Of The Decalogue Are Different. Read The 1st Commandment

Alan: I do not believe the lunar landings were faked.

I use this image to introduce the notion that any man-made image can be faked.

"Deep Fake Videos" Are Just One Component Of Russian Manipulation Of American Elections

http://newsfrombarbaria.blogspot.com/2023/02/deep-fake-videos-are-just-one-component.html

Graven Images

Idolatry: Why The First Commandment Forbids It

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2014/06/idolatry-why-first-commandment-forbids.html

Alan: According to the original text of the 4th Commandment, Christians and Jews are commanded "To Keep Holy The Sabbath By Refraining From Work Of Any Kind." But not one devotee in a thousand is compliant. 

Concerning false witness, Fox News - and the rest of the right-wing noise machine - are routinely non-compliant, and most Christians applaud the ceaseless mendacity.

The 6th commandment -- "Thou Shalt Not Kill" -- is reduced to absurdity by the routine behavior of "Christendom." 

In fact, Christians of European descent are the most deadly earthlings ever. 

"Terrorism and The Other Religions"

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2014/04/terrorism-and-other-religions-juan-cole.html

Devout Christian, Blaise Pascal

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blaise_Pascal

The Ten Commandments (with emphasis on The First Commandment)

The Ten Commandments, Version 1 from Exodus 20 

("Living Bible" translation)

20 Then God issued this edict:

2 “I am Jehovah your God who liberated you from your slavery in Egypt.

3 “You may worship no other god than me.

4 “You shall not make yourselves any idols: no images of animals, birds, or fish. 5 You must never bow or worship it in any way; for I, the Lord your God, am very possessive. I will not share your affection with any other god!

“And when I punish people for their sins, the punishment continues upon the children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren of those who hate me; 6 but I lavish my love upon thousands of those who love me and obey my commandments.

7 “You shall not use the name of Jehovah your God irreverently,[a] nor use it to swear to a falsehood. You will not escape punishment if you do.

8 “Remember to observe the Sabbath as a holy day. 9 Six days a week are for your daily duties and your regular work,10 but the seventh day is a day of Sabbath rest before the Lord your God. On that day you are to do no work of any kind, nor shall your son, daughter, or slaves—whether men or women—or your cattle or your house guests. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heaven, earth, and sea, and everything in them, and rested the seventh day; so he blessed the Sabbath day and set it aside for rest.[b]

12 “Honor your father and mother, that you may have a long, good life in the land the Lord your God will give you.

13 “You must not murder.

14 “You must not commit adultery.

15 “You must not steal.

16 “You must not lie.[c]

17 “You must not be envious of your neighbor’s house, or want to sleep with his wife, or want to own his slaves, oxen, donkeys, or anything else he has.”

18 All the people saw the lightning and the smoke billowing from the mountain, and heard the thunder and the long, frightening trumpet blast; and they stood at a distance, shaking with fear.

19 They said to Moses, “You tell us what God says and we will obey, but don’t let God speak directly to us, or it will kill us.”

20 “Don’t be afraid,” Moses told them, “for God has come in this way to show you his awesome power, so that from now on you will be afraid to sin against him!”

21 As the people stood in the distance, Moses entered into the deep darkness where God was.

22 And the Lord told Moses to be his spokesman to the people of Israel. “You are witnesses to the fact that I have made known my will to you from heaven. 23 Remember, you must not make or worship idols made of silver or gold or of anything else!

24 “The altars you make for me must be simple altars of earth. Offer upon them your sacrifices to me—your burnt offerings and peace offerings of sheep and oxen. Build altars only where I tell you to, and I will come and bless you there. 25 You may also build altars from stone, but if you do, then use only uncut stones and boulders. Don’t chip or shape the stones with a tool, for that would make them unfit for my altar. 26 And don’t make steps for the altar, or someone might look up beneath the skirts of your clothing and see your nakedness.

Mistakes In Scripture: When The Bible Gets The Bible Wrong

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2012/05/mistakes-in-scripture-when-bible-gets.html

The Ten Commandments, Version 2, from Deuteronomy 5 

(Living Bible translation) 

5 Moses continued speaking to the people of Israel and said, “Listen carefully now to all these laws God has given you; learn them, and be sure to obey them!

2-3 “The Lord our God made a contract with you at Mount Horeb—not with your ancestors, but with you who are here alive today. 4 He spoke with you face to face from the center of the fire, there at the mountain. 5 I stood as an intermediary between you and Jehovah, for you were afraid of the fire and did not go up to him on the mountain. He spoke to me and I passed on his laws to you. This is what he said:

6 “‘I am Jehovah your God who rescued you from slavery in Egypt.

7 “‘Never worship any god but me.
8 “‘Never make idols; don’t worship images, whether of birds, animals, or fish. 9-10 You shall not bow down to any images nor worship them in any way, for I am the Lord your God. I am a jealous God, and I will bring the curse of a father’s sins upon even the third and fourth generation of the children of those who hate me; but I will show kindness to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

11 “‘You must never use my name to make a vow you don’t intend to keep.[a] I will not overlook that.

12 “‘Keep the Sabbath day holy. This is my command. 13 Work the other six days, 14 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God; no work shall be done that day by you or by any of your household—your sons, daughters, servants, oxen, donkeys, or cattle; even foreigners living among you must obey this law. Everybody must rest as you do. 15 Why should you keep the Sabbath? It is because you were slaves in Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out with a great display of miracles.

16 “‘Honor your father and mother (remember, this is a commandment of the Lord your God); if you do so, you shall have a long, prosperous life in the land he is giving you.

17 “‘You must not murder.

18 “‘You must not commit adultery.

19 “‘You must not steal.

20 “‘You must not tell lies.

21 “‘You must not burn with desire for another man’s wife, nor envy him for his home, land, servants, oxen, donkeys, nor anything else he owns.’

22 “The Lord has given these laws to each one of you from the heart of the fire, surrounded by the clouds and thick darkness that engulfed Mount Sinai. Those were the only commandments he gave you at that time,[b] and he wrote them out on two stone tablets and gave them to me. 23 But when you heard the loud voice from the darkness and saw the terrible fire at the top of the mountain, all your tribal leaders came to me 24 and pleaded, ‘Today the Lord our God has shown us his glory and greatness; we have even heard his voice from the heart of the fire. Now we know that a man may speak to God and not die; 25 but we will surely die if he speaks to us again. This awesome fire will consume us. 26-27 What man can hear, as we have, the voice of the living God speaking from the heart of the fire, and live? You go and listen to all that God says, then come and tell us, and we will listen and obey.’

28 “And the Lord agreed to your request and said to me, ‘I have heard what the people have said to you, and I agree.29 Oh, that they would always have such a heart for me, wanting to obey my commandments. Then all would go well with them in the future, and with their children throughout all generations! 30 Go and tell them to return to their tents.31 Then you come back and stand here beside me, and I will give you all my commandments, and you shall teach them to the people; and they will obey them in the land I am giving to them.’”

32 So Moses told the people, “You must obey all the commandments of the Lord your God, following his directions in every detail, going the whole way he has laid out for you; 33 only then will you live long and prosperous lives in the land you are to enter and possess.

Alan: There is not a Christian in a million who can recite the ten commandments as spelled out in the bible. But how Christians harp on about The Decalogue.

Biblical Literalism And The Cultivation Of Hatred

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2012/02/biblical-literalism-and-cultivation-of.html

Biblical Literalism: Not Only Impossible But Destructive Of Meaning And Souls

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2013/09/biblical-literalism-not-only-impossible.html

Pastor John Piper "discusses the vexing problem of God ordering the mass killing of every Canaanite man, woman, and child."

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/peterenns/2012/07/john-piper-on-why-its-right-for-god-to-slaughter-women-and-children-anytime-he-pleases-and-why-i-have-some-major-problems-with-that/

"God Enjoys The 10 Plagues Way Too Much"

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2014/12/god-enjoys-10-plagues-way-too-much.html

"Is The Bible More Violent Than The Quran?"

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2014/03/is-bible-more-violent-than-quran-npr.html

Worst Bible Passages

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2012/09/worst-bible-passages.html

"Trial By Ordeal: The Bloody Old Testamental Roots Of Modern Justice"

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2014/11/trial-by-ordeal-bloodthirsty-roots-of.html

"Trial By Ordeal: Alive And Well Into The 17th Century"

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2012/09/trial-by-ordeal-alive-and-well-in-17th.html

Biblical Literalism: Not Only Impossible But Destructive Of Meaning And Souls

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2013/09/biblical-literalism-not-only-impossible.html

ISIS And The Inquisition: The Shadow Side Of Religion. 

Why Does Belief Do This?

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2015/02/isis-and-inquisition-shadow-side-of.html

"What ISIS Really Wants" And How The Patriarch Abraham Appears To Be The Instigator

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2015/02/what-isis-really-wants-and-how.html

Christianity's Bedrock Commitment To Torture: Remaking "The Faithful" In God's Image

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2014/12/christianitys-bedrock-commitment-to.html

UNC-CH Professor Bart D. Ehrman:

Biblical Exegete And Former Christian Evangelical

The Bible and Textual Analysis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bart_D._Ehrman

Seldom Sermonized Bible Quotes

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2015/04/seldom-sermonized-bible-verses.html

Time To Expunge Catholicism Of Traditions & Texts That Represent God As A Terrorist
http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2014/06/time-to-expunge-catholicism-of.html

"Love and do what you will."

St. Augustine

"You can safely assume you’ve created God in your own image 

when it turns out God hates all the same people you do."
Fr. Tom Weston S. J.

Dorothy Day: “I really only love God as much as I love the person I love the least.”
http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2013/02/dorothy-day-i-really-only-love-god-as.html

Pope Francis: Quotations On Finance, Economics, Capitalism And Inequality

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2014/04/pope-francis-on-finance-economics.html

Pope Francis: "This Economy Kills"

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2015/01/pope-francis-this-economy-kills.html

Catholic Social Teaching

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2015/01/catholic-social-teaching.html

Pope Francis: One Of The Most Powerful Critiques Of Capitalism You Will Ever Read

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2015/03/pope-francis-one-of-most-powerful.html

Pope Francis: Moving The Moral Compass 
From "The Individual" Toward "The Collective"
http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2015/01/pope-francis-moving-moral-judgment-from.html

Pope Francis: What Christianity Looks Like When Believers Realize "God Is Love"

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2014/12/pope-francis-what-happens-when-jesus-is.html

"Pope Francis Links"
http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2013/11/pope-francis-links.html

"Terrorism and The Other Religions"

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2014/04/terrorism-and-other-religions-juan-cole.html

"The terrible thing about our time is precisely the ease with which theories can be put into practice.  The more perfect, the more idealistic the theories, the more dreadful is their realization.  We are at last beginning to rediscover what perhaps men knew better in very ancient times, in primitive times before utopias were thought of: that liberty is bound up with imperfection, and that limitations, imperfections, errors are not only unavoidable but also salutary. The best is not the ideal.  Where what is theoretically best is imposed on everyone as the norm, then there is no longer any room even to be good.  The best, imposed as a norm, becomes evil.”  

"Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander,” by Trappist monk, Father Thomas Merton

More Merton Quotes

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2012/04/merton-best-imposed-as-norm-becomes.html