These commandments have always been regarded by Bible believers as being
a remarkable display of infinite wisdom, and as being morally perfect
beyond criticism; and consequently they have passed from age to age
without examination, when a little investigation would have shown any
logical mind that they contain palpable errors both in logic and morals.
First commandment: "Thou shalt have no other Gods before me" (Exod. xx.
3); that is, as commentators have interpreted it, "Thou shalt prefer
no Gods to me." And why not? What harm can it do? Supposing the people
prefer a golden calf, as the Jews did under the leadership of Aaron, in
the name of reason how can it injure either God or man? if not, where
is the objection? The feeling of devotion is the same in all cases,
whatever may be the object worshiped. Hence the worshiper is as much
benefited by worshiping one object as another. On the other hand, it
would be a slander upon infinite wisdom to suppose he can desire the
homage, adoration, and flattery of poor ignorant mortals, and desire
them to crouch at his feet. It would make a mere coxcomb of him to
suppose he can be pleased with such adulation, or that he desires such
homage. We worship no such God.
Second commandment. The second commandment prohibits our making "the
likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, the earth beneath, or the
waters under the earth" (Exod. xx. 4). Let us look, in the first place,
at the effect of this prohibition, and then at the character of the
act. It effectually cuts off the use of photographs, portraits, and
pictures,--illustrations of every description; for all these are
likenesses of something.
Hence thousands of oases of the violation of this commandment take place
every day in all Christian or civilized countries. Books are issued
every day containing likenesses of something in the heavens above or
the earth beneath; especially are school-books illustrated with the
likenesses of all kinds of living beings, and often with inanimate
objects, by which children learn. The second commandment is utterly
disregarded and trampled under foot by all Christendom.
Third commandment. This commandment prohibits our bowing down to and
worshiping any other God but Jehovah, because "I, the Lord thy God, am a
jealous God" (Exod. xx. 5).
As for "jealousy," it will make any being hateful and despised,
according to William Penn. But why not worship other Gods (that is,
beings supposed to represent or resemble God)? Can any serious evil
result from such an act, either to God or his worshipers? If so, what
is it? Let us assume, for the sake of the argument, that the heathen who
bow down to images of wood and stone suppose them to be the veritable
living and true God (which, however, is not true), yet it would be the
very climax of folly to suppose that an infinite being, of such infinite
perfection that it places him at an infinite distance beyond human
flattery, can take the slightest offense at such an act. It is childish
to entertain such a thought. A thousand times more sensible is the
doctrine of the Hindoos' Vedas, which makes God (Brahma) say, "Those who
worship other Gods worship me, because I hear them, and correct their
mistake." We will illustrate:--
A rebel soldier (son of a doctor) was wounded near his father's house,
in Kentucky, during the war, in which he immediately sought refuge. As
he entered the hall (it being evening twilight), he observed some person
at the farther end whom he supposed to be his father, and exclaimed,
"Father, I am wounded! Can you aid me?" His father, being in a room
above, overheard him, and responded, "Yes, sir." Had he had the vanity
of Jehovah, he should have replied, "No, sir: you mistook the servant
in the hall for me: therefore I will not assist you, but punish you, and
kill you." Remember, Jehovah is represented as killing the worshipers
of other Gods (Deut. 3. iii. 6). If an illiterate heathen in like manner
should, in his ignorance, call upon idols or mere imaginary beings for
aid, would not his heavenly Father, "in the room above" or the heaven
above, hear him and reply, "You are mistaken; I am here, not there; but
no difference, the mistake is not important: your intention was good,
and your motives honest; therefore I will grant your request"? This
would be sensible. But Jehovah is represented as saying, "If thy brother
or son or daughter, or even the wife of thy bosom, shall say, let us
go and serve other Gods, thou shalt not pity nor spare, but kill them"
(Deut. xiii. 6). Here is the most shocking cruelty, combined with
supreme nonsense. We are commanded to kill wives, sons, and daughters,
if they entertain a different view of God from ours, no matter how
honest they may be; and there is no question but that all worshipers
are honest. They can not be otherwise. And yet there is no sin more
frequently or more fearfully denounced in the Christian Bible than that
of worshipping other Gods. Who can not see that it all grew out of
the bitter sectarian bigotry of the Jews, which engendered feelings of
animosity toward all nations who refused to subscribe to their creed?
This has been the fault of all creed worshipers. As "no man hath seen
God at any time" (John i. 18), it must be a matter of imagination with
every human being as to what is the form, size, and character of God.
And therefore it can make no difference what God, or what kind of God,
we call upon in our prayers. We would be equally heard and answered, if
there were a God answering prayer. The third commandment, therefore, is
devoid of sound sense.
Fourth commandment: "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God
in vain" (Exod. xx. 7). The word "vain" is defined to mean "worthless,
fruitless;" that is, attended with no good results. And we can not
conceive that it can be any more sinful to take the name of God in vain
than that of a human being, or of any other object. It is not rational
to suppose God, while superintending the movements of eighty-five
millions of worlds, pays any attention to the manner in which the
inhabitants of this little planet use his name, or that he cares any
thing about it. And then how is it possible for us to know when we are
using his name in vain, and when we are not?
Fifth commandment: "Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy." This
commandment is universally laid aside by all Christendom. Nobody keeps
the sabbath but the Jews. And as God himself does not keep the sabbath,
but lets all nature run and work (her laws operate the same on that day
as on all other days of the week), we can not believe the sabbath was
instituted by him.
Sixth commandment: "Honor thy father and mother" (Exod. xx. 12). Pretty
good; but the reason assigned for it is devoid of sense,--"That thy
days may be long upon the earth." We have never learned that long-lived
persons have been more dutiful to parents than others.
Seventh commandment: "Thou shalt not kill" (Exod. xx. 13). If the
word "not" were left out, we would concede this commandment has been
faithfully obeyed. His "holy people" were killing nearly all the time;
and their successors (the Christians) have inundated the earth with
blood by a constant violation of this command. What good, therefore, we
would ask, has resulted from this commandment?
Tenth commandment. The tenth commandment forbids us to covet our
neighbor's house, wife, or servant, or any of his property (covet,
"to desire earnestly"). We can not conceive how there can be any moral
turpitude in the act of desiring to possess any of our neighbor's
property, or even his wife, if no improper means are used to obtain
them. The command was doubtless issued to keep the poor man from aping
the rich, and to make him content with his own lot and condition.
The above will be understood to be the true exposition of "the holy
commandments of the Lord," "the ten glorious laws of God," when people
become accustomed to use their reason in matters of religion.