# Do Christians follow the 10 commandments? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 13, 2008, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-christians-follow-the-10-commandments/437403 "2008-02-13T04:11:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Two\_and\_a\_Half\_Inches\_of\_Fun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea666f/32.png) [@Two\_and\_a\_Half\_Inches\_of\_Fun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_and_a_Half_Inches_of_Fun)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-christians-follow-the-10-commandments/437403/1 "2008-02-13T04:11:06Z")
I have never met a Christian that observes the Sabbath. Is this something they are supposed to do? I think they follow the other commandments, but I am not sure. So what is the deal with Christians and the 10 commandments? ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-christians-follow-the-10-commandments/437403/2 "2008-02-13T04:34:15Z")
No, they don’t. Well some probably do the way some non-christians do, but I’m pretty sure that large numbers of christians are just as guilty of breaking the ten commandments as any other people. Or do you mean “does their Church expect them to follow the TCs?” ---
**Author:** ![neorxnawange](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f4b2a3/32.png) [@neorxnawange](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neorxnawange)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-christians-follow-the-10-commandments/437403/3 "2008-02-13T05:15:09Z")
What is your definition of “sabbath” and “observe”, and how do you derive those definitions? I would suspect that many Christians would claim to “observe” the “sabbath” according to the definitions of those terms provided by their individual religious traditions. I would also suspect that most mainstream Christian traditions would expect adherents to _try_ to follow the 10 Commandments, but also teach that failing to do so is fully expected within church teachings. A more interesting question may be: are there any major Christian sects that openly teach that the 10 Commandments, or certain parts of them, should not be followed at all (or should be ignored)? ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-christians-follow-the-10-commandments/437403/4 "2008-02-13T05:31:21Z")
Well, I’ve never seen a Christian seethe a kid goat in its mother’s milk, so that one appears to be obeyed. By the way - we _are_ talking about the ten commandments that Moses brought down from the mountain carved onto stone tablets, right? ---
**Author:** ![grimpixie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@grimpixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grimpixie)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-christians-follow-the-10-commandments/437403/5 "2008-02-13T07:16:54Z")
[QUOTE=CurtC] Well, I’ve never seen a Christian seethe a kid goat in its mother’s milk, so that one appears to be obeyed. By the way - we _are_ talking about the ten commandments that Moses brought down from the mountain carved onto stone tablets, right? [/QUOTE] In which case mixing meat and milk is [not one of them](http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=2&chapter=20&verse=1&end_verse=17&version=31&context=context)… Whether the Sabbath should be observed on a Saturday or a Sunday is a different debate, but I would venture to guess that all practising Christians mark their Sabbath in some way, be that going to church, spending time with family, refraining from working, refraining from other commercial activities (shopping, etc) or various combinations of the above. Some denominations emphasise the importance of this observance more than others (Seventh Day Adventists for example). Observing the Sabbath in the Jewish sense of total abstinance from anything regarded as “work” is not followed, as passages such as [this one](http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=47&chapter=12&verse=1&end_verse=14&version=31&context=context) from Matthew are regarded as having overruled them. As for the other nine, they’re universally promoted, although individual Christians are sure to fall down from time to time - I mean, have you _seen_ my neighbour’s ass? Grim ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-christians-follow-the-10-commandments/437403/6 "2008-02-13T08:19:35Z")
[QUOTE=neorxnawange] A more interesting question may be: are there any major Christian sects that openly teach that the 10 Commandments, or certain parts of them, should not be followed at all (or should be ignored)? [/QUOTE] Currently, almost all do ignore parts of the 4th and the 10th commandments: > [@](#): > > Exodus 20:2–17: > … > But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, **your male or female slave** , your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. > … > You shall not covet your neighbour’s house; you shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, **or male or female slave** , or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour. While not direct, it is clear that god had no problem with the chosen ones stealing the freedom and the labor of others. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-christians-follow-the-10-commandments/437403/7 "2008-02-13T09:00:57Z")
At least in my experience, Christianity interprets to commandments (and indeed OT law generally) through things like this bit from [Romans 13](http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=52&chapter=13&version=31) > [@](#): > > Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself."Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. Galatians 5, which says very much the same thing, and [Matthew 22](http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=47&chapter=22&version=31): > [@](#): > > Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: > > “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: " ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." As I say, this has been my experience of the Christian approach to OT law, but last time I mentioned it on this board, people treated me like I had grown an extra head. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-christians-follow-the-10-commandments/437403/8 "2008-02-13T17:08:42Z")
To answer that, you really have to define “work” and what it means to observe the Sabbath. The Jews [fleshed out these concepts in the Talmud](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Activities_prohibited_on_Shabbat). Those rules apply only to Jews, though, not to Christians. The Catholic Church defines “work” quite differently. [Since the eighth century AD, they have prohibited "servile work, public buying and selling, pleading in the law courts, and the public and solemn taking of oaths](http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14335a.htm)". They also require all Catholics to attend at least one Mass if at all possible ([not doing so is a mortal sin](http://www.catholic.com/thisrock/2000/0007fea2.asp)). Some blue laws [interpret a ban on working on the Sabbath as prohibiting non-religious activities on Sundays](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_law#History). You could just as logically define work to mean “something you’re paid to do”, “something you don’t like doing”, or “manual labor”. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-christians-follow-the-10-commandments/437403/9 "2008-02-13T17:28:39Z")
[QUOTE=GIGObuster] Currently, almost all do ignore parts of the 4th and the 10th commandments:. [/QUOTE] How? Are you claiming they make their slaves work on the sabbath or covert their neighbor’s slaves? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-christians-follow-the-10-commandments/437403/10 "2008-02-13T17:42:06Z")
_"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. "_ You know, I don’t remember there being any Christians in the Exodus. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-christians-follow-the-10-commandments/437403/11 "2008-02-13T17:44:55Z")
Hell, most Christians can’t even list the Ten C without looking them up. Most can give you a few. “Uh, don’t kill, don’t steal, don’t lie, and, uh, don’t swim for an hour after lunch.” ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-christians-follow-the-10-commandments/437403/12 "2008-02-13T17:52:15Z")
[QUOTE=Two and a Half Inches of Fun] I have never met a Christian that observes the Sabbath. Is this something they are supposed to do? [/QUOTE] [Why do Christians worship on Sunday when the Bible says the Sabbath is on Saturday?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a4_140.html) ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Jinks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dec6dc/32.png) [@Captain\_Jinks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Jinks)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-christians-follow-the-10-commandments/437403/13 "2008-02-13T18:03:32Z")
Christians are not considered to be “under the law” (Galatians 3:25), thus the 10 commandments to not technically apply. NT-era Christians’ works will be judged (1 Corinthians 3:12 and 13). All things are permissible. Not all things are a good idea, mind you, or please God (the NT is filled with exhortations to live a Godly life (Ephesians 4:30)). The Ten Commandments, along with the exhortations to love God and one’s neighbor-- form a foundation to good living and are pleasing to God. They are taught in most Christian denominations. Fundamental to many Protestant denominations is the concept that good works are not practiced to earn the Christian’s way to Heaven (Ephesians 2:8,9); that admission into Heaven is a resuly of God’s grace. Grace, in this case, might me considered analogous to “generosity”. God gives eternal life not because of good works, but due to His generosity. It’s that way in the Old Testament, but more obvious in the New. As far as observing the Sabbath: the earliest Christians-- converted Jews-- observed the Sabbath, Sundown Friday to Sundown Saturday, and then “their” day, Sunday, back-to-back. As Christianity-- and Christians moved into non-Judic cultures, the practice disappeared. Meeting regularly seems to have been considered a given, rather than something people needed to be kicked into doing. However, regular meeting-- and, yes, throwing money in the collection plate-- is supported by Scripture (Hebrews 10:25). As a side note, the condos next to the church I attend burned on Sunday morning. Service was cancelled, as the road was blocked. Several members made coffee and carried it over to the victims and firefighters. The Pastor made a run to Mickey-Dee’s and broght a bag of breakfast grease sandwiches. Church was suspended, and being nice to neighbors-- literally, in this case-- substituted. And ya know? I think they did well. ---
**Author:** ![Slypork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc29f/32.png) [@Slypork](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slypork)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-christians-follow-the-10-commandments/437403/14 "2008-02-13T19:03:01Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] At least in my experience, Christianity interprets to commandments (and indeed OT law generally) through things like this bit from [Romans 13](http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=52&chapter=13&version=31) Galatians 5, which says very much the same thing, and [Matthew 22](http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=47&chapter=22&version=31): As I say, this has been my experience of the Christian approach to OT law, but last time I mentioned it on this board, people treated me like I had grown an extra head. [/QUOTE] Hey, [I agree with you.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=9467057&postcount=29) The big 10 are great but JC narrowed them down to the main 2. Of course, George Carlin came up with [a different result.](http://www.geocities.com/bobmelzer/gc10cx.html) ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-christians-follow-the-10-commandments/437403/15 "2008-02-13T20:42:14Z")
[QUOTE=Captain Amazing] How? Are you claiming they make their slaves work on the sabbath or covert their neighbor’s slaves? [/QUOTE] I’m going to assume that is an attempt to a joke, but one just needs to realize that if a believer thinks one must follow all the commandments that then the implications of the highlighted parts will remain an embarrassment, for it does remain that it was more evil then to covet your neighbors ass than to own [del]the ass of[/del] someone. And is a fact that those highlighted bits are often omitted, specially when fundamentalists want to put the 10 commandments in public buildings. And unfortunately in some regions of the world those lines still apply: [http://www.antislavery.org/homepage/antislavery/modern.htm](http://www.antislavery.org/homepage/antislavery/modern.htm) > [@](#): > > Bonded labor affects millions of people around the world. People become bonded laborers by taking or being tricked into taking a loan for as little as the cost of medicine for a sick child. To repay the debt, many are forced to work long hours, seven days a week, up to 365 days a year. I can grant you then that making your slave rest on the sabbath was more humane than this. ---
**Author:** ![lekatt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lekatt/32/7269_2.png) [@lekatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lekatt)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-christians-follow-the-10-commandments/437403/16 "2008-02-13T21:27:30Z")
[QUOTE=Alessan] _"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. "_ You know, I don’t remember there being any Christians in the Exodus. [/QUOTE] Good thought: When the ten commandments were written there were no Christians. Christians are named so by their belief in, and following of, Jesus the Christ. I believe the OP is flawed in assuming Christians are committed to the ten commandments in the first place. Some may say “yes,” and others “no.” Some Christians are new testament believers only. There is a huge variety of Christians, the OP doesn’t address which variety. As for observing the Sabbath, yes, of course, they do according to the dictates of their variety of Christianity. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-christians-follow-the-10-commandments/437403/17 "2008-02-13T23:24:23Z")
[QUOTE=GIGObuster] I’m going to assume that is an attempt to a joke, but one just needs to realize that if a believer thinks one must follow all the commandments that then the implications of the highlighted parts will remain an embarrassment, for it does remain that it was more evil then to covet your neighbors ass than to own [del]the ass of[/del] someone. And is a fact that those highlighted bits are often omitted, specially when fundamentalists want to put the 10 commandments in public buildings. [/QUOTE] Well, I guess you could translate the word as “servant,” or maybe even “employee.” That’s probably a cop-out, but it’d be interesting to hear a Hebrew scholar’s take on it. > [@](#): > > I can grant you then that making your slave rest on the sabbath was more humane than this. Yes, at least this commandment, and some of the other OT laws, put limits on what you could do to (or require of) your slave, so slaves had more rights under OT law than, say, in the pre-Civil War southern U.S. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-christians-follow-the-10-commandments/437403/18 "2008-02-13T23:29:48Z")
[QUOTE=GIGObuster] I’m going to assume that is an attempt to a joke, but one just needs to realize that if a believer thinks one must follow all the commandments that then the implications of the highlighted parts will remain an embarrassment, for it does remain that it was more evil then to covet your neighbors ass than to own [del]the ass of[/del] someone. [/QUOTE] Well, there’s not a commandment to have slaves…merely commandments saying what you can’t do with the slaves you have. So, it’s not saying that slavery is a moral good…just that it isn’t neccesarily a moral evil. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-christians-follow-the-10-commandments/437403/19 "2008-02-14T00:01:09Z")
[QUOTE=Two and a Half Inches of Fun] I have never met a Christian that observes the Sabbath. Is this something they are supposed to do? I think they follow the other commandments, but I am not sure. So what is the deal with Christians and the 10 commandments? [/QUOTE] I dunno, where do you go to meet Christians? Seems to be cars in church parking lots when I drive by on Sunday. ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-christians-follow-the-10-commandments/437403/20 "2008-02-14T05:26:19Z")
[QUOTE=grimpixie] > [@CurtC](#): > > Well, I’ve never seen a Christian seethe a kid goat in its mother’s milk, so that one appears to be obeyed. By the way - we are talking about the ten commandments that Moses brought down from the mountain carved onto stone tablets, right? In which case mixing meat and milk is [not one of them](http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=2&chapter=20&verse=1&end_verse=17&version=31&context=context)… [/QUOTE] OK, so we’re _not_ talking about [the Ten Commandments that were inscribed on the famous stone tablets](http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=2&chapter=34&version=31), because those were: > [@](#): > > Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land where you are going, or they will be a snare among you. Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and cut down their Asherah poles. Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. > > Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land; for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you and you will eat their sacrifices. And when you choose some of their daughters as wives for your sons and those daughters prostitute themselves to their gods, they will lead your sons to do the same. > > Do not make cast idols. > > Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread. For seven days eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you. Do this at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for in that month you came out of Egypt. > > The first offspring of every womb belongs to me, including all the firstborn males of your livestock, whether from herd or flock. Redeem the firstborn donkey with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck. Redeem all your firstborn sons. > > No one is to appear before me empty-handed. > > Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during the plowing season and harvest you must rest. > > Celebrate the Feast of Weeks with the first fruits of the wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the turn of the year. Three times a year all your men are to appear before the Sovereign LORD, the God of Israel. I will drive out nations before you and enlarge your territory, and no one will covet your land when you go up three times each year to appear before the LORD your God. > > Do not offer the blood of a sacrifice to me along with anything containing yeast, and do not let any of the sacrifice from the Passover Feast remain until morning. > > Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the LORD your God. Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-christians-follow-the-10-commandments/437403.md?page=2)