# If God asked you to abolish a commandment, which would it be? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 29, 2002, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-god-asked-you-to-abolish-a-commandment-which-would-it-be/130061 "2002-09-29T03:02:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BadAzzBec](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5e925/32.png) [@BadAzzBec](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BadAzzBec)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2002, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-god-asked-you-to-abolish-a-commandment-which-would-it-be/130061/1 "2002-09-29T03:02:19Z")
This would never happen, but if you could abolish one of the 10 commandments, which would it be? Mine would be “Thou shall not kill.” Not because I’m psycho, but because I have a lot of pent up frustration. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Daowajan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@Daowajan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daowajan)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2002, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-god-asked-you-to-abolish-a-commandment-which-would-it-be/130061/2 "2002-09-29T03:07:28Z")
I had to look the ten commandments up. Shows you how well acquainted I am with them. 😉 Probably “You shall have no other gods.” ---
**Author:** ![cuauhtemoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecb155/32.png) [@cuauhtemoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuauhtemoc)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2002, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-god-asked-you-to-abolish-a-commandment-which-would-it-be/130061/3 "2002-09-29T03:15:02Z")
Definitely the one about coveting thy neighbor’s wife. What the hell does that even mean anyway? ---
**Author:** ![BadAzzBec](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5e925/32.png) [@BadAzzBec](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BadAzzBec)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2002, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-god-asked-you-to-abolish-a-commandment-which-would-it-be/130061/4 "2002-09-29T03:17:17Z")
Coveting thy neighbors wife is sleeping with her. Actually its a sin if you even think about sleepign with her. Hope your neighbors wife isn’t hot. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Lab2490](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@Lab2490](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lab2490)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2002, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-god-asked-you-to-abolish-a-commandment-which-would-it-be/130061/5 "2002-09-29T04:51:48Z")
As someone who is somewhat pagan I would have to go with daowajan. ---
**Author:** ![kevja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/aeb1de/32.png) [@kevja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kevja)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2002, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-god-asked-you-to-abolish-a-commandment-which-would-it-be/130061/6 "2002-09-29T05:29:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Daowajan \* > \*\*I had to look the ten commandments up. Shows you how well acquainted I am with them. 😉 > > Probably “You shall have no other gods.” \*\* LOL, then a little more LOL. ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2002, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-god-asked-you-to-abolish-a-commandment-which-would-it-be/130061/7 "2002-09-29T05:30:05Z")
I’d have to go with the other gods thing, or else the taking God’s name in vain. I mean, taking God’s name in vain IS awfullly fun, and looking at the people around me I have to figure the big guy’s surely got a sense of humor. ---
**Author:** ![Horseflesh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horseflesh/32/7502_2.png) [@Horseflesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horseflesh)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2002, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-god-asked-you-to-abolish-a-commandment-which-would-it-be/130061/8 "2002-09-29T07:49:01Z")
The one that says “Thou shalt respect my authori-tay!”. Which one is that again? ---
**Author:** ![flapcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@flapcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flapcats)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2002, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-god-asked-you-to-abolish-a-commandment-which-would-it-be/130061/9 "2002-09-29T08:13:36Z")
I too had to look them up, so for all those who did not listen in RE: Here are ([THE RULES](http://www.duhaime.org/tencomm.htm)). 1. I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 2.Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. 1. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them. 2. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 3. Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long. 4. Thou shalt not kill. 5. Thou shalt not commit adultery. 6. Thou shalt not steal. 7. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. 8. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor’s. The site lists them as the 18 commandments - with 3,5,7,9,11,13,15 & 17 being blank - for you own private musings 🙂 So I’d lose 5, 9 and 2. ---
**Author:** ![Jervoise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jervoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jervoise)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2002, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-god-asked-you-to-abolish-a-commandment-which-would-it-be/130061/10 "2002-09-29T12:04:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by flapcats \* > \*\*10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor’s. \*\* Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s ass? Get rid of that one, for sure. ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2002, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-god-asked-you-to-abolish-a-commandment-which-would-it-be/130061/11 "2002-09-29T13:17:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Daowajan \* > \*\*I had to look the ten commandments up. Shows you how well acquainted I am with them. 😉 > > Probably “You shall have no other gods.” \*\* I’ll have what she’s having:) 5, 4, 10 and 3 soon to follow. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2002, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-god-asked-you-to-abolish-a-commandment-which-would-it-be/130061/12 "2002-09-29T13:23:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Daowajan \* > \*\*I had to look the ten commandments up. Shows you how well acquainted I am with them. 😉 > > Probably “You shall have no other gods.” \*\* Let me get this straight… the assumption of the OP is that Jehovah (the God of the Old Testament) is real. IF you accept that assumption, then He is the one and only God in all the cosmos. You’re saying that, even if you knew there was only one God, you’d still want to worship other gods who don’t exist? ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2002, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-god-asked-you-to-abolish-a-commandment-which-would-it-be/130061/13 "2002-09-29T13:29:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BadAzzBec \* > \*\*Coveting thy neighbors wife is sleeping with her. Actually its a sin if you even think about sleepign with her. Hope your neighbors wife isn’t hot. 😉 \*\* No, “coveting” is not having sex. To “covet” means to desire. The commandments are, essentially, prohibiting envy. It’s telling us not to want what doesn’t belong to us, and not to envy those who DO possess what we want. Of course, if we never coveted other’s possessions and never coveted others’ wives, there’d be no need for the commandments prohibiting stealing and adultery! ---
**Author:** ![Arden\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b487fb/32.png) [@Arden\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arden_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2002, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-god-asked-you-to-abolish-a-commandment-which-would-it-be/130061/14 "2002-09-29T14:07:13Z")
7 & 10. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2002, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-god-asked-you-to-abolish-a-commandment-which-would-it-be/130061/15 "2002-09-29T14:18:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Narrad \* > **Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s ass?** When I was very young, I thought this was “cover thy neighbor’s ass” and everytime my brother’s rear stuck out from the blankets when we shared a room, I would wonder why it was such a big sin. TV ---
**Author:** ![cuauhtemoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecb155/32.png) [@cuauhtemoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuauhtemoc)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2002, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-god-asked-you-to-abolish-a-commandment-which-would-it-be/130061/16 "2002-09-29T16:42:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by astorian \* > \*\* > > Let me get this straight… the assumption of the OP is that Jehovah (the God of the Old Testament) is real. IF you accept that assumption, then He is the one and only God in all the cosmos. > > You’re saying that, even if you knew there was only one God, you’d still want to worship other gods who don’t exist? \*\* Where do you see that assumption expressed in the OP? If what I’ve read on the subject is correct, the ancient Hebrews accepted the _existence_ of other gods, they just had a deal with their own god that none of the other gods could be worshipped more than Himself. Otherwise, what sense would the wording of the First Commandment make? The idea that only one capital ‘G’ God existed came about long after Exodus was written down. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2002, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-god-asked-you-to-abolish-a-commandment-which-would-it-be/130061/17 "2002-09-29T17:07:25Z")
Actually, I just wrote a paper on this in which I argued that, without a reason to keep the covenant (the prologue to the 10 commandments “I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt”) there is no reason to follow the first two or three (YMMV depending on numbering system.) I will not hijack the thread talking about how it can be compared to ancient covenants such as the ones of the Hittites. ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2002, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-god-asked-you-to-abolish-a-commandment-which-would-it-be/130061/18 "2002-09-29T18:25:06Z")
Probably the not killing one. Everyone ignores it anyway. Either that or change it to “Though Shall Not Kill. No, Really. Yes, I Mean Other People. Yes, Your Enemies Are Other People. No, I Don’t Care If They Don’t Believe In Me, Don’t Kill Them. Convicted Murderer? Don’t Kill Him. Prisoners Of War? Don’t Kill Them. Guy Who Stole Your Wife Away? Don’t Kill Him Either.” ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2002, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-god-asked-you-to-abolish-a-commandment-which-would-it-be/130061/19 "2002-09-29T18:57:58Z")
Actually, I’d add one, in His Name. Specifically, “Thou Shalt Live Thine Own Life Answerable to Me, and Shall Not Try to Run Someone Else’s Based on What Thou Thinkest Is My Will, For I Am God And Thou Art Not.” ---
**Author:** ![JavaMaven1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/cab0a1/32.png) [@JavaMaven1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JavaMaven1)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2002, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-god-asked-you-to-abolish-a-commandment-which-would-it-be/130061/20 "2002-09-29T20:44:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Polycarp \* > \*\*Actually, I’d add one, in His Name. Specifically, “Thou Shalt Live Thine Own Life Answerable to Me, and Shall Not Try to Run Someone Else’s Based on What Thou Thinkest Is My Will, For I Am God And Thou Art Not.” \*\* I have to honestly say this is a far better idea than abolishing a commandment. 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-god-asked-you-to-abolish-a-commandment-which-would-it-be/130061.md?page=2)