# Roman Catholics interpret the Ten Commandments differently than other denominations **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 18, 2008, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roman-catholics-interpret-the-ten-commandments-differently-than-other-denominations/449759 "2008-05-18T16:36:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2008, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roman-catholics-interpret-the-ten-commandments-differently-than-other-denominations/449759/1 "2008-05-18T16:36:19Z")
[Wiki on the Ten Commandments](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Commandments) Interesting how what is, and is not, a discrete commandment is interpreted where some are combined and others are made distinct. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2008, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roman-catholics-interpret-the-ten-commandments-differently-than-other-denominations/449759/2 "2008-05-18T17:02:09Z")
In what sense are there different interpretations of the commandments just because the Catholics and the Protestants divide it up in different ways? ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2008, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roman-catholics-interpret-the-ten-commandments-differently-than-other-denominations/449759/3 "2008-05-18T17:05:21Z")
Actually, pretty much every group which respects the 10 Commandments divides them differently. It’s unimportant how they do so. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2008, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roman-catholics-interpret-the-ten-commandments-differently-than-other-denominations/449759/4 "2008-05-18T19:51:56Z")
Lutherans do the same thing. And there aren’t necessarily 10 commandments, you could probably stretch the same text into 15 or so if you wanted to. 10 makes a nice even number, the actual divisions are arbitrary. It also looks better that women are not put into the same category as property. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2008, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roman-catholics-interpret-the-ten-commandments-differently-than-other-denominations/449759/5 "2008-05-18T22:32:09Z")
Why single out Roman Catholics? All Christian denominations enumerate the Ten Commandments from each other and from the Jews, who wrote them in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2008, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roman-catholics-interpret-the-ten-commandments-differently-than-other-denominations/449759/6 "2008-05-19T01:00:11Z")
I once had the intention of writing a novel named The Fifth Commandmant. It sounds like such a portentous name, but it’s the commandmant that everybody violates, “Honor your mother and father.” Then I found out that not everyone considers that the fifth commandmant. It took the wind right out of my sails. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2008, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roman-catholics-interpret-the-ten-commandments-differently-than-other-denominations/449759/7 "2008-05-19T01:19:43Z")
[QUOTE=Wendell Wagner] In what sense are there different interpretations of the commandments just because the Catholics and the Protestants divide it up in different ways? [/QUOTE] I thought I made that clear in the OP that I was talking about the categorization of what is and not lumped together or broken out as discrete commandments, and that this grouping differs between denominations. > [@](#): > > Interesting how what is, and is not, a discrete commandment is interpreted where some are combined and others are made distinct. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2008, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roman-catholics-interpret-the-ten-commandments-differently-than-other-denominations/449759/8 "2008-05-19T10:55:00Z")
[QUOTE=Gala Matrix Fire] I once had the intention of writing a novel named The Fifth Commandmant. It sounds like such a portentous name, but it’s the commandmant that everybody violates, “Honor your mother and father.” [/QUOTE] I honor that one, and I’m an atheist. I respect them and the work they put into raising me and my brothers and their perspectives on life. Maybe you’re confusing “honor” with “slavish devotion”, which no sane person really wants. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2008, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roman-catholics-interpret-the-ten-commandments-differently-than-other-denominations/449759/9 "2008-05-19T13:06:20Z")
And I thought I made it clear that dividing up the commandments differently isn’t interpreting them. A difference in categorization isn’t a difference in interpretation. Why do you think these different ways of dividing up the commandments is interesting? ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2008, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roman-catholics-interpret-the-ten-commandments-differently-than-other-denominations/449759/10 "2008-05-19T16:35:17Z")
[QUOTE=Derleth] I honor that one, and I’m an atheist. I respect them and the work they put into raising me and my brothers and their perspectives on life. Maybe you’re confusing “honor” with “slavish devotion”, which no sane person really wants. [/QUOTE] It seems most atheists would actually honor most commandments. In the link given by the OP, other than the first three, which concern God and one’s relationship with God directly, the rest are things the majority of people (and societies) include in their code of ethics. Heck, there are laws against killing, stealing, perjury, and slander in many if not all countries. ---
**Author:** ![KlondikeGeoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@KlondikeGeoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KlondikeGeoff)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2008, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roman-catholics-interpret-the-ten-commandments-differently-than-other-denominations/449759/11 "2008-05-20T00:04:57Z")
You did hear about what happened when Moses came down from the mountain? “The good news,” he said, “is that I’ve been able to negotiate them down to only ten.” He added, “The bad news is that Adultery is still in there.” ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2008, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roman-catholics-interpret-the-ten-commandments-differently-than-other-denominations/449759/12 "2008-05-20T00:13:08Z")
[QUOTE=KlondikeGeoff] You did hear about what happened when Moses came down from the mountain? “The good news,” he said, “is that I’ve been able to negotiate them down to only ten.” He added, “The bad news is that Adultery is still in there.” [/QUOTE] I prefer the Mel Brooks version: > [@History of the World](#): > > Moses comes down from the mountain carrying three stone tablets. > > “The Lord Jehovah has given unto you these fifteen…” > > Drops one stone tablet, which shatters to smithereens. > > “Oy!.. Ten! Ten Commandments! For all to obey!” ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2008, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roman-catholics-interpret-the-ten-commandments-differently-than-other-denominations/449759/13 "2008-05-20T00:40:29Z")
[QUOTE=KarlGrenze] It seems most atheists would actually honor most commandments. In the link given by the OP, other than the first three, which concern God and one’s relationship with God directly… [/QUOTE] Even some of those… [ul] [li]You shall have no other gods before me **Check** Definitely no other gods[/li][li]You shall not make for yourself an idol **Check** No idols either[/li][li]You shall not make wrongful use of the name of your God **Check** Hard to make wrongful use of the name of a god you don’t have… but more seriously, don’t make false promises. Fair enough.[/li][li]Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy **Check-ish** Try to do as little as possible on weekends. Roger.[/li][/ul] 😃