The
biblical Ten Commandments were designed to control a nomadic
society whose pre-scientific religion included idol worship and blood
sacrifice. The ancient Hebrews owned slaves and fought wars of
choice. Obviously, they needed some basic guidelines for
good behavior.
As
scientific knowledge transcends any knowledge previously attained by
humanity, we enter a New Age. As people adopt non-tradional
religious beliefs, they lose the firm moral foundation provided by
the Abrahamaic religions and can sometimes end up adrift in a sea of
moral doldrums. For the past two hundred years, Western
thinkers have been testing the philosophies and consequences
of the Enlightenment. The advent of science and the
questioning of the basic assumptions of Abrahamaic religious
beliefs inevitably resulted in a challenge. Not only a
challenge to the old beliefs, but also a challenge to those who
adopted new ones.
If
we jettison traditional beliefs, we need to keep in mind the
traditional moral edicts and possibly work them into a new set of
rules. These new rules incorporate those of the biblical
commandments that deal with morality. They don't reference the
biblical depiction of God, as we all have different ways of
representing that infinite, unknowable, ineffable Entity. The
days of myths, superstitions, and pseudo-truths should be left
behind. It's time for a New Age.
Ten
Rules for the New Age:
According
to the Bible, the Ten Commandments were given to the people of Israel
directly from the Hand of God . The TenRules
for the New Age
make
no such claim. You will apply your own interpretations, even if
I ask you not to. Such is the nature of the human
mind's logic.
Note
also that the Ten
Rules for the New Age make
no claims or assumptions about theology or any other rationale.
They are simply a set of behavioral rules, not a statement
of reiligion or philosophy. These rules are not for the purpose
of determining who should be rewarded and who should be punished.
Rather, they are for the purpose of guiding our behavior so
that all will benefit.
The
Ten Rules do not include or presume any advice for
self-improvement. Some people see behavioral patterns as a kind
of pseudo-morality - things such as being responsible and
cleaning your fingernails. We avoid people who seem
offensive or obnoxious. We turn up our nose at those who
talk loudly in a crowded venue. But those are cultural
phenomena, not moral ones. No life hangs in the balance, no
person or animal suffers if a person violates the cultural norms for
good behavior. Not that bad behavior should be condoned. Put
simply, it only becomes relevant to morality when it leads to
the violation of one of the Ten
Rules.
Ten
Rules for the New Age
My
interpretations:
1 -
Be reverent !
No
life is complete, no soul fulfilled, no heart satisfied unless
there is an ongoing communication with the Maker. You should
pray daily, in your own way. This may be in meditation or in
supplication, or simply saying thanks for your life's bounty. It
can be in the morning, at the dinner table, or in the evening. Just
do it.
Reverence
also leads to all of the other rules, and is therefore the first.
2 - Respect all living things !
Life
is precious. No person should take life. No living
thing should be condemned for doing what comes naturally to its
species. No living thing should be denied access to a
habitat conducive to its health. No living thing should
be exploited to its detriment.
Some
people will want to draw a line. Above the line, living things
are respected, below the line they are exploited. Is
harvesting of grains exploitation? Of course. So maybe
you'll exclude all plants from the above strictures. Perhaps
if you're afraid of them, you'll exclude spiders and snakes.
Perhaps you'll exclude domesticated animals. Where
you draw the line is up to you. However, the lower you draw
the line, the more living things you are respectful of.
Nobody
draws the line at people. Therefore, don't kill any unborn
child that you believe to be a viable human being.
This
rule leads to all the remaining ones, and therefore is second.
3 - Be kind !
Treat
others the way you would want to be treated in the same
situation.
It
really is that simple. In the Rules for the New Age there
is no such concept as "deserve". No one is to be
treated differently based on some set ot circumstances, prior
behavior, religious viewpoint, political affiliation, or
qualities attributed to them by others. A person is a
person, and all people deserve the same respect.
4 - Be honest !
Don't
lie, cheat or steal.
Misleading
is lying. If you cause another person to believe something
that is not true, then you have lied. Some people would say
that it is the other person's fault for making the false assumption.
I would say that leading person to a place where they are
likely to make the false assumption is dishonest.
We
all keep secrets. It's human. We rationalize this by
saying that the end justifies the means. Use your own best
judgment. In the end, we each must take responsibility for our
actions.
5 - Be non-violent !
Don't
hurt any animal.
Don't
be overcome with anger. Anger leads to violence, and
violence begets violence. Vengeance begets
vengeance.
Aggression
is the number one problem in the history of humanity. Most
problems can be solved through negotiation and worsened by
aggressive behavior. It takes quite a bit of will power to
hold back when threatened and seek the more peaceful course, but the
rewards are definitely worth the effort.
Does
this mean that one should not act in self-defense? No. Self
defense is a natural instinctive behavior in reaction to another
person who is violating multiple rules. My opinion is that the
situation will vary and the intensity of the self defense should be
the least amount appropriate to the situation. Preemptive
action is not self defense. Vigilantism Is not self-defense.
Vengeance is not self defense.
6 - Be sexually respectful !
The
biblical Ten Commandments are strangely silent on this
issue.
Rape
is an act of violence that manifests a deep disrespect for the
person being raped. So is any sexual crime against children.
Violence against a person who has a different sexual preference than
you is a crime of hatred. These three categories of act
violate the rules of non-violence and kindness in addition to
violating the sexual rights of the victims.
Some
say prostitution. is a victimless crime. But the fact is
that prostitutes are exploited not just by their customers
but by the pimps who control them. There can be no question
that soliciting prostitution is a violation of this rule.
The
crimes named in the preceding paragraphs have been going on for as
long as there were humans. It's time now to end them.
See
also rule 10.
7 - Avoid the deadly sins !
Those
are anger, greed,
envy, and
gluttony.
Actually, there are seven, but that's too many to remember.
The Catholic guy in Rome who invented these sins intended to
steer his flock away from those things which would get in the way of
their reverence for life and Creation. The sins are not
enumerated in the Bible, and therefore they are not part of the
standard Christian religion, but they are part of the Christian
cultural heritage. If you must insist on knowing what the
other three are, they are sloth,
lust,
and pride.
To
these I would add arrogance.
8 - Protect and defend Creation !
We
are only the most recent inhabitants of the Earth, not its owners.
We should make sure that the Earth survives in its pristine
glory for the next generation and for the next master species. God
didn't create the universe so that we could use it up. It's
okay to play and have fun but don't destroy it.
The
Earth is finite. The human species is growing ever more
numerous. Our footprints on this planted grow ever larger. We
must take steps to prevent the destruction of our planet Eden.
The
recent and ongoing extinction of thousands of species, the warming
climate and diminishing ozone layer, the increasing worldwide
pollution of groundwater and air, all belie the violation of this
rule by all nations of the world.
9 - Help the less fortunate, the weak, the poor, and the vulnerable !
People
need help. If you would ask any person whether their child,
sibling, spouse or parent needs help, the answer would always be
yes.
Of
course that includes you. But you're not the only person in
the world whose family has problems. Spend some time
learning about and helping other people with problems. It will
be good for your soul.
A
time tithe is a healthy component of a person's life. Some
people devote their lives to helping others, some give only an
occasional hour. But regardless of the amount, try to spend
some time helping others, both in and outside of your family.
Some
people in every society have far more material wealth and
possessions than the poorest in that same society. This is
wrong. No philosophy or rationale can excuse a
person who does not share the wealth. Taking this viewpoint a
step further, there are some countries that have far more material
wealth and possessions than the world's poorest countries. That
is wrong. No philosophy or rationale can excuse a country that
hogs the world's resources. Does this mean that every person
in the world deserves to share in the Earth's bounty? Yes.
Does it mean that those who work hard should not benefit from
their labors? No. There must be a fair and reasonable
distribution based on various societal value systems. But a
fair system would not allow millionaires to walk past beggars on
their way to the festivities.
10 - Don't exploit !
Don't
take advantage of another person's .lesser power for your personal
benefit. Your superior power might be due to knowledge,
intelligence, or social station, to give some examples.
Cheating
includes the act of exploiting or taking advantage of another
person's lack of knowledge, education, or power to make gains that
you otherwise would not have been able to get.
Own
no slaves. Slavery
is an extreme form of exploitation, because the person is not
compensated, and their freedom is taken away. Throughout the
last 3000 years, people have owned slaves.
The
smallest forms of exploitation may seem harmless - you're at a flea
market and a silver chalice is offered for 50 cents. You
recognize it as an antique worth hundreds of dollars, but you fail
to inform the seller. You pay 50 cents, thus robbing the
seller.
Sellers
of liquor and drugs, as well as gambling houses all exploit the
consumers.
Extraction
industries exploit Creation, using up resources that can never be
replaced, and leaving destruction and devastated habitats in their
wake. Mining is particularly egregious, as are the filling in
of wetlands and the clear-cutting of forests. Since
Nature can't be compensated for the extraction of limited resources,
care must be taken to ensure that it is not damaged in the process.
I would suggest that rule 8 should be followed.
Two
perennially exploited groups of people have been children and women.
Since they are less powerful, they can't fight back or protect
themselves.
Important
traits that make character
1
- Integrity
When
your principles are unbending, then you have integrity. Sometimes,
when a person knows they won't be held accountable, they follow
different rules, and act differently. Sometimes this surprises
them, sometimes not.
2
- Honesty
Wwhen
you go out of your way not to mislead others, when you are
forthright, you are acting honestly. You say what you'll do
and do what you say.
3
- Discipline
Nothing
slides uphill. Discipline is the means by which a person mixes
business and pleasure, allowing time for each in the day's
activities. Many things we do every day are less pleasant -
brushing teeth, shiniing shoes, making the bed... We each need to
make a list, at least mentally, of those things that need doing and
make sure they get done in a timely manner. Once this trick is
learned, it can be applied to pursuits such as learning a new skill
or dieting to lose weight.
4
- Cleanliness
A
person should be clean in their body, house, vehicle, etc.
5
- Punctuality
Being
on time shows others that you respect others. Being late shows
the opposite.
6
- Tenacity
Nothing
is ever achieved in a day. To accomplish great things often
takes years and often requires labor that is not rewarded by friends
or family patting you on the back. Knowing where you want to
go and going there regardless of the odds is a trait common to all
successful people. Stay focused on the desired end result,
Ask yourself, "is this activity getting me there?".
Then you will stay on course over the long haul.
7
- Work ethic
Anything
worth doing is worth doing well and doing to completion. The
less you do, the less you accomplish.
8
- Reliability
When
you can be counted on to keep the promises and fulfill the
commitments you've made, then you are reliable.
9 -
Trustworthiness
Similar
to reliability, trustworthiness applies reliability to other realms
of endeavor. An example is cofidences. When a secret is
given to you in confidence, the person who gave you that secret is
its owner. Only if the secret reveals a legal violation should
that confidence be broken. When a person no longer trusts you,
nothing you can say or do will bring that trust back.
11
- Courtesy
Courtesy
is a few simple rules of conduct that allow us to not ruffle each
others' feathers. For instance, drivers are courteous to each
other, especially during rush hour.
10
- Respect
Respect
for those who went before you, those who are wiser, more
experienced, less able, less fortunate. Respect is giving
others deference.
12
- Loyalty
Loyalty
to friends and family is basically assumed. One who is
disloyal is pretty much condemned by most people. However, you have
to choose to whom you will give your loaylty - the ruling party or
the opposition; the church or the law; your family or your spouse.
You have to make a choice and live with it. People who
leave the fold, even if they are welcomed into a different group,
are considered by the group they came from as traitors, turncoats,
Benedict Arnolds.