Yesterday I tried to show how sophisticated systems of morality have developed independent of the Bible.

Today the question for me is, “Can a logical, understandable, and workable system of morality be based on the Bible alone?”

Many people seem to think so. 

Many specifically point to the Old Testament’s Ten Commandments as a firm foundation on which to base such a system.

This strikes me as odd, for a variety of reasons.

First of all, it strikes me as odd because these Ten Commandments (including the one commonly interpreted as “Thou shalt not lie”) seem to rest on a lie. They are presented as laws that God gave directly to Moses when in fact they seem to be plagiarized versions of the older laws of other people. Both Egypt’s Osirian Requirements and Babylon’s so-called Hammurabi’s Law pre-date Moses by centuries, greatly resemble his Ten Commandments, and almost certainly would have been known by the Hebrews prior to Moses’ days as a law-giver (especially if the Bible’s story about their captivity in Egypt is taken at face value). Indeed, there’s a stele in the Lourve which shows Hammurabi receiving his commission as a law-giver from the sun god, Shamash, a few hundred years before Moses allegedly lived and received his commission in allegedly much the same manner. Maybe it’s just a coincidence, but I doubt it. If a guy showed up at your door today with a copy of the U.S. Bill of Rights and said he got it straight from God without ever having read the U.S. Bill of Rights, would you be inclined to believe him? 

Putting all that aside, a second problem immediately pops up: The God of the Old Testament doesn’t seem to be giving the Ten Commandments to everyone. He seems to be giving them to His favorite people, the Hebrews, alone. He could have appeared before every nation’s leader and ordered that these rules be imposed on every person on earth, but He didn’t. He could have told the Hebrews, “Here – take these and pass them around until everyone has a copy,” but He didn’t do that, either. He’s basically saying “These are for you people I brought out of Egypt alone – like all those other rules I expect you to live by, like circumcision, no pork, and no wearing of garments made of two different materials.” If He really expected everyone on earth to live by these rules, He sure went about it a mighty strange and inefficient way. And if He wanted just these Ten Commandments to apply to everyone rather than ALL the rules, laws, and regulations He set down for the Hebrews, He didn’t give any indication whatsoever. (True, Jesus much later is supposed to have told people “Follow the commandments – you know the ones,” but he appears to have been talking to fellow Jews at the time, and elsewhere said that he came for them alone. Indeed, he compares non-Jews to dogs.)

Ok, let’s put that aside, too. Let’s look at the Commandments themselves.

#1 – “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”

This strikes me as a very strange, very problematic thing to say. Most if not all systems of morality are based on principles, not individuals. We Americans, in fact, pride ourselves on supposedly being a nation of laws, not men. Yet the Ten Commandments start off with something very different : “ME – not THEM!” Why should we follow such a command? “Because I brought you out of Egypt.” And if we don’t listen? “I’ll smite you!” Hmmmmm. Sounds like the hidden principle here is, “Might makes right.” And it sounds as if God is more interested in developing a domineering “cult of personality” than an objective, rational, and understandable system of justice. If that sounds like a variety of fascism to you, ask a Bible-believer to explain to you why you’re wrong. I can’t.

At least as strange is what God doesn’t say here. He could have said, “I’m the one and only God – listen up!” – but He didn’t. He doesn’t even say, “I’m your #1 God!” He just seems to be demanding, in effect, “most favored nation trading status” – i.e., to be treated no worse than any other god. After all, “Put no other gods before me” doesn’t say “Put no other gods even with me,” does it? The strange phrasing, of course, implies that there are other gods. (As does the fact that the Bible refers to other gods over 230 times.) And apparently the God of the Bible had to constantly compete with these other gods for the Hebrews’ allegiance. Often, He lost! In fact, no sooner did He give them these Ten Commandments than He lost out to a golden calf. Yes, the Bible would have us believe that despite all His miracles in Egypt, despite His leading them out of Egypt as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, despite the alleged parting of the Red Sea and all the rest, the Hebrews rejected Him for a silly little inanimate object they made themselves almost the first chance they got.

Which of course raises an obvious question: “If the Hebrews who knew this God best and most directly failed to see the merits of following His First Commandment, why should we?”

The whole story only makes sense to me as a tale told to frighten little children and extremely gullible adults into behaving. “You see, God said X, but the people He said X to said ‘Shove off!’ so God punished them. Don’t be like those silly people!”

Ummm, yeah. What this story really tells me is that this God has an ungodly difficult time convincing people He ought to be obeyed. You know, the Hebrews are always bitching and rejecting Him. Adam and Eve in effect rejected Him. Satan rejected Him. People in the New Testament reject Jesus right and left. These tales are always presented as warnings – “Don’t YOU be this stupid!” – but the message I get is that the God of the Bible is such a silly or disagreeable fellow that He has more trouble getting people to follow Him than many people do, let alone other gods.

If He really existed, I think I’d recommend He brush up on His social skills….

I know, I know – I should, too. Sorry, but I’m only human. Please don’t hold me to standards far more appropriate to hold allegedly perfect beings to.

Continue to the Second Commandment

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