The Skeptics Annotated Bible (77 page)

3
Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

(20.3)
“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”
9 How many gods are there?

4
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image
, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

(20.4)
“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.”
106 Is it OK to make images?

5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for
I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation
of them that hate me;

(20.5)
“I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.”
41 Are we punished for the sins of others?

6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

8
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

(20.8)
“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.”
101 Is it necessary to keep the Sabbath?

9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

11 For
in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is
, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

(20.11)
“In six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is.”
Believers often say that the “days” of creation should be taken allegorically, but this verse is quite clear. God created the universe in six 24 hour days.

(20.12-16) The (more or less) good commandments. (The only ones Jesus seemed to know or care about.)

12
Honour thy father and thy mother
: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

(20.12)
“Honour thy father and thy mother.”
107 How should parents be treated?>
108 Is it OK to call your father (or anyone else) father?

13
Thou shalt not kill.

(20.13)
“Thou shalt not kill.”
109 To kill or not to kill