World Lit 271/J. Roth the Ten Commandments

Consider that the Hebrew bible’s Ten Commandments are a set of rules that, if followed, would reduce conflict among a culture’s people. For example, obeying and enforcing the commandment “Thou shalt not kill/murder” just makes good sense if a group of people wants to live, work, and prosper together. Below is a list of the commandments. First, select the three that you think would be the most helpful in maintaining group peace and harmony. After you select your three, please put them in order of importance: which one of the three would be most important, which one would you rank second, and which one would be third? Be ready to share your rationale.

1. You shall have no other gods before me.
   
2. You shall not make for yourself any carved 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; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them.
   
3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain (swearing a false oath).
   
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your manservant, nor your maidservant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates.

5. Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.
   
6. You shall not murder.
   
7. You shall not commit adultery.
   
8. You shall not steal.
   
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor (lies and false accusations).
   
10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife [or husband], nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, [nor the Corvette] nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”