Tag: morality

Categories
Faith Torah

The Ten Commandments (they are not suggestions) – #10 (Do Not Covet)

Artwork by Alex Levin

This is an excerpt from my book, GRAFTED: Embracing Torah, which can be purchased on Amazon.

Enjoy!

The Ten Commandments (The Big Ones)

And God (Elohim) spake all these words, saying, (Exodus 20:1)

Exodus 19:25 states, “So Moses went down unto the people,
and spake unto them.” This is the third time Moses came down from
Mount Sinai (between Exodus 19:3 and Exodus 34:29, Moses goes
up to meet Elohim atop Mount Sinai and comes back down seven
times – not bad for an eighty-year-old guy).

The verse following Exodus 19:25 (Exodus 20:1) states, “God
spake all these words…” so it appears Elohim audibly spoke to all the Israelites.

This seems to be confirmed in verses 18–22:

18 And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. 19 And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die. 20 And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not. 21 And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was. 22 And the LORD said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.

The people in the valley were so shaken by the experience that
they did not want Elohim to speak to them again (I’m sure there was
a lot of reverb and pyrotechnics). The word Elohim is used because
His Message was for more than just the Israelites. This tells me that
what we refer to as the Ten Commandments are so important that
Elohim felt the need to personally tell them to His people. This is
why I wanted to start with them.

10. “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt
not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor
his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing
that is thy neighbour’s” (Exodus 20:17).

Envy is like a gateway drug: left unchecked, it can lead to any number of sins. King David comes to mind again. He committed adultery with Bathsheba and murdered her husband, Uriah. But it started with David watching Bathsheba from afar and desiring her greatly. As king, he could have had any woman in the kingdom he desired, but envy caused him to covet his neighbor’s wife.

Cain murdered his brother, Abel, because he was envious that God preferred Abel’s sacrifice over his own. The murder did not take place at the sacrifice, but the seeds of vengeance were planted at that time.

Wanting what your neighbor has is not necessarily a sin. If they have a riding mower and you are still pushing a mower over your two-acre lot, then you are naturally going to want what they have or something similar. If you go about doing the right things to get your own riding mower, then it is a good thing. In this case, desire sets a goal for you to achieve. You don’t want their actual mower but something similar.

If you sneak over and steal their mower and then paint it so that you can claim it is not theirs, then you have crossed an ugly line that used to be a barrier to you, but is now only a minor obstacle that you can readily cross again in the future. In the same way, if you sneak over and sabotage their riding mower so that they will be as equally miserable as you are pushing a mower over their lot, then you have let envy begin to tear down the fabric of your society.

The story of the two families driving past a mansion is illustrative. One family drives past the mansion, and the parents tell their children, “Look at that big house. It’s much too big for what they need. They should not be allowed to waste money so frivolously.” The second family drives past the same house, and the parents tell their children, “Look at that big house. If you work hard and save your money, then you will be able to afford a big house someday.”

The story is oversimplified and not very realistic (lots of people work hard and save their money but cannot afford a mansion), but it does demonstrate the two mindsets.

Socialism is the ideology of envy. “Don’t think it’s fair that others have more than you?” Your leaders will take what the rich have (this class of people will eventually include the not-so-rich, the “doing okay,” and finally the “barely scraping by” as the leaders drain more and more wealth from its citizens) and give it to others (the “poor”).

Socialism breaks down the entrepreneurial spirit because no one will want to work harder for more because it will be taken away. In the end, people stop working because they know that someone else’s labor will provide for them. At this point, people must be forced to work, and those who cannot produce must be eradicated because they are a drain on the economy (the Nazis referred to them as “useless eaters”).

This is why socialism always fails, and the results are devastatingly deadly. Everyone becomes equally miserable, except for the leaders who impose socialism but exempt themselves from its deprivations. The only way to maintain the system is through force and murder.

The Greatest Commandment?

Jesus was asked which is the greatest Commandment (Mark 12:28–34):

28 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? 29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: 30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. 32 And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: 33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. 34 And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.

Yeshua was quoting from Deuteronomy 6:4-5, so we know that the Commandments given in Exodus are still relevant today. The Word differentiates between the “works of the flesh”

19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

(Galatians 5:19–21)

and the “fruit of the Spirit”

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking
one another, envying one another.

(Galatians 5:22–26)

Our walk, based on keeping the Commandments and the rest of the Torah, helps us to manifest the Spirit.

[1st Commandment – No Other Gods]

[2d Commandment – No Graven Images]

[3d Commandment – Taking the Name of Yahweh in Vain]

[4th Commandment – Keep the Sabbath Holy]

The first four Commandments are considered to be vital to our relationship with Elohim. The last six Commandments concern our relationship with others. This is why, when asked what the greatest commandment is, Yeshua is able to embody all ten in his short answer:

37 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

(Matthew 22:37–39)

[5th Commandment – Honor Your Father and Mother]

[6th Commandment – Do Not Murder]

[7th Commandment – No Adultery]

[8th Commandment – Do Not Steal]

[9th Commandment – Do Not Swear Falsely]

[10th Commandment – Do Not Covet]

Categories
Faith Torah

The Ten Commandments (they are not suggestions) – #9 (Do Not Swear Falsely)

This is an excerpt from my book, GRAFTED: Embracing Torah, which can be purchased on Amazon.

Enjoy!

The Ten Commandments (The Big Ones)

And God (Elohim) spake all these words, saying, (Exodus 20:1)

Exodus 19:25 states, “So Moses went down unto the people,
and spake unto them.” This is the third time Moses came down from
Mount Sinai (between Exodus 19:3 and Exodus 34:29, Moses goes
up to meet Elohim atop Mount Sinai and comes back down seven
times – not bad for an eighty-year-old guy).

The verse following Exodus 19:25 (Exodus 20:1) states, “God
spake all these words…” so it appears Elohim audibly spoke to all the Israelites.

This seems to be confirmed in verses 18–22:

18 And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. 19 And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die. 20 And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not. 21 And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was. 22 And the LORD said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.

The people in the valley were so shaken by the experience that
they did not want Elohim to speak to them again (I’m sure there was
a lot of reverb and pyrotechnics). The word Elohim is used because
His Message was for more than just the Israelites. This tells me that
what we refer to as the Ten Commandments are so important that
Elohim felt the need to personally tell them to His people. This is
why I wanted to start with them.

9. “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour” (Exodus 20:16).

Don’t lie about anyone – in or outside of an official proceeding (the Word does not specify a place where we should not lie). Don’t embellish the truth either. In a February 3, 1996 Esquire magazine interview, Bob Kerrey (Democratic senator from Nebraska) spoke admiringly of the president when he said, “Clinton’s an unusually good liar. Unusually good.” This is not a skill someone should put on their résumé, nor something one should admire in someone.

We all know people like this, but the size of the lie nor the quantity of the lies is the standard. Lying is not acceptable even if it is just a fib, a white lie, a tall tale, a fiction, an aspersion, or any other cute title given for falsehoods.

I love a good “yarn,” and as a soldier, I learned the fine art of telling a story. The stories generally began with “There I was . . . .” Soldiers generally sit around eating or cleaning their weapon while waiting for something to happen or someone higher up to make a decision. It is common to pass the time telling jokes or sharing stories – and they better be good, or else.

The interesting thing about soldier stories is that they get better every time they are told. I like to tell people that if I share my exploits in Desert Storm one more time, my actions will have become so impressive that I will have won the war all by myself! I got to where I would start telling people about my achievements in the Korean War (fought seven years before my birth), and in the middle of it, I would stop and exclaim, “Oh my god, I’m having someone else’s flashback!” This is embellishment for the sake of entertainment, not to speak falsely against another person.

Today, we would refer to “bearing false witness against your neighbor” as the crime of committing perjury. Black’s Law defines perjury as this:

The willful assertion as to a matter of fact, opinion, belief, or knowledge, made by a witness in a judicial proceeding as part of his evidence, either upon oath or in any form allowed by law to be substituted for an oath, whether such evidence is given in open court, or in an affidavit, or otherwise, such assertion being known to such witness to be false, and being intended by him to mislead the court, jury, or person holding the proceeding.

This is so serious it is included in the seven things God hates:

16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: 17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, 19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

(Proverbs 6:16–19)

Forms of lying are mentioned four times in the seven things (“lying tongue,” “wicked imaginations,” “false witness,” and “he that soweth discord”). Justice can never be achieved if witnesses in a matter are allowed to lie and no punishment is exacted for the falsehoods. We cannot live civilly among each other without justice.

The Word demands that we do unto false witnesses as they had intended to do against the innocent.


18 And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother; 19 Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you. (Deuteronomy 19:18–19)

[continue to the 10th Commandment – Do Not Covet]

[1st Commandment – No Other Gods]

[2d Commandment – No Graven Images]

[3d Commandment – Taking the Name of Yahweh in Vain]

[4th Commandment – Keep the Sabbath Holy]

The first four Commandments are considered to be vital to our relationship with Elohim. The last six Commandments concern our relationship with others. This is why, when asked what the greatest commandment is, Yeshua is able to embody all ten in his short answer:

37 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

(Matthew 22:37–39)

[5th Commandment – Honor Your Father and Mother]

[6th Commandment – Do Not Murder]

[7th Commandment – No Adultery]

[8th Commandment – Do Not Steal]

[9th Commandment – Do Not Swear Falsely]

[10th Commandment – Do Not Covet]

Categories
Faith Torah

The Ten Commandments (they are not suggestions) – #8 (Do Not Steal)

This is an excerpt from my book, GRAFTED: Embracing Torah, which can be purchased on Amazon.

Enjoy!

The Ten Commandments (The Big Ones)

And God (Elohim) spake all these words, saying, (Exodus 20:1)

Exodus 19:25 states, “So Moses went down unto the people,
and spake unto them.” This is the third time Moses came down from
Mount Sinai (between Exodus 19:3 and Exodus 34:29, Moses goes
up to meet Elohim atop Mount Sinai and comes back down seven
times – not bad for an eighty-year-old guy).

The verse following Exodus 19:25 (Exodus 20:1) states, “God
spake all these words…” so it appears Elohim audibly spoke to all the Israelites.

This seems to be confirmed in verses 18–22:

18 And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. 19 And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die. 20 And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not. 21 And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was. 22 And the LORD said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.

The people in the valley were so shaken by the experience that
they did not want Elohim to speak to them again (I’m sure there was
a lot of reverb and pyrotechnics). The word Elohim is used because
His Message was for more than just the Israelites. This tells me that
what we refer to as the Ten Commandments are so important that
Elohim felt the need to personally tell them to His people. This is
why I wanted to start with them.

8. “Thou shalt not steal” (Exodus 20:15).

Steal (Hebrew ganab. To take away by stealth or to deceive the heart or mind of any one). This is not just the physical taking of someone else’s property (surely, I do not have to explain why this is bad) but stealing also involves emotional and spiritual harm through deceit.

Have you ever known a person who was very innocent and trusting? If you act badly and the other person loses their innocence, it can be said that you stole their innocence. They will never be able to get it back.

2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,
5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. 6 But whoso shall offend [be a stumbling block / impede] one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

(Matthew 18:2, 5–6)

We can steal someone’s reputation (their good name) through libel, slander, gossip, or humiliation – it is a particularly destructive form of theft. Unlike money or property, once a person’s good name has been stolen, it can almost never be fully restored. [Dennis Prager]

     Raymond Donovan was Secretary of Labor in the administration of Ronald Reagan.  He (and other executives of Schiavone Construction) was accused of defrauding the NYC Transit Authority on work done on the NYC subway. Donovan resigned his cabinet position and faced criminal charges lasting over two years – he was not only found not guilty by a jury, but the jurors gave him a standing ovation at the trial.  Donovan famously remarked, “Which office do I go to get my reputation back?”

     Governmental corruption is legalized theft, but it is still theft. The obvious example involves officials taking bribes to pass favorable legislation or grant exclusive privileges, but less obvious theft undermines stability and trust. Officials awarding costly grants to entities that then reward the officials with kickbacks or gifts are stealing from taxpayers to enrich the officials and their friends. Spending more than is reasonably budgeted is theft through inflation – devaluing the currency steals purchasing power from the taxpayers who find that the higher, inflated prices mean their dollars do not buy as much as the previous year.

Since jails were not as plentiful as they are today, one convicted of theft often became an indentured servant (slave) of the victim until they paid off the debt (Exodus 22:3).  The victim (unlike today’s victims) was not required to suffer loss and to also pay for the room and board of the thief while they loitered in prison.

We can even steal from Yahweh:

“Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you”

(Deuteronomy 4:2)

The traditions of men steal from the integrity of the Word. Taking away (purposely ignoring) from Yahweh’s commandments is stealing the truth.

That is exactly what the devil tries to do to us: “The thief cometh
not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy” (John 10:10).

[continue to the 9th Commandment – Do Not Swear Falsely]

[1st Commandment – No Other Gods]

[2d Commandment – No Graven Images]

[3d Commandment – Taking the Name of Yahweh in Vain]

[4th Commandment – Keep the Sabbath Holy]

The first four Commandments are considered to be vital to our relationship with Elohim. The last six Commandments concern our relationship with others. This is why, when asked what the greatest commandment is, Yeshua is able to embody all ten in his short answer:

37 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

(Matthew 22:37–39)

[5th Commandment – Honor Your Father and Mother]

[6th Commandment – Do Not Murder]

[7th Commandment – No Adultery]

[8th Commandment – Do Not Steal]

[9th Commandment – Do Not Swear Falsely]

[10th Commandment – Do Not Covet]

Categories
Faith Torah

The Ten Commandments (they are not suggestions) – #7 (No Adultery)

This is an excerpt from my book, GRAFTED: Embracing Torah, which can be purchased on Amazon.

Enjoy!

The Ten Commandments (The Big Ones)

And God (Elohim) spake all these words, saying, (Exodus 20:1)

Exodus 19:25 states, “So Moses went down unto the people,
and spake unto them.” This is the third time Moses came down from
Mount Sinai (between Exodus 19:3 and Exodus 34:29, Moses goes
up to meet Elohim atop Mount Sinai and comes back down seven
times – not bad for an eighty-year-old guy).

The verse following Exodus 19:25 (Exodus 20:1) states, “God
spake all these words…” so it appears Elohim audibly spoke to all the Israelites.

This seems to be confirmed in verses 18–22:

18 And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. 19 And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die. 20 And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not. 21 And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was. 22 And the LORD said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.

The people in the valley were so shaken by the experience that
they did not want Elohim to speak to them again (I’m sure there was
a lot of reverb and pyrotechnics). The word Elohim is used because
His Message was for more than just the Israelites. This tells me that
what we refer to as the Ten Commandments are so important that
Elohim felt the need to personally tell them to His people. This is
why I wanted to start with them.

7. “Thou shalt not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14).

This one is especially hurtful to Yahweh, as well as to the cheaters and the cheaters’ spouses (and the children  . . . and the relatives of the couple . . . and the friends of the couple – are you picking up on the far-reaching destructive nature of this sin?). This breaking of a solemn commitment is not necessarily sexual, though that is normally the manifestation of it and the easiest way for Satan to tempt people into ignoring an oath. Worship of Ba’al often included sex acts and temple prostitutes, so their services were much more “hip” than the rabbi reading from the Torah down at the local synagogue. Forgiveness of a genuinely contrite sinner is available, but it is not an easy thing and generally takes much time.

6 The LORD said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon
every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot. 7 And I said after she had done all these things, Turn thou
unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it. 8 And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also. 9 And it came to pass through the lightness of her
whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.

(Jeremiah 3:6–9; emphasis added)

Yahweh equates adultery with idolatry (Commandment number 1), and the Israelites generally suffered catastrophic results by condoning adultery. King David was a “man after God’s own Heart,” yet he committed adultery with Bathsheba, and then he had her husband (Uriah) murdered to hide the adultery. The result was the death of their first child (the result of the adultery) and the prophecy that “the sword shall never depart from thine house” (2 Samuel 11–12). Violence was rampant among David’s children, even to the point where his son Absalom attempted to overthrow David’s kingdom – and he nearly succeeded.

The houses of Israel and of Judah were repeatedly warned of the consequences of idolatry and adultery, yet they continued to defy Yahweh. Even after the house of Israel was conquered and carried away into Assyria (which was prophesied), the house of Judah continued whoring after Ba’al until the Babylonians later conquered them and carried them away from the land and made them slaves for 70 years.

This is a bad one.

Yeshua confirmed that this sin is not just committed by a physical act:

“27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart”

(Matthew 5:27–28).

Men are much more passionate than women and much more willing to act on that passion, but when they fail to observe restraint in inappropriate situations, it can be troublesome for their relationship with a wife and with the Father.  

Proper sex evokes intimacy, not power or lewdness.  Intimacy is what Yahweh desires to have with us and what we should strive to have with Him.  Satan tries to corrupt men by making sex nothing more important than an urge that needs to be gratified or a tool to subordinate others.

The sex act should be an intimate display of the love the couple have for each other that has no equal among the couple’s many other relationships.  Denigration of the act (e.g., adultery, incest, pedophilia) is not loving – it is not a legitimate display of our physical and emotional love that is to be reserved for only the one we have committed ourselves to.

     Intimacy with Yahweh also demands that we do not degrade ourselves by giving ourselves to Him and to embracing other gods, doctrines, and/or rituals (see Chapter 7 of GRAFTED: Embracing Torah for more detail on adultery and idolatry). Because my revisions have not been completed by the publisher, I provide much of this information at my website in a blog entitled “Why Sex?“

In the new Covenant, the Law will be written in our hearts. It appears wickedness tries to take up residence there also. Avoid this one at all costs.

[continue to the 8th Commandment – Do Not Steal]

[1st Commandment – No Other Gods]

[2d Commandment – No Graven Images]

[3d Commandment – Taking the Name of Yahweh in Vain]

[4th Commandment – Keep the Sabbath Holy]

The first four Commandments are considered to be vital to our relationship with Elohim. The last six Commandments concern our relationship with others. This is why, when asked what the greatest commandment is, Yeshua is able to embody all ten in his short answer:

37 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

(Matthew 22:37–39)

[5th Commandment – Honor Your Father and Mother]

[6th Commandment – Do Not Murder]

[7th Commandment – No Adultery]

[8th Commandment – Do Not Steal]

[9th Commandment – Do Not Swear Falsely]

[10th Commandment – Do Not Covet]

Categories
Faith Torah

The Ten Commandments (they are not suggestions) – #6 (Do Not Murder)

This is an excerpt from my book, GRAFTED: Embracing Torah, which can be purchased on Amazon.

Enjoy!

The Ten Commandments (The Big Ones)

And God (Elohim) spake all these words, saying, (Exodus 20:1)

Exodus 19:25 states, “So Moses went down unto the people,
and spake unto them.” This is the third time Moses came down from
Mount Sinai (between Exodus 19:3 and Exodus 34:29, Moses goes
up to meet Elohim atop Mount Sinai and comes back down seven
times – not bad for an eighty-year-old guy).

The verse following Exodus 19:25 (Exodus 20:1) states, “God
spake all these words…” so it appears Elohim audibly spoke to all the Israelites.

This seems to be confirmed in verses 18–22:

18 And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. 19 And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die. 20 And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not. 21 And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was. 22 And the LORD said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.

The people in the valley were so shaken by the experience that
they did not want Elohim to speak to them again (I’m sure there was
a lot of reverb and pyrotechnics). The word Elohim is used because
His Message was for more than just the Israelites. This tells me that
what we refer to as the Ten Commandments are so important that
Elohim felt the need to personally tell them to His people. This is
why I wanted to start with them.

6. “Thou shalt not kill [murder]” (Exodus 20:12).

My soldiers asked me about this before we deployed to Desert Storm because it appears to be rather cut and dry and they were being ordered to violate it. It also appears to be a huge contradiction because the Israelites were being told to “not kill”, but later, Yahweh orders them to “utterly destroy” everyone in the land they are possessing, including the cattle and burning all the spoils (Deuteronomy 13:15).

The easy answer is that the word kill is mistranslated from the Hebrew. It is the Hebrew word ratsach that is defined as “murder.” All murder is killing, but not all killing is murder.

Black’s Law Dictionary defines murder as:

The crime committed where a person of sound mind and discretion (that is, of sufficient age to form and execute a criminal design and not legally “insane”) kills any human creature in being (excluding quick but unborn children) and in the peace of the state or nation (including all persons except the military forces of the public enemy in time of war or battle) without any warrant, justification, or excuse in law with malice aforethought, express or implied, that is, with a deliberate purpose or a design or determination distinctly formed in the mind before the commission of the act, provided that death results from the injury Inflicted within one year and a day after its infliction.

Murder requires motive and planning. It entails a cold-blooded determination to end a life and a methodical plan to achieve that end. Manslaughter is not murder because the requisite motive is not present; there was no plan to kill someone even if there was a plan to commit a crime.

Crimes of passion or negligence are normally considered manslaughter, and Yahweh provides for these by establishing “cities of refuge” (Numbers 35), where people could go to escape the revenge of the victim’s family and/or friends while they waited on the judicial system to assess the facts and render judgment.

Fighting in combat in defense of your nation is not murder (it may be expedient to take the battle to the enemy rather than wait for them to attack you on your land), unless you are doing it wrong. Oftentimes, the wrong people may get killed as part of the collateral damage of waging war. This is going to happen when people are in or near a battlefield. If someone surrenders, then they are no longer a hostile and deserve protection if it can be provided. If you target people who have surrendered, then that would be murder.

Civilians are considered combatants in most cases because they support the military of their nation. Their taxes, food, and moral support make them an active participant, and if it becomes necessary to bomb civilian areas to keep them from supporting the enemy armed forces, then this is not murder.

Yahweh destroyed the entire earth because His creation had become so irreparably corrupted. “Sons of God” (angels or devils) cohabitated with human women and created the mighty men (giants – Nephilim) of Genesis 6.

And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually”

(Genesis 6:5).

There was no way to redeem this corruption, which would have ultimately destroyed the entire creation, so Yahweh decided to start over with the sole man who was “just and perfect and walked with God” (Genesis 6:9) – Noah. The Flood was necessary to save mankind and what was left of His Creation.

This corruption made it onto the Ark in the DNA of many of the survivors. It appears that the effects manifested themselves almost immediately in the offspring of Noah’s son Ham (see the notes at Genesis 9:25-26 in my commentary on Genesis, In the Beginning).

The “Noahide Laws” address the taking of life, also (Genesis 9:6).

The Nephilim (malevolent giants) and their legacy is a fascinating study, and there are many good videos about it on YouTube. Doug Hamp has written a book entitled Corrupting the Image that goes into great detail of how the Nephilim corruption could have passed into the general population after the Flood, even though all the original Nephilim died before the Flood.

Self-defense is not murder, which is why Yahweh commands His people to “utterly destroy” the people in Canaan. The Word tells us that giants inhabited the land (Numbers 13:33), meaning that the descendants of the Nephilim were still present. Eight of the ten spies (the eight fearful ones) who went into Canaan reported this:

31We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. 32 And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. 33 And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

(Numbers 13:31–33)

Joshua and Caleb did not dispute the size of the giants (estimated at thirty-six feet!). They believed they could defeat these brutes (Goliath was one, and he was only nine feet tall) with the assistance of Yahweh.

The punishment for murder is death (Exodus 21:12-15 and Numbers 35:16–19) which is to be administered by man, so Elohim could not have meant generalized killing in this verse. States that have abolished the death penalty are heaping an unfair burden on the families of the victims. Not only have they been unfairly deprived of a loved one, but they also must sacrifice their tax dollars to keep the murderer alive. It is difficult to get a state government to change their minds on the death penalty but not impossible. There are many victims’ rights groups and other organizations that you can join to effect change to a biblical standard.

[continue to the 7th Commandment – No Adultery]

[1st Commandment – No Other Gods]

[2d Commandment – No Graven Images]

[3d Commandment – Taking the Name of Yahweh in Vain]

[4th Commandment – Keep the Sabbath Holy]

The first four Commandments are considered to be vital to our relationship with Elohim. The last six Commandments concern our relationship with others. This is why, when asked what the greatest commandment is, Yeshua is able to embody all ten in his short answer:

37 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

(Matthew 22:37–39)

[5th Commandment – Honor Your Father and Mother]

[6th Commandment – Do Not Murder]

[7th Commandment – No Adultery]

[8th Commandment – Do Not Steal]

[9th Commandment – Do Not Swear Falsely]

[10th Commandment – Do Not Covet]

Categories
Faith Torah Works

Come as You Are?

Christian churches [501(c)(3)s] are trying to outdo each other to prove they are ‘more inclusive’ – it is like a competition.  The larger the church, the more successful they are thought to be.

“Jesus loves you just the way you are” is one of their slogans.  They must be speaking of Jesús Aguilar (he likes having all kinds of fans), because the Jesus I know reached out to everyone, but is very discriminating as to who he accepts.

1 And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, 2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, 3 And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. 4 Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. 5 But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: 6 And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.

Matthew 22:1-6

Yeshua generally spoke in parables because the message he brought was too complex for the average listener to understand.  This parable, however, starts with what appears to be a rather undisguised, abridged description of the Hebrews’ history of profaning Yahweh’s Covenant and abusing (or even killing) His prophets.

7 But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 8 Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. 9 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. 10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.

Matthew 22:7-10

Now the parable become more obscure to the normal listener at that time.  Of course, we have the advantage of thousand’s of years of commentary concerning Yeshua’s words and the letters of Paul, so we understand the servants are those that went forth to ‘teach all nations . . . to observe all things whatsoever Yeshua commanded them.’ (Matthew 28:19-20; see also Mark 16:15-16; Acts 1:8)

Remember, salvation was never exclusive for the Hebrew nations.  Yahweh repeatedly stated His Law and its blessings were for the native born Israeli and the fellow traveler, as well (Exodus 12:49; Leviticus 19:34; 24:22; Numbers 9:14; 15:14-15; 15:29; Deuteronomy 1:16; and more).

11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: 12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. 13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Matthew 22:11-13

41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Matthew 13:41-42

Cast out the guest because he was wearing the wrong clothes?  Sounds kind of elitist – definitely sounds like the king is discriminating . . . even to the people he invited to the feast.

We are to be clothed (enduo / en-doo’-o [G1746]) with the holy spirit:

“let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on [enduo] the armour of light . . . But put ye on [enduo] the Lord Jesus Christ”

Romans 13:12-14

For this corruptible must put on [enduo] incorruption, and this mortal must put on [enduo] immortality.

1Corinthians 15:53

For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on [enduo] Christ.

Galatians 3:26-27

22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye on [enduo] the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Galatians 4:22-24

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on [enduo] the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Galatians 6:10-11

Can someone call upon the Lord and not put on [enduo] the holy spirit?  Yeshua tells us many who are perceived as Christians have not clothed themselves in preparation of the wedding feast.

21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Matthew 7:21-23

This includes Christian ‘leaders’ (Matthew 7:15-19)

Enduo requires voluntary action on the part of the person wanting to be clothed.  Believing is not enough – proper action is required.

19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

James 2:19-20

What actions?

1) Repent? 

1 There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? 3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

Luke 13:1-5

The Word, nor historians, tell us what the Galilaeans did to incur the wrath of Pilate, but it was supposed that they must have been especially wicked to have been slaughtered by the Romans in the midst of doing sacrifices.  It appears those telling Yeshua of the event wanted his reaction to the news – this may have been a trap by the Jewish leaders to ensnare Yeshua in his words. 

He does not express an opinion about the event, but he does turn the story around to speak to the importance of repentance.  He includes the events around the collapse of the Siloam tower to reenforce the need for repentance.

If Yeshua loves us as we are, why do we need to repent?  “From that time [after his 40 day fast following his baptism] Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17).

2)  Renew Our Minds?

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Romans 12:1-2

Put on [enduo] the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him . . . Put on [enduo] therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved . . . .”

Colossians 3:10-12

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Psalm 51:10
Bob the Priest

Renew our minds to what?  To the latest trendy preacher? To the latest, popular, self-help book with ‘Christian’ themes?  How can we know what is “right”?

7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. 8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.

Psalm 19:7-8

If Yeshua loves us as we are, why do we need to renew our minds? 

3)  Emulating the man that we profess is our Lord?

3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

1John 2:3-6

If Yeshua loves us as we are, why is he asking us to be like him? 

Yes, come as you are . . . but don’t stay as you are.  It is impossible to change a lifetime of bad habits and bad decisions overnight, but you have to make the decision that you want to change. 

When the Apostles were trying to figure out how to incorporate pagans into the faith, they understood this problem.  The leadership determined that the pagans must initially agree to stop committing four especially nasty sins and that they would learn the rest of the Law, over time, by attending synagogue each Sabbath. (Acts 15)

Believing you can confess Yeshua as Lord and continue your life the same as you always had belies your claim that he is your Lord.  You cannot enter a marriage relationship and continue to act as if you are single.  Learning to do right in a marriage takes time, but it will never happen if you believe anything is okay in a marriage.

Yahweh and Yeshua want all men to be saved and have a seat at the wedding feast – few want to do what is required to have a seat at the table.

14 For many are called, but few are chosen.

Matthew 22:14

I’ve not plugged my book in a while.

If you want to walk as Christ walked . . . if you want a starter guide on what the Law demands of us . . . if you don’t want to wait a lifetime of synagogue services to jump-start the renewing of your mind to the Word, GRAFTED: Embracing Torah is a good vehicle, but it does not replace you as the driver.

It lays out the essentials for today’s believers and then you can test it and make it your own (it has a chapter on how to make the Word your own)

Categories
Faith History

The ‘Idea’ of God

Many believe and teach that the Bible is a collection of made-up stories (“many” include Christian leaders who do not believe in the divine authorship of the Word).  Believing that the Word is a man-made construct ignores the many proofs the Torah contains that argue for its authenticity (The Bible: You Can Believe It! – John Schoenheit). Click on the link to read it online or on the book to purchase it at Amazon.

The God of the Bible is so revolutionary when compared to the gods of the pagans (and even the gods worshiped today – e.g., Allah is a contradiction of the God of the Torah, not another name for Him), that human progress could not have happened without His identification and adherence to the Word He gave to His people.

Here are over a dozen reasons why the God of the Torah is the most important “idea” in the history of the world:

1. The God introduced by the Torah is the first god in history to have been entirely above and beyond nature. One of the first things God tells humans is to exercise dominion over nature.

26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Genesis 1:26-28

This liberated humanity from believing it was controlled by nature, a revolution that made moral and scientific progress possible.  Man was able to understand that he could study and ‘control’ nature, not worship and be vulnerable to its extremes.

A second consequence of God being above nature is humans are not part of nature – meaning that just as we are to control the natural world outside us, we are to control our own human nature within us as well. We are to govern our lives by moral law, not by human nature.  Animals and nature have no concept of morality, only of existence.  We are to do more than just exist.

2. The God of the Bible is not identified as a sexual being.  Though identified as, “He”, this is a neutral term in the same way that “man” or “mankind” may refer to men and women.  Neither sex is more closely identified as “Godlike” as it is in pagan religions.

If God were referred to as “she”, this would instantly assign God a gender, where the term, “He”, does not.  Pagans regularly assign their gods a gender and also introduce a whole bevvy of sexual entanglements and intrigues between gods and goddesses, and even between gods and humans.

Genesis 6 introduces the narrative of renegade angels cohabitating with human woman, but God puts a stop to it, destroys the off-spring (the Flood), and severely punishes the angels responsible.

3. The God introduced by the Torah brought universal morality into the world. Pagan religions depict gods that are restricted to a people (tribe) or to a territory.

Only if a moral God is universal (encompassing all of humanity and the entire world), is morality universal. Morality was no longer local or individual. Cultures do not need to be universal.  The world can be enriched by multiple cultures, but morality must be universal.  Morality that is not universal is a local custom.

4. The moral God introduced by the Torah means morality is real.  “Good” and “evil” are not merely individual or societal opinions, but objectively real.

5. The God introduced by the Torah morally judges every human being.  There had never been a concept like this. And it became a major reason for Jew-hatred.  People do not like to be judged, and the people who introduced the idea of a God who morally judges people have paid a terrible price for bringing the idea into the world. The social psychologist Ernest van den Haag wrote:

Fundamental to [anti-Semitism] though seldom explicit and conscious is hostility to the Jewish belief in one God. . . . [The Jews’] invisible God not only insisted on being the one and only and allpowerful God-Creator and Lord of everything, and the only rightful claimant to worship – He also developed into a moral God. . . . No wonder [the Jews] are the target of all those who resent His domination.

The Jewish Mystique, 1977

No doubt, some of the current aggressive atheism is due to an animosity toward the idea there is a God Who will judge all of us by a code they find too restrictive.  The Satanic church advocates “Do what thou wilst.”  It is a better fit for those who abhor moral conduct . . . and consequently seek destruction.

6. The just and good God introduced by the Torah gives humanity hope.  One of those hopes is there is ultimate justice.  We witness scores of instances of injustice on a daily basis (especially if you watch the news) and few ever face just consequences for their immoral behavior.

The belief that God judges humans means both the good and the evil will get what they ultimately deserve is the basis for belief in life after death.  Even though justice is rarely served in this world, there is a good God who will ultimately set things right, though maybe not in our lifetime.

7. The God introduced by the Torah introduced holiness – the elevation of human beings from animals to creatures created in the divine image.

1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy.

Leviticus 19:1-2

See my blog, Ye Shall be Holy.

8. The God introduced by the Torah gives every individual unprecedented self-worth. Since all humans are created in God’s image and the Earth was created for man, each of us is infinitely valuable. Every person has the right to say, “For my sake was the world created.”

Remind yourself of this when you are feeling despair.  There is some special mission and task only you can accomplish.

9. The God introduced by the Torah is necessary for human brotherhood. Since we all have the same Father, we are all brothers and sisters. As the Prophet Malachi asked:

Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?

Malachi 2:10

10. The God introduced by the Torah began the long journey to belief in human equality – solely as a result of the Torah statement that each of us is created in God’s image.  The thinking that some humans are inferior to others is what makes slavery possible.

Slavery was abolished on a wide scale first in the Western world by Christians who were rooted in the Torah and the rest of the Bible and who specifically cited the Torah doctrine that all humans are created in God’s image.

11. The God introduced by the Torah is incorporeal (no body; not physical). This opened the human mind to abstract thought by enabling humans to think in terms of a reality beyond that which is accessible to our senses.

It also negates the image at the beginning of this blog – God as depicted on the Sistine Chapel by Michaelangelo.

12. The God introduced by the Torah teaches us the physical is not the only reality. Consequently, there can be non-physical realities such as a soul, an afterlife, and morality.

13. The God introduced by the Torah means there is ultimate meaning to existence and to each of our lives. Without this Creator, existence is random and purposeless.

People making up meanings for their lives can be a good thing (at least, when that meaning is moral).  Many things – evil ideologies are the most obvious example – that give people meaning are not moral.  Still, these made-up meanings are nothing more than artificial constructs if they are not tied to a universal morality (like the one of the God of the Torah).

An atheist professor once summarized the work of another atheist philosopher:

Ultimately, our lives are meaningless. Evolution is blind and serves no intrinsic purpose; in a cosmic sense, we each live for an insignificant amount of time. . . .

[David] Benatar, a professor of philosophy at the University of Cape Town, argues that humans can enjoy “terrestrial” [earthly] meanings – nurturing children, fighting for the rights of refugees, composing a symphony or making a delicious breakfast, for example. . . . Nevertheless, we are each but a “blip in cosmic time and space.” Mr. Benatar insists that most of us are terminally anxious about this lack of cosmic meaning. . . .

I [Joanna Bourke] did a very unscientific poll of my friends. None of them believe that there is some wider purpose to human existence.

Joanna Bourke, “Staring at the Void: Joanna Bourke reviews The Human Predicament by David Benatar, Oxford 2017,” Wall Street Journal, August 30, 2017

sad.

14. The God introduced by the Torah gives human beings free will. If we are only material beings (like the dust of which we are composed), everything we do is determined by our genes and by our environment. Only if we have a non-material soul can we rise above our genes and our environment and act autonomously.

The secular denial of anything beyond the physical deprives human beings of free will. That is why Clarence Darrow, one of the most famous criminal defense lawyers in American history (as well as America’s most famous religious skeptic), opposed all punishment of criminals:

All people are products of two things, and two things only – their heredity and environment. And they act in exact accord with the heredity which they took from all the past and for which they are in no wise responsible, and the environment.

Clarence Darrow, “Remarks from a Debate on Capital Punishment with Judge Alfred J. Talley,” New York City October 27, 1924

The just and good God introduced by the Torah gave humanity hope that we are not subjects, locked in a chaste system, and that there is ultimate justice.

15. The God introduced by the Torah teaches might is not right. It is God Who determines what is right, not displays of strength and force.

“Survival of the Fittest” has been the unofficial motto of every tyrannical regime.  Since they wield great might, they have the ‘right’ to rule in any way that they see fit.  Your survival is of little consequence to them, but it is to the God of the Torah.

16. Finally, the God introduced by the Torah made human moral progress possible. Indeed, the Torah invented human moral progress.

In the words of New York University historian Henry Bamford Parkes,

Judaism [starting with the Torah] repudiated the cyclic view of history held by all other ancient peoples and affirmed that it was a meaningful process leading to the gradual regeneration of humanity. This was the origin of the Western belief in progress . . . .

Henry Bamford Parkes, The Divine Order: Western Culture in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance (New York: Knopf, 1969

What was “the cyclic view of history” referred to by Professor Parkes? In ancient civilizations, life was a cycle, meaning nothing changed from generation to generation. Every generation essentially repeated what came before it. There was therefore no such thing as moral progress – indeed, the word “progress” would have been meaningless. Then came the Torah and its God and life was no longer to be a cycle, but a line – a line moving forward toward a moral goal.

Man’s attempts to create a system of moral laws, with the Torah as their basis (like the early American legal system), to rule himself rather than the whims of monarchs or dictators more closely resembles the moral progress envisioned by Yahweh in the book of Judges.

Man’s recognition of, and identification with, the God of the Torah is the most essential idea in World history and especially in our lives today.  As the world continues to plunge headlong into tyranny and hedonism, we must personally know and embrace the God of creation (the God of the Torah) and His son.

Ignoring His identity has dreadful consequences today, and in the world to come.

NOTE:  I borrowed heavily from Dennis Prager’s Rational Bible: Exodus and added my own analysis. Click the link to read online or the book to purchase from the Prager Store.

Categories
Faith History

Morality versus Reason

The world today is much different than the one that existed when I was young.  The changes in culture and morality continue at an ever-increasing rate.

Morality is defined as:

  •   conformity to the rules of right conduct; moral or virtuous conduct.
  •   moral quality or character.
  •   a doctrine or system of morals.

Synonyms for morality include:

decencygodlinessrightness
integritygoodnessstandards
justicehonoruprightness
principleidealsethicalness
virtueincorruptibility 

Reason is defined as

  •   the mental powers concerned with forming conclusions, judgments, or inferences: Effective leadership requires a person of reason.
  •   sound judgment; good sense.
  •   normal or sound powers of mind; sanity.

Synonyms for reason include:

logicwisdomsense
reasoningintellectsoundness
brainsjudgmentsanity
comprehensionmentalityunderstanding
discernmentrationality 

One would think the two would have more in common, but they do not.  Morality is concerned with goodness and an established code.  Reason is focused on the ability of the person and the person’s capacity to improve (or not) using logic.

For thousands of years, life changed very little for the vast majority of people.  They worked, paid taxes, raised families, went to church, and seldom interacted with anyone outside their community.  They may have lived under a king or other such autocrat, but most lived under the radar of the rulers because of the limitations of their ability to control everything within the kingdom.

The invention of the printing press gave greater opportunity for people to share ideas over larger areas and assisted in bringing groups together to discuss “new” and important ideas.  The Church had sought to limit education and the expression of ideas to maintain their power.

Intellectuals began to rebel against the abuses, the immorality, and the control of monocratic rule and it subsidiary, the Catholic Church.  The “Age of Enlightenment” of the 18th century was characterized by a shift away from traditional religious forms of authority and a move towards science and rational thought.

The first complete break with the underlying authority of the church came with the French Revolution (1792-1799).  Reason replaced tradition.  Where the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution have a very clear foundation in the Word of God, The French and their “Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen” is based on their interpretation of how reasonable men should live.

The problem with the French Declaration was that it attempted to establish broad rights, but it hedged on those ‘bedrock’ rights with loopholes like “general will” (which can change at any time); “public order” (e.g., opinions are protected, unless they trouble the public opinion); and “public necessity”.

The morality of the Ten Commandments and the Torah were replaced by the beliefs of ‘reasonable people’ that changed when newer, reasonable-er people replaced the previous reasonable people. 

People of faith (especially priests and nuns) were forced to renounce their belief of a righteous God or they were tortured and murdered; The State created an idol that they called the “goddess of reason”; even the cathedral of Notre Dame was stripped of all vestiges of Christ and renamed the “Temple of Reason”.

Moral people are generally thought to be “good” people (not necessarily better people), because they believe in a code that is bigger than themselves, but who decides which code to use?

Most people will agree that society is better when we don’t murder each other (though some may differ in their opinion), steal from each other (though this is easily rationalized), lie to each other (imagine a world without the news media and politicians), or lie with each others’ spouses.  Where can we find such a code, especially since man minus a code is especially depraved.

Man never becomes much better when he writes his own code. 

In the 1800s, the theory of Evolution was embraced by the intellectual class because it offered them freedom from the ‘restrictive’ Commandments that required them to confess that there is one who is above and greater than themselves.  The Commandments dealing with human interaction were okay, but, like Costco, you cannot separate a jumbo pack – if the package has ten items, you buy all ten or none.

Nature became morality – nature cannot be moral but it is abundantly honest.  “Survival of the fittest” became the new code based on Darwin’s analogy to the selective breeding of livestock and pigeons.  The idea of breeding the farmer’s best animals with equally good stock (and not with unhealthy animals) was not a new idea in the area of agriculture, but the intellectuals now sought to improve man by selective breeding, giving birth to the Eugenics movement.  It was the reasonable solution to the limitations of nature.

Royalty had always selectively bred with other royalty, but now the idea was to eliminate inferior classes of people through sterilization and propagate an ever evolving, ever improving race of people.

In America, “Orientals, Jews and Colored People” were referred to as “weeds” by Margaret Sanger and the Eugenics movement. They sought to eliminate the scourge through a program entitled, “Planned Parenthood”.  Even today, three-quarters of their abortion clinics are adjacent to minority neighborhoods.

Hitler and the Nazis admired the work of the eugenicists and used science and technology to aid in the rapid elimination of non-Aryans.  The Nuremberg Codes eventually led to the slaughter of millions of undesirables because advancing the Aryan race became moral, based on the reasoned, proclamations of the German intellectual class (at least the ones that were not driven into exile or silenced by fear of the ‘consensus’).

The weak had to be obliterated to prevent them from corrupting the fittest.

Evolution did not cause Nazism, but Nazism could not have existed without it.

The Soviet Union (Russia) was also making great strides at eliminating its undesirables.  Communism had ushered in an intellectual ruling class that eliminated religion and its moral codes.  Survival of the fittest became an all-consuming government program, because the new leaders did not only seek to eliminate peasant threats to their power, but also threats from ambition (real and perceived) within their own ranks.

If one survived within this system, the one was, by definition, fit – until someone was able to eliminate you to achieve your level of power or to protect themselves from your level of perceived ambition.  Intellectuals, the ones who made this system possible, are not generally known to be particularly blood-thirsty, so they were among the first victims.

Stalin made himself perfectly suited to rise to the top of this slaughterhouse and he nightly signed off on huge lists of people to be imprisoned and/or killed.  The fact that they could not stop him meant that they were not the fittest and therefore needed to be eliminated.

The communist slogan of “From each according to their ability, to each according to their need”, became the rallying cry for every revolution that sought to impose their reasoned ideology.  Pol Pot in Cambodia, Fidel Castro in Cuba, Hugo Chavez in Venezula, Kim Il-sung in North Korea, Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua, and the big Kahuna, Mao in China, instituted murderous regimes that took from those with ability because of the governments’ great need.

In the 20th Century, over 100 million were put to death by bullet or starvation by the fittest within their own societies.

Evolution did not cause Communism, but Communism could not have existed without it.

The Bible and its moral code had to be eradicated.  Not just because of the rampant murder that results for implementing a Socialist or Communist regime, but also because of that pesky tenth Commandment.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.

Exodus 20:17

The following is reprinted from my book, GRAFTED: Embracing Torah concerning the tenth Commandment:

Socialism is the ideology of envy. “Don’t think it’s fair that others have more than you?” Your leaders will take what the rich have (this class of people will eventually include the not-so-rich, the “doing okay,” and finally the “barely scraping by” as the leaders drain more and more wealth from its citizens) and give it to others (the “poor”).

Socialism breaks down the entrepreneurial spirit because no one will want to work harder for more because it will be taken away. In the end, people stop working because they know that someone else’s labor will provide for them. At this point, people must be forced to work, and those who cannot produce must be eradicated because they are a drain on society (the Nazis referred to them as “useless eaters”).

This is why socialism always fails, and the results are devastatingly deadly. Everyone becomes equally miserable, except for the leaders who impose socialism but exempt themselves from its deprivations.  The only way to maintain the system is through force and murder.

Dennis Prager writes:

Because the Ten Commandments are given by God, they are absolute [moral].  People can and should argue about how to apply any of these commandments in any given situation [reason] – such as what constitutes . . . disrespect for a parent, or when taking a human life is to be defined as murder. But because they are decrees from God, only those types of debates make sense, not debates about whether they are binding.

The Ten Commandments therefore stand in direct opposition to all relativistic approaches to morality—the notion that each individual or society determines what is right or wrong. The Ten Commandments are not relative.

Objective Morality without reason is oppressive, especially self-oppressive.

Reason without morality is no standard at all.  It is based on the whims of the reasoning person in charge.

Both are necessary for a functioning society.  Morally, murder is wrong, but what constitutes murder?  A rational, reasoning society needs to define homicide, suicide, manslaughter, etc, but first, the moral code would need to establish that murder was wrong.

Belief in God is not a requirement to be a moral (good) person – many atheists are moral. Belief in God is no guarantee that a person is moral – many believers are not. Good people cannot make a good society without the moral code of a good and moral God.

It comes down to faith in a moral and good God.  The founding fathers of America had faith in a good and moral God and it is reflected in their correspondences and in our founding documents.

The French revolutionists did not share this faith and it was reflected in massive, state-sanctioned, shedding of blood (they referred to one stage of the revolution as the “Reign of Terror”).

Marx, Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Kim, Castro and EVERY socialist dictator denied the existence of God and His moral precepts.  Every one of their ‘socialist paradises’ has degenerated into enslaved societies where poverty and murder are the rule . . . every one.

Faith is not hard.  You believe that God created the world (and therefore has the authority to make rules for the life He created) or you believe that everything in the universe created itself and whatever is expedient for you is the law because you only live a short time and then you are gone.

When you look at the design of life, DNA, and the laws of science, it appears easier to believe (have faith in) that there is a Designer rather a random, unguided creation.

To continue in atheism, I would need to believe that nothing produces everything, non-life produces life, randomness produces fine-tuning, chaos produces information, unconsciousness produces consciousness, and non-reason produces reason. I simply didn’t have that much faith.

Lee Strobel

Would it not be strange if a universe without purpose accidentally created humans who are so obsessed with purpose?

Sir John Templeton

Believe in God, or don’t (I prefer you did as it has ever-lasting consequences), but if you want to live in a rational, prosperous, and good society, adopt the moral code of the God of the Bible and rationally apply it in all things.

Much more on the moral code of the Father of creation can be found in my book, GRAFTED: Embracing Torah.

Categories
Faith Politics

None Dare Call it Evil – First Amendment (Freedom of Religion)

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Religion, Freedom of the Press, and the right to peaceable assemble – it is a busy Amendment.

America is known for its First Amendment freedoms.  Many believe that most democracies have equivalent rights, but America is the only country that guaranteed these freedoms in its Constitution (at least it did).

America was first populated with fortune-seekers and those that wished to escape religious tyranny. When the British government began to regulate (without representation in the government) the freedoms the settlers had secured for themselves, the colonists began to rebel.

While the Founders sequestered themselves away to draft the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, the pulpit is where those ideas were shared with the country. 

Christianity was the dominant religion and was a strong influence on the founders and the documents they draft, but they, unlike most every nation, refused to establish a state religion.  Individual states could (and some did), but they refrained from state-sponsored persecution of other faiths.  Persecution existed (e.g., the Klan targeted Blacks and Catholics), but it was not officially endorsed and died out over time as most prejudices do.

Churches provided the first schools in America; the first hospitals; and were the mainstays of most charities.  They filled the gaps left by a minimalist government.

Faith was the cornerstone of our judicial system and the moral code of the Bible was the basis for our laws.  When moving to a new area, one need not worry about the laws of the land. “Do not kill [murder]”, “Do not steal”, “do not lie”, would generally still be the basis of the law in the new area.

Interpretation of religion was a problem because it was used to justify some rather wicked stuff (by today’s standards), but the faith of the Bible eventually brought about movements that would end these evils (e.g., abolition of slavery, women’s suffrage, civil rights).

Christianity has an objective moral code that is in direct conflict with today’s moral relativism, which attempts to justify any behavior that contradicts God’s Law.  The church was initially used to push for social change and the liberalization of the culture, but when progressives pushed their agenda too far, a backlash began.  This is why the Christian church is under attack in the Western world today.

Want to kill babies so you can have unprotected sex with someone you don’t want to have children with?  Forget the sixth commandment and the multitude of state laws based on this moral premise.  Claim that it is a women’s health issue (approximately half the aborted children are female so not all women appear to have protected health issues) and that one life is not as important as another. This type of rationalization is how Communists got gulags, Nazis got concentration camps, and Americans got internment camps and reservations – but none dare call this evil.

It is not enough that progressives want to kill children, they want you to pay for it in America and around the world with the tax dollars they extort from you annually.  Condemn the unnecessary (abortion can be necessary to save the life of the mother) slaughter of millions of children every year and you can be ostracized and cancelled.  Churches can have their tax exemption revoked.

Of course, if you attend a church that is making politically-based decisions on whether they will have to pay taxes then you are probably not attending a faith-based church.

Want to have prohibited sex with children, relatives, animals and others listed in the Torah, claim that religion is an outdated construct and that “love” takes on many different forms.  Then proceed to hate those that stand on an objective moral standard (don’t argue that Christians do not follow their own code.  We know we can’t and don’t, that is why we embrace a savior other than ourselves or the government) and sue the denier and destroy their lives for not embracing your contrived standard.

Christians don’t brag about what goes on in their bedrooms, but progressives want Christians to applaud and energetically accept any hedonistic designs they decree to be appropriate.  They teach preschoolers and other preteens that any type of sex is acceptable (oh for the day when talking about sex with minors was a criminal act) and encourage them through repetition and imagery to ignore the moral guidelines of their parents – but none dare call this evil.

Want to riot and loot?  Forget the eighth commandment.  Today you have a right to destroy and take from those who have more than you if you can claim you are a “protected” victim (not all victims are protected – only those that embrace progressivism) – but none dare call this evil.

Don’t want to debate ideas that contradict your own?  Don’t even want to hear that there are ideas that differ from your own (“safe spaces” on campuses insulate students from ideas they don’t like – something that in no way resembles real life)?  Ignore the ninth Commandment and broadcast that someone you disagree with a racist (watch the Larry Elder movie, Uncle Tom, to see how conservative blacks are even called “white supremacists”), a homophobe (not embracing the LGBT agenda, based on biblical principles, is not the same as being afraid of LGBT folks), a nazi (dumbing down education is needed to have someone believe the party of ‘limited-govt’ is the same as a totalitarian regime – while the Democrats, who insist that government should run every aspect of your life is not the same as an authoritative regime), and/or an anti-semite (CNN called Ben Shapiro, an observant Jew, an anti-semite) and deny them the opportunity to speak or even earn a living because of your false-witness. The people who complained about “black-listing” in the 1950s enthusiastically practice it today and shame those that don’t participate in its destructive agenda – but none dare call it evil.

Democrats ban words and ideas (“hate speech”) so they do not have to debate ideas.  They change other words so that they do not have their millenniums-old meanings (e.g., marriage, gender, truth) so that language no longer can be used to counter ideas that they perceive are bad or even evil.

The campaign to ban Yahweh and moral objectivism is evil (speaking objectively, of course).  Declaring that our rights come from government rather than from God means that government can change our rights whenever it wishes.  Proclaiming that morality is relative or culturally based means nothing is ever truly good or bad – but none dare call it evil.

The lack of an objective morality is a way of saying that one can do whatever one wants, no matter the consequences.  My cultural norm may be that I can rape your daughter and take your car, but without an objective code, how are you to say I can’t?  Without this code, government can pass laws that legalize theft (also known as multi-trillion dollar stimulus packages that takes $14,000 for every $1400 it gives back – causing inflation which steals from every dollar saved), murder (abortion subsidies), pedophilia (progressive sex-ed programs that are being mandated in the schools).

Progressives declare that Christianity is evil, which begs the question, “By what standard?”.  If there is no moral objectivity, then how is what I believe “evil”?  They are against moral certainty while using it to attack their opponents.

We once believed that rational thought was good.  Mathematics and logic do not exist in the physical world but the evidence of them does . . . unless you deny evidence (Seattle Public Schools Say Math is Racist).  The Progressives’ protestations that an objective morality does not exists is equivalent to a blind person saying ‘color does not exist’.  Their unwillingness to regard the obvious does not negate the evidence.

What is the evidence of objective morality?  Most people believe that murder is wrong.  Where did this idea come from? Where do we get the proposition that human life has value without a deeper belief that it is worth living?  A mother cares for her infant and teaches it, over time, to fend for itself the best way she knows how.  A father makes sacrifices in his life to provide for the wife and child rather than spend all his income on his needs.

I’m not talking about the exceptions, which become more prominent as we debase and prosecute faith, but the vast majority of people who consciously and subconsciously attempt to do ‘good’ because they believe that good and evil actually do exist, despite being told that there is no hereafter where we will be judged.  Even atheists don’t walk around hitting people with hockey sticks or setting homes on fire because they instinctively know that this would be bad.

14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: 15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) Romans 2:14-15.

Atheists and Progressives irrationally claim that whatever they do in the furtherance of social justice is allowable.  What if there is a change in what is “allowable” tomorrow?  Even ‘woke’ Progressives are finding themselves cancelled as the ‘morality’ of the Left metastasizes.

Christians actually have a more rational basis for affirming objective moral standards and duties.  They understand that denying thousands of years of history and evidence is disingenuous and dangerous.  They understand that a transcendent, moral law necessitates a transcendent, moral law-giver.

Therefore thou shalt love the LORD thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, alway.

Deuteronomy 11:1

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

Romans 7:7

Government does not like opposition or competition so incredible violations of the Constitution are now becoming commonplace.  Banning worship services while allowing casinos to operate is just one example of government choosing winners and losers based on regime morality.

Police in many states ‘raided’ church services (even drive up services that resembled a drive-in movie lot) and drove the congregates away . . . in some cases even jailing the pastor. 

In Canada (I know, they do not have a first amendment), 200 armed police officers descended on an Edmonton church, after they had jailed the pastor for 30 days, and put up barricades to deny access.  The police then occupied the church to ensure it could not be used for services.  The Mounties went so far as to imprison journalists who were reporting on the occupation.

We expect religious prosecution of Christians in China and Islamic countries, but not in the Western World.  It should be noted that no mosques were treated similarly . . . anywhere (except for China).  The Judeo-Christian moral code is the threat to big government and they are conducting trial runs on how to extinguish that threat – but none dare call this evil.

Laws must necessarily change over time due to changes in understanding and technology.  The moral basis of those laws cannot change or there is no morality . . . or law.  Government does not care as long as they have complete control over your lives.

Do you know and understand Yahweh’s Laws?  A revised, quick and easy guide to what the transcendent and moral Law-Giver has shared with us will soon be available.  The Code of federal Regulations (CFR) has over 170,000 pages.  Yahweh does not concern Himself with regulating every aspect of your life.  Check out what He does find important for you – read GRAFTED: Embracing Torah.