The Ten Commandments vs The Five Commandments

 

So the all powerful god of the Bible issued 10 Commandments, The first four are devoted to telling you to worship him and the fifth to worship your parents. The last five are the Shalt Nots, fine as far as they go but should we not expect something more positive from a so-called loving god.

So I propose instead:

The Five Commandments

1. Love thy neighbour and strangers alike, without discrimination.

2. Accept and respect other people for who they know themselves to be.

3. Devote yourself to building a better community and society.

4. Using critical thinking skills and the scientific method base your decision-making on facts and reason.

5. Do no harm to others (except in exceptional circumstances and only if absolutely necessary to prevent greater harm).

 

Have A Holly Jolly Season of Cultural Diversity

Well the godless communist Fifth Column is about to take a break for the Christian Capitalist holiday season.

That is, of course, if you listen to some Christian proselytizers who would have you believe that Christians are the only ones celebrating at this time of year and the most terrible thing anyone could do, and an affront to god as well, is to wish non-Christians best wishes during their celebrations.

Ever since Europeans first set foot in this country Canada has been a multicultural and multi-religious country, and even before that, as our aboriginal peoples also have a variety of cultural traditions. We are a country with freedom of religion but no official religion.

Not only is this the Christmas season, but it is also the time of the winter solstice and the beginning of winter, a season that is very much a defining aspect of being Canadian. There is nothing more Canadian than winter and getting out and enjoying and celebrating it. It is something shared by all Canadians, no matter their cultural or religious backgrounds.

And of course, for those Canadians that are religious, it is a shared season of religious festivals for numerous faiths, including many of the “world's great religions”.

We have a real opportunity here, as Canadians, to turn this holiday season into a celebration of our diversity. That is not to take anything away from Christianity or other religions, who can, and still should, celebrate their religious festivals.

Indeed, the Christian community could use this opportunity to untether the secular aspects of Christmas from the religious celebrations of Christianity, freeing it from the commercialism that has overpowered it.

This is an opportunity for all Canadians to come together and celebrate beliefs shared by all the great religions, as well as humanism, the spirit of love, peace and caring for each other. We could combine the secular aspects of the winter season with these shared beliefs and turn it into one big Canadian festival of diversity.

Love for All (November 14, 1972)

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Love as a Revolutionary Act (January 4, 1972)

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