Moses+and+his+fifteen+comma
November 9, 2014 • 12:14 pm
Why Evolution is True is a blog written by Jerry Coyne, centered on evolution and biology but also dealing with diverse topics like politics, culture, and cats.
Why Evolution is True is a blog written by Jerry Coyne, centered on evolution and biology but also dealing with diverse topics like politics, culture, and cats.
“The good news is we’re now down to Ten. The bad news is- adultery’s still on the list”
Presumably, somewhere amongst the missing last 5 is a commandment to wash your hands after using the lavatory? I mean, an all-wise benevolent god is hardly going to forget to mention such a basic piece of life-saving advice.
Oh, hang on- I forgot. He’s not benevolent is he? Isn’t this the one who drowned everyone in a fit of narcissistic rage?
So that’s what happened to “Thou shalt not rape children” and “Thou shalt not own people”.
A fun thought experiment:
If you could go back in time and assuming you are kind and have only the knowledge we commonly have today
=> What 3 things – moral guidance and/or scientific knowledge – would you add to the bible to help humanity over the last 2000 to 3000 years?
It’s hard to pick only three.
I would write in very large print on the opening page that it is a work of fiction and any teaching or instructions found in the book should be ignored and absolutely never used as the basis for any religion and never consulted when trying to make any moral judgement or choice. I would then add that we only get this one life, make the most of it and don’t waste a lot of time concerning yourselves with gods and stay away from anyone promising an afterlife because they are most certainly either crazy or trying to get your money or both. I’m sure that could be worded better as a warning, but getting people to ignore the rest of the bible would be more valuable than adding moral guidance to a book that has caused more death and misery than all other books combined.
Off the top of my head:
The fact that some diseases are infectious and that basic hygiene can reduce their spread.
The fact that it’s easy to destroy an ecosystem by overhunting, overfishing etc, and that if you do, God will not save you from the consequences
The fact that if you can work out a way to get along with your neighbours, all of you will flourish more than if you fight them.