The Ten Commandments have been updated for the new age by author Bernard J. Taylor, author of The House of Correction and other BDSM novels see http://groups.yahoo.com/group/The-novels-of-Bernard_J_Taylor).
(There are many mentions of Jesus in the following, while not a Christian,I can respect the belief system while abhorring the atrocities committed by human beings in the name of their God
1. DO NOT
TOLERATE INTOLERANCE. Intolerance of cultures, religions, lifestyles, sexuality
and relationships different from ours is, and always will be, one of
the greatest causes of human conflict. The only thing that should not be
tolerated by any humane and civilized human being is
intolerance itself. All people should be free to believe what they want, to
pursue any goals they care to, and to behave in any way they want
- provided it does not involve harm to or oppression of others.
2. RESPECT ALL
PROPHETS AND RELIGIONS. The great prophets of the world all had valuable things
to say, and they should all be respected. All spoke against the
kind of violence and divisions we see – much of it being done in the name of
religion. It should be remembered that most of the great
prophets practiced humility and were against idolatry – including the kind of
idolatry that focuses on a prophet as an individual and
"godhead", rather than on the prophet's message. Mohammed taught his
followers to respect the prophets that preceded him, and
this is still practiced by the Sufi Muslims - even though the more fanatical
breed of Muslim fundamentalists continue to ignore
this tenet, just as many fundamentalist Christians ignore the spirit of what
Jesus taught.
3. DO NOT USE
RELIGION FOR NEGATIVE PURPOSES. Many people use religion as a tool of
discrimination and an excuse for hatred. Anyone who "condemns" or "rebukes"another in the name of Jesus, Moses, Mohammed or any other prophet or religion,is abusing the original message of the great
prophets. Moses' Ten Commandments continue to offer firm moral values in an
uncertain and threatening world. Jesus' teachings of loving
one's fellow man, "turning the other cheek", and the virtues of a
non-aggressive lifestyle are more relevant now than ever. The
self-discipline and gentle spiritual values of Buddhism are much needed. There
are many common values running through all religions, and
we should concentrate on the commonality rather than the differences.
4. RESPECT THE
EARTH. Enough has been said elsewhere; we all understand the dangers of
violating the earth, upsetting the balance of nature, and reducing the our
planet's capacity to sustain life.
5. RESPECT
GENDER AND PERSONALITY DIFFERENCES, BUT DON'T STEREOTYPE THEM. Very few people
actually conform to the rigid stereotypes that men and woman are
often assigned to. Most men are not exclusively the macho, take-charge,
dominant people they are often expected to be. Likewise,
most women are not exclusively the compliant, maternal, nurturing people they
are often expected to be. Society's rigid expectations can be a very heavy burden for
many. It is not uncommon to find women living in men's bodies and vise versa. In some cultures, a woman in a man's body has been
considered a sacred entity. Many societies celebrate gentleness among men.
There are many who believe that everyone
is bisexual to some degree, and there is much evidence to support this belief.
Many are born with a propensity to love people of the
same sex, and have no control over their nature. Homosexuals themselves have
been heavily stereotyped, and many seem happy to conform to
these stereotypes, but there are also many homosexual men and women who do not
conform to the stereotypes. What is important is
that everyone is unique, and the differences between people should be
respected.
6. RESPECT
OTHERS' LIFESTYLES AND RELATIONSHIP CHOICES. People should be free to live
their lives freely and to form whatever relationships they like, in
whatever groupings they like, provided they do it responsibly and it not does
not cause harm or oppression to others. No lifestyle or belief
system has the monopoly on morality or virtue. Any respectful consensual
activity or arrangement between adults should
not be interfered with or penalized by others. It should be remembered that
some of the revered social and marital customs
of society are neither universal nor permanent.
7. BE TRUE TO
YOURSELF. Unless you are true to your inner nature, you will go through life
living a lie. Unless instincts are a threat to others,
you should hold with your inner voice and do and be what you feel is the right
thing for you. If you do not feel comfortable with the
person other people want and expect you to be, or if you don't go along inwardly
with what people want and expect you to do, then resist.
Too many people allow themselves to be swayed by the opinions of others, or by
the dictates of fashion. Fashion is by its nature
impermanent and cannot sustain the inner person. Those who put style before
substance, and blindly follow the latest trends, will not
find their own reality or spiritual satisfaction that way. Far too often,
trivial things are invested with an importance far beyond their natural merits.
8. DO NOT
WORSHIP AGGRESSION. Over the past century, violence and aggression have become
institutionalized in our culture and reflected in the arts and in sport.
In music, disharmony and aggression became increasingly fashionable, while the
visual arts became increasingly obscure and inaccessible. Architecture became increasingly
inhuman (even brutal) and often as pretentious as much of the "cutting
edge" art and fashions. Sports stars became increasingly idolized for their
aggression and – in some cases – for their sheer brutality. Jesus said:
"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth" (presumably
when all the more aggressive people have killed each other off). As others have
said, meekness does not mean weakness. It is a mark of strength to practice restraint
under provocation.
9. TAKE
RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR ACTIONS. Don't blame others when things go wrong. Don't
use adversity as an excuse for self-pity. Like jealousy and avarice,
self-pity is a corrosive disease of the soul.
10. FIND THE BEST
IN OTHERS. Jesus said: "Love thy neighbor", and this is more
important now than ever. Peace and progress can only be achieved through the spirit
of respect, courtesy and cooperation. Aggression and conflict simply generate
more aggression and conflict. However, there are
some people, some organizations and some governments, which see such sentiments
simply as weaknesses to be exploited. There is little that
can be done with such people, organizations or governments, and there is no
alternative but to forcefully oppose them and ensure that they do not prosper
from aggressive oppression (which takes us back to the need for not tolerating
intolerance).