1. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
I do not put any gods before any other gods. They are all equal.
2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image
I'm not too artsy craftsy. So I think I can safely say no, unless some long-ago, supervised elementary school art project qualifies.
3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain
Well, I say god dammit and omg. But those are idiomatic expressions. I don't feel any guilt about doing it. And I don't think that there is a god who is my lord. But in the strictest interpretation, I guess I have. And do.
4. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
No. Different sabbaths in different monotheistic religions. Some start the day at sun up. Some at sunset. And I don't keep any of them holy.
5. Honour thy father and thy mother
Oh yes.
Sure, I had the teenage rebellion thing.
But I honored my beautiful parents throughout their lives. I shared my joys with them, and throughout my childhood and youth, I was nurtured by them. As they grew older, and had increasing needs, I was there for them with emotional support and practical assistance and a physical presence when I was needed. And always with love and respect. Lots of love. I was within arms reach of each of them at the moment of their deaths.
I continue to honor their memories by living by the values that they taught me.
6. Thou shalt not kill.
Other than occasional roaches or flies, or when I occasionally eat seafood or wear leather shoes, no. At least not directly.
I create a demand for products and infrastructure that result in deaths during creation. I use metals and fossil fuels, and everyone knows that there will be fatalities when these resources are exploited. Huge construction projects assume a certain percentage of fatalities, and build it into their costs. I ride the NYC subway system daily, and dozens of people died during its construction. 27 dead building the Brooklyn Bridge. I don't know how many people died constructing the highways I've traveled, or the bridges I have crossed, or building the dams that bring me my electricity.
So I want to answer no to this question. But I am not sure I can do so honestly. I am complacent with systems that value products and outcomes more than they value human lives.
7. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
No.
8. Thou shalt not steal
You know, MM said that he steals when he goofs off on the forums on his employer's time. So I gave this question a lot of thought, to make sure I am answering honestly.
No. I don't steal from my employer when I good off on the forum at work. Sometimes I procrastinate a big project. But my work gets done. My work needs to get done. And if I get up at 4:30 in the morning to finish a project, I do it.
But I think I do steal. I buy fruit that was picked by workers who do not earn living wages. I steal from them. I wear clothes that were assembled by factory workers who do not earn living wages. I steal from their families. These workers subsidize my lifestyle. Again, I am complacent.
9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
Oh my goodness no!
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.
My NYC neighbors don't have a lot of maidservents or oxes of asses. And I try very hard to recognize the fact that I have so much more than most human beings alive today, and I have a ridiculous amount of space and comfort and stuff and leisure time in comparison to the majority of human beings who have ever lived.
A friend is renovating her kitchen, and I sometimes covet ridiculous things like attractive backsplashes. I have the financial resources to put in an attractive backsplash in my kitchen, (I actually really need a new refrigerator, but that is another story) but I make my choices. Vacations are more important to me, and that is what I spend my disposable income on.
So yeah. Sometimes I covet a little bit. Not half a million dollar cars or anything silly like that. Ok. Maybe I'd like a yacht. But I know it is not within my reach, so it is only a fleeting thought.
I am so fortunate to have what I NEED, and then after fulfilling my needs, I have some disposable income to do what I want with. I make careful choices, and I am more than satisfied with the things that I own, and I am more likely to spend my discretionary money on something that I "do" rather than own. A trip. A festival. A restaurant. A museum membership. And ultimately, I am satisfied.
