In Vanity Fair, Chrstopher Hitchens considers the Ten Commandments and then offers his own. I have particular sympathy with his point that religious texts imply women should be treated as chattels. I think this feeds the question; is religion a product of a deity, or the product of the culture of the messenger? Chicken or egg?
With Christopher's own commandments I take issue with #5 as whilst I would not condemn a homosexual for indulging in their wonts and needs with another consenting adult in the privacy of their home, I would condemn a peadophile, voyeur and psycho for their 'inborn nature'. Heeeere's Johnny! Sometimes it's good to check ones thoughts (why do you make me hit you?). Of course these do feed into the other commandments as murder and the act of harming a child is condemned. So I suppose thought crime is a moot point. But I do think Christopher is not specific enough here, and criticises the religious ones for the same fault:
"we again find mixed signals here. Why can’t rest be recommended for its own sake? Also, why can’t the infallible and omniscient and omnipotent one make up his mind what the real reason is?"
If Christopher means 'thou shalt not bully people because they are not the same as you' he should say so.
I particularly like his #8 and #9. Full VF article here.
“The enemies of intolerance cannot be tolerant." • "If it is an offense to justice to hold people who may have been victims of mistaken identity or of vendettas by other factions, then it is also an offense to justice to release psychopathic killers who believe that they have divine permission to throw acid in the faces of girls who want to attend school." • "Don't be such a lesbian!
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