Behold, atheists' new Ten Commandments

[rug]

By Daniel Burke, CNN Religion Editor
updated 11:18 AM EST, Fri December 19, 2014

- snip -

Lex Bayer, an executive at AirBnB, and John Figdor, a humanist chaplain at Stanford University, have delivered their own 10 "non-commandments" in a book they co-wrote: "Atheist Heart, Humanist Mind." Bayer said the book forced him to clarify and articulate his own beliefs, and he thought others could benefit from doing the same.

- snip -

Enter the "10 'Non-Commandments' Contest," in which atheists were asked to offer modern alternatives to the famous Decalogue. And, to sweeten the pot, the contest offered $10,000 in moolah to the winning would-be Moses. (If it helped boost atheists' public image and drum up publicity for his book, all the better, Bayer said.)

The contest drew more than 2,800 submissions from 18 countries and 27 U.S. states, according to Bayer and Figdor. The proposed "non-commandments" ranged from the quizzical ("Don't follow your nature&quot to the quixotic ("Thriving in space is the ultimate goal&quot .

A team of 13 judges selected 10 of the more sober and serious submissions, and announced the winners Friday.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/19/living/atheist-10-commandments/

http://www.atheistmindhumanistheart.com/vote-for-beliefs/

[cbayer]

1. Ha! I wonder if we are related.

I hope so, because I would really like to start getting some airbnb discount.

I can't get the site to open. Having serious bandwidth problem today.

On the other hand, I made a dynamite cucumber agua fresca that I think I could live on.

Wait, wait, the page finally came up.

They are excellent. Some are really easy and some are going to be quite a challenge for me.

At any rate, they are great non-commandments that pretty much everyone would benefit from following.

[sinkingfeeling]

2. I like them better than those in the Old Testament.

[Sweeney]

12. The originals were absolutely great for their time.

Consider the ones dealing with psychological states, which is a recognition that sin/crime happens first in the mind and does not simply happen. There is a point where every human injustice can be prevented and it is in the mind of the person who either justifies that injustice, or does not. I have done some coveting, and not even the coveted knew. Who is there who can punish the sins of the mind? The bicameral mind had broken down well early in my opinion among these biblical people. They no longer found the focus and force of their behavior outside of their being. And Jesus as the enemy of the purely formal relationship with God through the law and through religion brought back this focus once more to a psychological and personal relationship with God. He too recognized that state of sin first occurred in the mind in desires that people would not reject, but rather enjoyed. People think Jesus made up. The thinking of Jesus is across the board revolutionary, and that is the death he died, the death of a revolutionary. Who would make up such a man. He demanded more for God than any god ever has. Jesus asked in the name of God and for God for our complete devotion. Who has got a pocket full of that?

If a person is a believer there is only one commandment and many Jewish sources accept this; even Jesus. It is to love God and love your fellow human beings. If you do not believe this, then: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

[Lordquinton]

3. Dupe thread

You posted this last month.

[cbayer]

4. Oh, m'lord. It's not a dupe at all.

I suppose you are talking about this one:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1218162083


In that one, there is an excerpt from their book that talks about this in a theoretical context.

They later proposed a contest.

This one is the results.

I see how that might be very confusing, but it is not a dupe.

[Lordquinton]

5. Maybe there should be something in the post that makes it clear it's not a dupe

because he posts so much about atheists it's hard to tell if it's new, or he's recycling material and hoping we don't notice.

[cbayer]

6. It's clear. One only has to read it.

This is actually a very positive post about atheists.

The assumption that everything posted about atheists here is negative is patently false, and a quick perusal of the thread will show that.

But if one works off assumptions instead of actually looking at what is posted, then one is likely to be wrong quite often.

Hey, take a look at the commandments and tell me what you think. I really like them, myself.

[Lordquinton]

8. There are two posts in this thread

And one of them is from someone who is not reliable on the subject. The OP is known for flame bait, and has posted something simmilar.

Atheists don't need a ten commandments, and I, along with many others, don't appreciate the constant drumbeat pushing atheists to be exactly like believers, and to just shut up when a believer comes along and says we're too mean.

If you don't see it that way, then maybe you should try and look at it from a larger world view, your experiences are very different from many here.

[cbayer]

10. It's not about atheists needing ten commandments.

It's a pretty cool formulation of "life rules" that pretty much anyone can agree on and everyone would probably benefit from employing to some degree.

It is atheist supportive and was created by a contest put on by two strong atheists.

My experiences are indeed very different from many here, I recognize that.

But when something very atheist positive is posted and it is met with objection, I have to wonder what exactly is going on.

Sometimes you are too mean, and so am I. But I've never told you to shut up.

[okasha]

13. I think he's still upset about losing the polo ponies.

We might have offefed for them, but really don't see any point in further diversification. The Arabians and Frisians are a handful for the stable staff as it is.

[cbayer]

15. I've got a few spare servants I could offer.

You can't ride them, but they do have their uses!

[rug]

7. Critical reading and understanding is the path to free your mind from error.

Or you can just imagine what's going on.

[Lordquinton]

9. I know what's going on

Why are you so obsessed with atheists? It's downright creepy.

[rug]

11. Let's see, you're asking me in the Religion Group,

in between posting anti-religion screeds, why I'm "obsessed" with atheists.

What an odd question.

[Prophet 451]

14. Mostly good advice

Although I wish a few more of our anti-theists followed number 9.

[AtheistCrusader]

16. Just the fact that they arbitrarily chose 10 items, tells me all I need to know about this list.