[Magdalen] What a news day (& at least out here, it's only started).

[Sally Davies]

Much as I dislike the fast-spreading of casually saying OMG _all_  the
time, and (even worse) using Christ as an expletive...or even my kids'
favourite "Holy S^%t"...

...I have come to believe that taking the Lord's name in vain was
never about that. What it is about, IMO, is spiritual abuse. Claiming to
speak for God and with that borrowed power and authority, breaking and
crushing God's children (including animal children and their habitats).

Thus Saith the Lord is fine and dandy if you are a venerable paid-up
prophet who's done time in the cisterns of life, but not if you're a
prosperity-cult Evangelical trying to convince someone that if they only
had sufficient faith they could be cured, or that God didn't make Adam and
Steve, or that your "heavy shepherding" style of church governance is
biblically based. Or that you as a priest are fully entitled to play your
creepy little games with little boys and girls who won't be believed
because you are a "man of God".

Whenever someone uses the phrase "The Word of God" other than liturgically,
there's a high chance that this commandment is about to be broken, causing
wounds that may never fully heal.

Breaking the other commandments tend to leave one feeling sorry and ashamed
if not socially and psychologically worse off, but breaking this one just
adds to the tally of self-righteousness and abuses of power.

There again, there's always the "Oh God of Hangovers" to consider.

Sally D

On Saturday, September 26, 2015, James Oppenheimer-Crawford <
oppenheimerjw at gmail.com> wrote:

> You've got ten slots and you blow one just for saying, "Don't use the name
> 'YHVH' pointlessly."
>
> And then there's all that silliness about sitting at home on Saturday, no
> matter what. Period.
> And We. Will. Kill. You. if you don't obey. Even if you don't know what the
> rule is.
>
> I kind of prefer the bcp version where they set the literal stuff aside and
> set some rational guidelines, calculated to accomplish what Scripture
> alleged god wants anyway.
>
> If someone brings up the Ten Words, I have two basic responses.
>
> 1. We don't know when it happened, but it is very likely the product of a
> moral code that anyone could memorize, and if you can count on your
> fingers, you know if you've got 'em all.  The early Church was a saddlebag
> affair, when most of the folks were minding flocks.  I think it has a grasp
> of many because it is really the most ancient attempt at law we know of,
> and it has a few points that really go to the core of moral action, e.g.,
> coveting.
>
> 2. We honor the Ten Words, but our moral guidance far extends beyond that,
> just as the ancient Torah had long ago already established many, many other
> rules. Torah offers a huge array of resources that are not rules or laws.
>
> James W. Oppenheimer-Crawford
> *“A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved,
> except in memory. LLAP**”  -- *Leonard Nimoy
>
> On Fri, Sep 25, 2015 at 5:27 PM, Scott Knitter <scottknitter at gmail.com
> <javascript:;>>
> wrote:
>
> > On Fri, Sep 25, 2015 at 4:20 PM, Judy Fleener <fleenerj at gmail.com
> <javascript:;>> wrote:
> > > You're proud of that right?   Like when my d-in-l asked me, "At least
> you
> > > believe in the ten commandments, don't you?"  I answered:  "I suppose
> > they
> > > are fine if you live in a male dominated agrarian society." Thank you,
> > Jack
> > > Spong.
> >
> > Although from the 10 Commandments we learn our duty to God and our
> > duty to our neighbors?
> >
> > --
> > Scott R. Knitter
> > Edgewater, Chicago, Illinois USA
> >
>