Saving the most pointless for last, I give you the world’s first thoughtcrime:
“Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his cattle, nor anything that is thy neighbors.”
Conservative Christians, I just don’t get how you can possibly say this is timeless moral wisdom. Your all-wise moralist put wives and slaves and cattle in the same list, for the love of god. Can’t you see how repugnant that is? Also, aren’t you the same guys always going on about the virtues of free markets? Have you noticed that most people are buying way more than just the bare necessities? If so, why do you think they do that? Finally, how disturbingly Orwellian it is that we’ve crossed the line from actions that actually hurt other people (adultery, theft, murder) into one’s own personal thought life? Do believers really take comfort in the fact that they are constantly being watched and judged, even for errant thoughts of a better life?
I’m not saying that covetousness is a virtue of which I approve, but it seems like most believers I’ve met are caught in sort of a moral bind here. Your list of major commandments omits horrific crimes like rape and slavery and genocide, while adding this little gem to the list. After you cancel your credit cards, sell off your jewelry, and trade in your massive SUV for something a bit more modest, then maybe you can tell me why this commandment is such a fine idea.
