Woody's Fabulous/Fascinating Factoid, #3: It's NOT A Sin To Tell A Lie

Hey, Hippies. Hola! It's that time again, for Dr. Woody's Fascinating Factoids: #3--It's NOT a Sin To Tell A Lie

What about the The TEN COMMANDMENTS, you ask, querulously?

Them THANGS sher get a lot of press for what were, in essence, and in their time, basically a Bronze-age punch-list for running a theocratic, human collective. And a very SPECIFIC one, at that.

But anachronistic irrelevance to the current age notwithstanding, some folks--hell, some goddam Presidential candidates!--declare them to be our natural laws.

Depending on how you count, the only ones that might apply outside of that, particular, bronze-age, theocratic, camel-herding collective are the last five. The first several have to do with worshipping the Lord properly. They are irrelevant in the discussion of a secular collective. In any case, what "lord?"

Another one requires taking a day off, every once in a while, every week, say?; while yet another admonishes respect for your elders, on the theory that mere survival is often one of those 'res ipsa loquitur'-kinda things...

Only five of the "10 Commandments" (depending on how you count) are might be actually practicable for all (well, most) people in all (well, most) times. Sensible precautions for a functioning social order.

These are the prohibitions against murder (and presumably assault, too), theft, slander (not "lying" per se, cuz everybody lies sometimes; what's forbidden is speaking falsehoods about neighbors), and covetousness, generally--material and sexual. Oh, yeah. And forbidding adultery. (In that context, it is even more interesting that you can lie your ass off to cover your butt, about anything, as long as you don't lie about somebody else.)

Anyway, those are sensible, social "virtues" required for the preservation of ANY civil society.

Add to those the golden rule (Kant's "categorical imperative," Aristotle's Golden Mean, etc): Do unto others as you would be done!

Leave out the "god" stuff and you could live like that...mebbe at the beach? Paz!