PZ Myers vs. The Ten Commandments

[BurtWorm]

The outspoken atheist in charge of Pharyngula explains why he's no sinner, commandment by commandment:

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/scienceblogs/pharyngula/~3/NZTEncsW4_M/i_get_email_43.php


1. Not only do I have no other gods, I have no gods, period. I ace this one and deserve extra credit. Score: 1½.

2. Idols, are you kidding me? Of course not. No idols, no fetishes, no funny costumes or hats, no rituals, no hymns, no saints. I'm completely free of that nonsense. Score: 2½.

3. There is no god, so no name to take in vain. And what does that mean, anyway? When I say, "Jesus was a deluded kook whose suffering does not excuse anyone's sins", I'm not taking his name in vain at all. Score: 3½.

4. "Keeping the sabbath" is another nonsensical idea. Sure, I keep it; it's a day on the calendar, it's awfully hard to lose. But if you mean I have to be like those crazy fundamentalist Jews who don't even flip a light switch on Sunday, no. I hope this guy isn't serious about wanting to establish that kind of principle for everyone. I'm gonna give this one to myself. "Keeping" a day is so vaguely defined and even Christianist kooks differ in what it means. Score: 4½.

5. Of course I honor Mom and Dad. I love 'em to pieces. Easy. Score: 5½.

6. I have never murdered anyone. Never even killed anyone. And the commandments specifically say "murder", not "hate", so I reject your redefinition. Score: 6½.

7. Likewise, I've never committed adultery. And once again, you don't get to redefine the commandment to mean, "Think Raquel Welch looked hot in that wetsuit". Score: 7½.

8. No, I haven't stolen anything, either. I make a reasonable wage, have relatively few material requirements, and haven't needed to steal. I know, this wanker is probably going to redefine stealing to mean "Watched Indiana Jones snatch away a jeweled idol in a movie and thought it was cool" to mean I broke both #2 and #8, but I reject that fatuous word game, too. Score: 8½.

9. No, I don't lie, either. It's so much easier to tell the truth. Oh, there were probably a few negligible childish fibs once upon a time, but I've never harmed people with a lie, or tried to use a lie to get away with something. Score: 9½.

10. Uh-oh, caught me. Yes, I covet stuff all the time. I walk into bookstores and lust after so much stuff; I've got a long Amazon wish list, and I like my computer gadgets. So?

[SoCalNative]

1. He'd be a bit more credible

if, when denigrating the Jews, he realized that their sabbath is on Saturday.

Otherwise I agree with everything said.

[BurtWorm]

2. I hadn't noticed that fuckup.

I don't think he's denigrating "the Jews." Do you think the ultra-Orthodox Jews he's talking about are "the Jews?"