Conversations with God about his Decalogue

The Third and Fourth Commandments

One of the difficulties in communicating with God is that you never know when or how he will respond. I was concerned after posting the previous taped conversation because it occurred to me that he might consider this blog publishing without his permission and “final edits”. So, I started praying. After a day or two, I began to relax, figuring he had to have heard me.This morning, I was sitting at my Computer, working on a poem when all of a sudden a chat program I had never seen before popped up on my screen. It was called SCC.net. Here is the conversation that ensued:


GG: Hey you!
Me: Yes? Who is this? What is this program?
GG: It´s me. Great God. (LOL) I invented the program. It´s called Spiritual Chit-Chat Dot Net. Whadda ya think?
Me: Cool. I didn´t know you bothered with programming.
GG: Really. How do you think I managed to make the physical universe consistent with mathematics?
Me: Right. Did you get my prayers?
GG: Of course. Look. None of these discussions are “My Word”. OK? We are merely having some creative and philosophical fun. Later, if I decide to reissue the commandments, that will be “My Word.” And that you can´t publish unless I give you specific rights. Feel relieved?
Me: Yep.
GG: So what´s up?
Me: Well, I sort of wonder if it matters which Decalogue version we are looking into here? I am using the one I grew up with but I do know there are several other versions. Do you care which one we use?
GG: Nope.
Me: OK. Then my question about commandment number three is this, exactly how does one take your name in vain? Is this about using curse words?
GG: Well, I am not pleased to hear people use a four letter word for sexual intercourse as a curse, but no, that isn´t what I was getting at. Look. What is the definition of “vain?”
Me: Conceited?
GG: Come on. That is a very modern usage. It actually means "having no value; foolish, silly."
Me: Aha! So, what you are saying is that you don´t want people using your name in a foolish, meaningless way! Does that happen often?
GG: You´re kidding right? Would you like some examples?
Me: Yes.
GG: You asked for it – how about these:

“God wants you to succeed, and that’s why he has given you an alternative to intercourse”
“Does God care about a football game? Of course He does.”

Actually, I used to like baseball before it became a business.

“Republicans are the party of God.”
“War is God's way of teaching Americans geography.”
“Does God support or oppose embryonic stem cell research? “
“God Wants You to Be Rich”
“God’s preferred mode of government is theocratic-monarchy.”
“I don't bring God into my life to - to, you know, kind of be a political person.”
“God wants…”

Me: Wait a minute! That last one, about politics, was that Bush?
GG: None other. Shall I go on?
Me: Wow, that commandment must be broken more than all the others combined.
GG: Damn right.
Me: So, it isn´t a sin when I use the word “shit?”
GG: Who do you think invented your ass? Humans have a dreadful capacity to denigrate my fine work with their silly hang-ups about their body parts and functions.
Me: I guess that commandment is pretty clear, actually. I mean, unless you misunderstand the definition of “vain” as I did.
GG: Yeah. Uh, maybe I could reword it and say ´don´t use my name for silly stuff.´ But then you humans would write millions of words defining “silly stuff” and it would end up meaning “swear words.”
Me: Hmmm. I get the feeling that attempting to reexamine these commandments is an exercise in futility. Right?
GG: More humility! I like you. Such exercises in futility tend to be a habit with your species. I don´t mind. Or do you think you are feeling hopeless?
Me: No. At least, I don´t think that is what I am feeling.
GG: Good. Because what you are feeling is inadequate.
Me: Right! Of course, you´d know, wouldn´t you.
GG: Uh huh.
Me: OK, then – number four. Why do we have to honor the Sabbath? And what day of the week is it?
GG: Think I am being a bit egotistic, do you?
Me: What can I say, you know what I am thinking better than I do.
GG: OK. What is the definition of “holy?”
Me: Sacred.
GG: Yes… It comes from the concept of wholeness. Being complete and whole. Which you realize can only truly be applied to My Works, since I created everything, right? Is it too much to ask that such Works be recognized?
Me: Not at all. It just surprises me that you would need our recognition.
GG: Hmmm. Need is the wrong word.
Me: Want? Demand?
GG: If men don´t recognize My Works, what would be the consequences?
Me: Consequences? For not worshiping the Sabbath?
GG: Think! You aren´t being asked to worship the day or me but what happened on that day. So, what happened on that day? What did I do?
Me: You rested.
GG: Come on... What else?
Me: Umm…
GG: I appreciated My Creation! The entire universe. I saw that it was good.
Me: So, you want us to appreciate that also, not you, but the entire creation!
GG: Not you are using that understanding I created. Good boy.
Me: So, the sense of it is that we should take at least one day a week to appreciate everything.
GG: Bingo!
Me: And I´ll bet you don´t really care what day we do it as long as we do it with some frequency.
GG: Once a week at least.
Me: Well, it seems a lot of us follow this one.
GG: Ha!
Me: A lot of people go to church or synagog or temple every week.
GG: Big deal.
Me: They do!
GG: Oh yes. And what do they do there?
Me: Sing hymns, pray, meditate…
GG: And burn incense and dress up and confess and kneel and listen to sermons… Yeah, yeah. What exactly do they pray for and sing and sermonize about?
Me: Well, let´s see. They pray for peace sometimes
GG: Good.
Me: Or for forgiveness, mercy, wealth, victory and healing. They praise you. They sermonize about goodness and sin and salvation and sacrifice mostly.
GG: And how does most of that show appreciation for My Works?
Me: Ah… Should we have more songs about how nice the world you created can be?
GG: That would be a start, wouldn´t it? How about spending that time contemplating how to reduce your pollution of My environment, or your war´s destruction of My species, or your failure to use the Reason I gave you to overcome ignorance? Wouldn´t the best way to keep the Sabbath holy be to build up your appreciation of My Works and contemplate how to enjoy this world every day instead of destroying it?
Me: I guess you know what I am feeling right now?
GG: Remorse is good for you. But you can stop with the guilt.
Me: What´s the difference?
GG: Guilt is simply feeling you did something wrong. Remorse is a deep recognition that you need to change because what you are doing is destructive.
Me: I… I…
GG: All you can take for one day, huh?
Me: Yeah. Will we chat again tomorrow?
GG: Tomorrow is a human concept. See you later.