In December 2014, over 2,800 atheists responded to a challenge to rewrite the Decalogue (Ten Commandments) with modern, humanist alternatives. After collating and condensing the submissions, thirteen judges voted on the top ten atheist Ten Commandments – or perhaps to avoid the hierarchical implications of the word, we ought to call them Suggestments. I would like to offer a few, brief observations to this list, which aren’t so much chiseled into immutable stone as they are finger-sketched into the sand at low tide. The original CNN article can be found here.
There is no one right way to live
This is like saying there is no one right tool for the job, which can sorta-kinda be true, to an extent. Nails can be hammered by pipe wrenches; screws can be turned with vice grips; but its awkward. And there are lots of examples where there are many wrong tools for a given job, like installing firmware on your iPhone using a screwdriver.
Before a handyman can select the most optimal tool for the job, he has to know a great deal about the job: What is the proper function of the broken thing, what is the problem, and what is required to restore function. Even handymen must delve into teleology to fix a leaky spigot.
How much more, then, is it important to know the purpose of life before we can know if the way we live is right or wrong?
Any system, product, or mechanism invented by man comes with instructions from the designer explaining its purpose and parameters of optimal functioning. Some even offer helpful troubleshooting tips for common problems. But one thing you will never find is pipes fixing other pipes, or a tractor diagnosing and treating a busted gasket. Created things cannot rise above their station. Outside help is required.
When selecting cereals or occupations or spouses or hobbies or a million other things, there is no one ‘right’ choice. But whether one is living rightly depends on the purpose of human life and how one’s choices align with the Designer’s intentions.
Thought Butter 