The TEN Commandments

These are the Commandments which God gave to man to guide him to happiness in this life and in the next:

1. I AM THE LORD THY GOD: THOU SHALT NOT HAVE STRANGE GODS BEFORE ME.
Commands: faith, hope, love and worship of God, reverence for holy things, prayer.
Forbids: idolatry, superstition; spiritualism, seances, astrology, fortune telling, ouija boards and all occult practices; tempting God, sacrilege, attendance at false worship.

2. THOU SHALT NOT TAKE THE NAME OF THE LORD THY GOD IN VAIN.
Commands: reverence in speaking about God and holy things; the keeping of oaths and vows.
Forbids: blasphemy, the irreverent use of God’s name, speaking disrespectfully of holy things, false oaths and the breaking of vows.

3. REMEMBER THOU KEEP HOLY THE SABBATH DAY.
Commands: going to Church on Sundays and Holy Days.
Forbids: missing Church through one’s own fault; unnecessary servile work; public buying and selling; court trials.

4. HONOR THY FATHER AND MOTHER.
Commands: love, respect, obedience on the part of children; care on the part of parents for the spiritual and temporal welfare of their children; obedience to civil and religious superiors.
Forbids: hatred of parents and superiors; disrespect and disobedience.

5. THOU SHALL NOT KILL.
Commands: safeguarding of one’s own life and bodily welfare of that of others; controlling one’s anger.
Forbids: unjust killing, suicide, abortion, euthanasia, artificial contraception, sterilization, fist fights, endangering life and limb of self or others.

6. THOU SHALT NOT COMMIT ADULTERY.
Commands: chastity in word and deed; avoiding occasions of sin.
Forbids: pornography, bad movies, obscene speech; impure actions alone or with others; masturbation, fornication, homosexuality, incest, bestiality.

7. THOU SHALT NOT STEAL.
Commands: respect for the property and rights of others; the paying of just debts; paying just wages to employees; integrity in public officials.
Forbids: theft; damage to the property of others; not paying just debts; not returning found or borrowed articles; giving unjust measure or weight in selling; not paying just wages; bribery; graft; cheating; fraud; accepting stolen property; not giving an honest day’s work for wages received; violation of contract.

8. THOU SHALT NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS AGAINST THY NEIGHBOR.
Commands: truthfulness, respect for the good name of other; the observance of secrecy when required.
Forbids: lying, injury to good name of others, slander, tale bearing, rash judgement, contemptuous speech; and the violation of secrecy.

9. THOU SHALT NOT COVET THY NEIGHBOR’S WIFE.
Commands: purity in thought.
Forbids: willful impure thoughts and desires.

10. THOU SHALT NOT COVET THY NEIGHBOR’S GOODS.
Commands: respect for the rights of others.
Forbids: the desire to take, to keep, or to damage the property of others.