if you don't believe in god, do the ten commandments even make sense?

Here's the short version of my answer: No. The only ones that make any sense are covered elsewhere. Some items are against the law. Some, like coveting and adultery, are obviously bad things but each person can discover this for themselves. They're not necessary as rules. I mean, if you're going to get into that kind of thing, there are many better aspects to list out. Like being polite for one.

Gosh, I can't remember most of them. Have to look them up....

I am your God You shall have no other gods before Me You shall not make for yourself an idol - N/A

You shall not make wrongful use of the name of your God - N/A

Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy - N/A

Honor your parents - ***

You shall not murder - ***

You shall not commit adultery - ***

You shall not steal - ***

You shall not bear false witness - ???

You shall not covet your neighbor's wife - ???

You shall not covet your neighbor's house - ???

Ok, let's break it down. I think everyone knows what n/a means.

Honor your parents - I disagree. Strongly. I won't go into why, I'll save that rant for another time.

Murder-bad.

Stealing-bad

Adultery-bad - but it's not against the law so butt out of my business.

Bear false witness - unclear what this means. Lying? It's too vague.

Coveting - jealousy is a bad thing, true. But again, butt out of my business, I'll feel how I feel.

Re-writing the Bible is a no. The last part of Revelation states that if anyone adds or changes the words in the Bible that he will be removed from the book of Life (eternity in heaven).

I don't see why some of the commandments are outdated. They are all relevant to today. Explain which ones are outdated.

The church would definitely not change them.

Ten Commandments:

1. Have no other God's before me - Seems good to me.

2. Do not make false idols - God is the only real God, so anything else is unacceptable.

3. Do not take the Lord's name in vain: Why do we bleep out words on the tv? Why is cursing not acceptable. This checks out.

4. Keep the Sabbath day holy: Going to church. Worship God. Check.

5. Honor your parents: We follow and do what our parents tell us out of respect for them. Check.

6. Do not kill- Since murder is a crime, and it is wrong, this commandment is good.

7. Do not commit adultery: Lusting after a woman, rape, sex before marriage, etc... All those check out.

8. Do not steal: Stealing is a crime, etc... Check.

9. Do not falsely accuse: Don't lie against your neighbors, don't take revenge on them, etc... All those check out.

10. Do not covet: Don't be jealous of anyone else and their posessions, don't desire wealth and material posessions, stealing applies here. Check.

Again, I fail to see how these don't apply to our lives.

The ten commandments are merely an early penal code.

Look for the penal code of your state for a more relevant and updated version of the ten commandments.

EDIT: to the person who posted that every law is based on morality.

Every law on the books is a legislation in morality?

How about The Stark law? How about the outlawing of cocaine, or opium? Is is immoral to outlaw a drug because you were afraid of blacks or chinese getting high and raping white women as that was the basis of both those anti-drug laws.

As far as your "murder" idea of morality, it is not morality that drives that as much as the fact that if we live in a free society, we must have some restrictions, these restrictions protect people (as thier government is obligated to do) from certain harms done against them. These laws are there to prevent anarchy.

Taxes is not morally based (actually the "ghoul tax" or "death tax" is immoral- as the law basically promotes robbing the dead), re-zoning has nothing do do with morality.

how about using some logic and getting your nose out of the bible and reading a history book or something that promotes the use of your brain not stifling it.

The bible doesn't give us a sense of right and wrong, to say that is to say that those who don't follow judeo-christian beliefs have no morals. Also the bible says to keep slaves. Are you then saying that slavery is ok because the bible says so?

It could be re-written to satisy the world but the world hates God. Gods word will never change no matter how many times or ways it is re-written. This is what I think. The bible is written for those that believe, those that don't believe to begin with will always find fault in the word of God. I agree, there are some far out stories in the bible but I totally believe everyone to be true. Of course if I was having difficulty believing completely that God is the creator, then oit would make total sense that his word seemed unbelievable as well.

If God does not exist, then what is right and what is wrong?

If it is a matter of opinion, who's?

If it is decided by society, how?

take both questions all the way back to the beginning of recorded human history.

Where did we get our concept of what is right and wrong if not from the aspects taught in the Bible?

Some will say, "Well..as long as we don't hurt anyone, it is good"

This is what I hear from non-believers.

This viewpoint is hypocritical of evolution, as darwin said in his views concerning the laws of natural selection, that their is no right or wrong, that might makes right and the weak die off to make room for the strong, that means, if you put it that way, that Hitler had it right, Stalin had it right, Napoleon had it right.

So I ask again, what is right and what is wrong?

If someone was to respond that you cannot legislate morality, I would say that every law on the books is a legislation in morality,

I would ask, "Is Murder against the law?" the response obviously would be yes , of course it is, well then, there you go, you just legislated morality, the only difference is who's morality will you legislate.

Out of the 10 commandments, only 3 actually have anything to do with morality, and even then they're still borrowed teachings. (stealing, killing, lying)

And even further, they deal in absolutes. Lying and killing are not always wrong. (we have to eat, don't we?)

The first two exclude non-Christians... they demand that a specific god and ONLY a specific god be worshipped (and as for no graven images, perhaps we should stop all this nonsense of the Ten Commandments displays).

Should you honor your father if he beats you? Should you honor your mother if she disowns you for no reason? Some parents do not deserve honor.

The commandments about coveting don't make sense either. First of all, if they were to be enforced, free enterprise would have to go. Secondly, they treat women as property (like the rest of the Bible does).

If you don't believe in God, the 10 Commandments are still good moral guidelines. However, the Ten Commandment are God's Word - the church most certainly should not rewrite these to fit the views of the world. The Commandments give us a moral guideline to live by - it gives us absolutes, otherwise people would just go around making up their own rules, maybe they decide its ok to murder and then someone else says no, it is not ok. Well....who would be right? In a world where there are no absolutes, any one could make their own rules. My answer is it is wrong because God said so. Example of how the 10 Commandents still apply: If we think to ourselves it is okay to slander or gossip or lie about our neighbors, we are breaking the ninth Commandment, "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor."

The Ten Commandments are as important today as they were in Moses' time. So, let's see we (being everyone) can't seem to take care of our own problems without God's help. But yet we think we know what is better for the world then God who created it. Lastly,the Ten Commandments were not written to make it that only a Christian can understand it, they can be translated by anybody.

Whether you believe in God or not...the bible is a collection of stories with a moral that help to teach people ( especially children ) right from wrong! All people should have moral guidelines...so, why not the "ten commandments"? Some people believe that these commandments were used by the Babylonians even before Christianity existed! If they were good enough for the Babylonians...they're good enough for me!

When you were born you had a sin nature that came from Adam. Romans 5: 12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: Since all have sinned and nobody can keep the commandments you need somebody to do them for you. That is what the Lord Jesus Christ did on the cross for you. He died for your sins, He was buried and took your sins away and He rose again the third day so you can stand just before God. Believe and trust in that and you too can go into God's heaven when you die. 1 Corinthians 15: 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 1 Corinthians 15: 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: