Command and Conquer

After that big meeting everyone had, in which it was decided that all religious laws were in fact either common sense or attempts to make people think less (as opposed to being responses to particular social situations or part of a comprehensive spiritual practice), some atheists realised that what the world needed was new commandments. And so, a competition was launched with a panel of judges including some bloke off the telly, and a new Ten Commandments was determined.


Be open-minded and be willing to alter your beliefs with new evidence.

Strive to understand what is most likely to be true, not to believe what you wish to be true.

The scientific method is the most reliable way of understanding the natural world.

Every person has the right to control over their body.

God is not necessary to be a good person or to live a full and meaningful life.

Be mindful of the consequences of all your actions and recognize that you must take responsibility for them.

Treat others as you would want them to treat you, and can reasonably expect them to want to be treated. Think about their perspective.

We have the responsibility to consider others, including future generations.

There is no one right way to live.

Leave the world a better place than you found it.

The people who submitted these got a grand if they made it to the list. And what a great list they are: a lovely mixture of the vague ('leave the world a better place than you found it.' How?), the obvious (yeah, a system designed and refined to explore the natural world over five hundred years is effective. Cheers) and the predictable (that's the Golden Rule right there, and they gave some a thousand dollars for emailing it to the panel). It's almost as if secular humanism wants to come across as lame.

Let me make my complaints in order. 

Be open-minded and be willing to alter your beliefs with new evidence.

Yes, okay, this is a good start. It is a commandment, too, not a suggestion...

Strive to understand what is most likely to be true, not to believe what you wish to be true.

In about 1950, this would have been good. Sadly, this thing called post-modernism turned up and, amongst other things, pointed out that 'truth' has been used repeatedly as a way to protect the interests of the dominant class. Big words, like 'understand' and 'truth' and 'believe' and 'wish', have multiple meanings and without a spot of linguistic analysis, they just float in the air, clarifying little.

The scientific method is the most reliable way of understanding the natural world.

No shit. Note: by making it the natural world, the scientific method is refused authority over the social and the metaphysical. I know the list is trying not to be dogmatic, but this shows a poor confidence in the scientific method - and its spirit - to address concerns that are more complicated than why flowers are that colour. 

Unless the list denies the existence of the unnatural, I suppose. 

Every person has the right to control over their body.

This sounds good - it is pro-choice, affirms that 'no means no'... only there are legal precedents for refusing this right. I am being petty.

God is not necessary to be a good person or to live a full and meaningful life.

So, this is what the Pope said a few months back. The Pope. Did they slip him a grand to include this? 

This is the dumbest commandment/suggestion on the list, in my humble opinion. It is not really a commandment, it is an atheism statement of intent and shares more with those Commandments from the OT that get such a bashing (the ones which are more about consolidating group think than moral behaviour), It is just 'Thou shall have no other God than me' translated into atheist. Boring.

 Be mindful of the consequences of all your actions and recognize that you must take responsibility for them.

This is another good one, although I think it is a bit capitalist. It encourages the idea of autonomy, and that is a major myth of consumerism. Having a cheeky fag and getting short of breath - that is a causal process, and yeah, take responsibility. Experiencing depression because the economic downturn has ensured you can't get a job and pay your rent... 

Treat others as you would want them to treat you, and can reasonably expect them to want to be treated. Think about their perspective.

I didn't need the bloke off Mythbusters to  remind me of Rabbi Hillel's dictum (as remixed by DJ Kant during the enlightenment).

We have the responsibility to consider others, including future generations.

There is no one right way to live.

Leave the world a better place than you found it.

Blah Blah blah. Whatevs. Interesting provocations at best... the point of commandments being... well, commandments.