I've always had a beef with one of the Ten Commandments..

[JohnnyRingo]

First I'll point out that I'm a nonbeliever who tries to lead a moral life that doesn't interfere with others who have their own beliefs.

However, the 2nd one: "You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain" I believe is widely misunderstood. Most people think it means not to swear, that saying God dammit is a quick one way ticket to Hell. That seems bit heavy handed.

But if we break it down, the word "vain" has nothing to do with strong language. It is the stem of the word vanity which means one's self. So "do not take God's name for yourself". Then telling people what God wants of us is borderline sin. Telling people God speaks through you and wants you to donate your SS check to the Church Of What's Happening Now should be a rocket sled ride to the underworld.

And that's probably how it should be.

[rampartd]

1. "lords name in vain"

refers to oaths, vows and similar 'so help me god" kind of events.

to swear "by god" and then not deliver is the sin.

[JohnnyRingo]

4. I get that.

But how does vanity play into that rule? Certainly the people who wrote, rewrote and translated that credo had the vocabulary that they could have included it with the false witness mandate. The word "vanity" doesn't fit in with breaking any oath, regardless how it's interpreted.

I suspect that commandment was hijacked by junior high school teachers to curb fowl language when they hand out homework. haha

[Easterncedar]

14. Vanity doesn't come into it

“In vain” means pointlessly, meaninglessly, without result.

[TomSlick]

20. Exactly.

A vain act is one with no purpose.

[TexLaProgressive]

19. You might find this interesting

Snip:

So let's consider the meaning of the original Hebrew word. What does it mean to lift or carry the name of the Lord? We lift the name of the Lord by praising Him and pointing others to His glory. This is lifting in the sense of elevating. And we carry the name of the Lord by bringing His name with us wherever we go. In other words, by identifying ourselves with Him. Sort of like an army hoisting a giant banner bearing God’s name, YHWH (יְהוָ֔ה ). It communicates to the world that He is our God and we are His people. Therefore, this commandment is perhaps better translated into English as, “You shall not bear the name of the Lord your God in vain.”

What, then, does it mean to bear God’s name in vain? The Hebrew word translated into English as “in vain” comes from שָׁוְא (shawv), which means emptiness or vanity. Thus, we are not to claim faith in God in an attempt to feed our vanity or in a way that leads to emptiness. This idea is captured in the words of Isaiah 29:13, as quoted by Jesus:

This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.

Matthew 15:8-9nip:
So let’s consider the meaning of the original Hebrew word. What does it mean to lift or carry the name of the Lord? We lift the name of the Lord by praising Him and pointing others to His glory. This is lifting in the sense of elevating. And we carry the name of the Lord by bringing His name with us wherever we go. In other words, by identifying ourselves with Him. Sort of like an army hoisting a giant banner bearing God’s name, YHWH (יְהוָ֔ה ). It communicates to the world that He is our God and we are His people. Therefore, this commandment is perhaps better translated into English as, “You shall not bear the name of the Lord your God in vain.”

What, then, does it mean to bear God’s name in vain? The Hebrew word translated into English as “in vain” comes from שָׁוְא (shawv), which means emptiness or vanity. Thus, we are not to claim faith in God in an attempt to feed our vanity or in a way that leads to emptiness. This idea is captured in the words of Isaiah 29:13, as quoted by Jesus:

This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.

Matthew 15:8-9
https://rlsolberg.com/taking-gods-name-in-vain/

[JohnnyRingo]

34. I see how that interpretation instructs how to use the Lord's name

But if it means keeping God's name out of the foul mouthed infuriated rants I aim at my piece of junk Buick, instead of being a sin to tell people God speaks to you only though me, there's been a terrible oversight on someone's part.

I wonder if it covers saying "Jesus F'n Christ" as a family clause as well?.

[TexLaProgressive]

36. Long ago I read a series about the Dabney family

The 2nd book "Tap Roots" a character named Sam Dabney was an atheist. He never used God's name in vain. Asked why, he said, "If I'm right it's a waste of breath. If wrong then I offended the god I don't believe in"

This is historical fiction written by James Street. The film "The Free State of Jones" is also fictionized version of one of the counties in the south that succeeded from the Confederacy.

[ancianita]

12. I'm pretty sure swearing a "so help me god" oath

Last edited Thu Sep 4, 2025, 01:08 PM - Edit history (1)

falls under the 9th Commandment which says, "Thou SHALT NOT bear false witness against thy neighbor."

It might seem heavy handed, but try to consider those commandments' 4,000 year history.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblical_literalist_chronology

In the promise to Abraham and the oath that accompanied it, Abraham's God commits himself, but without disclosing his name. He begins to reveal his to Moses (3,000 years after Adam/Eve's misuse of their free will) and then finally makes it known clearly before the eyes of the whole people when he saves them from the Egyptians, their slave masters.

Third Commandment is recorded in Moses' Five Books (the first 5 of the Bible)
Exodus 20 : “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.” This is repeated in Deuteronomy 5:11.The Ten Commandments were also named in the Books of Genesis, Leviticus and Numbers, so they're the oldest record of God giving what's called Mosaic Law, because the God of Israel literally met face to face with Moses on Mt Sinai and gave the commandments to him as God's message for the whole nation of Israel to obey.

Why? Because as former slaves from a land that worshipped man-made things, they were disordered as a society, didn't know how to organize their families, their "justice" or behavior. So it was to Moses that their God told his name; this God actually named him(it)self all that actually IS ( I AM WHO AM) and that he called Moses in order that His "chosen" people learn the basics of God's morality on earth, to bring to the rest of the nations.

Why? Because their God (back then called Yahweh) who made all the universes, had chosen Israel as the nation to bring his Word to the rest of the nations. After that, all the elders of Israel went up to the mountain at Sinai and saw the glory of the Lord (I AM WHO AM or Yahweh) directly, without Moses to stand between them and God. The Ten Commandments were God's Covenant (sacred oath) to his people -- they would obey Him and be a nation of priests, who were the Levites (the priestly tribe), and He, God, would care for and lead Israel to the Promised Land if they did not fall back into the idolatries of their neighbors. That's just the fourth of five covenants their God made with Israel over 2,000 years. The last covenant is the New Testament. A common hypothesis among biblical scholars today is that the first major comprehensive narrative of the Pentateuch (Moses' Five Books) was composed in the 7th or 6th centuries BCE.

If you don't believe in a God that only slightly revealed him/itself over 4,000 years ago, then you don't hold Him as an Infinite being -- as Existence itself -- outside of time and space, in the eternal Now, that needs nothing because nothing else exists without Existence creating it out of His/Its Existence, and who created both the finite material (from subatomic/quantum law) universes, and the unseen realm of spiritual beings out of nothing; -- nor do you likely believe that that God, "existence itself," is Holy.

Then again, if you believe you might have a soul, and/or might have a free will, maybe think about where those beliefs came from. Or think about how humans have come to learn the concepts of good and evil, freedom, laws, statutes, courts, faith, hope and even love, or treating others the way you would like to be treated ... things that even nonbelievers and atheists believe in.

[rampartd]

16. vowing "til death do us part " coul be stretched to false witness as well

but either way someone else is depending on me to do as sworn. "sworn deputies' for ex.

or vows of poverty chastity and obed.


and yes, according to good christians in my state, these iron age prohibitions are to be posted on schoolroom walls, but never led by example.

[ancianita]

17. Nope. Sin is intentional. Oaths like "Till death do us part" came later.

One reason that oath doesn't strictly fit in with the Ten Commandments, is that it's more likely complicated by a bunch of sins, when one or both partners has/have been lying to the other all along, lies which in themselves come from a whole other series of mortal sins beyond the Ten Commandments; and those 7 deadly sins were laid out later, as morality became more solid after Israel's Babylonian captivity, after Israel's God's Fifth Covenant was made with David, the shepherd king.

But that's another thread.

[Loryn]

2. I like your thinking.

[gab13by13]

3. Amen Johnny,

[John1956PA]

5. Off topic, but here is a joke related to the comic you posted.

Daily Joke: All Heads of Government and Religious Leaders Gathered for Alien Visit

Aliens finally made the long trip and visited Earth. They were peaceful, and surprisingly, the aliens spoke English. The aliens were excited to speak to the humans and share one another's experiences.

In reaction, all of the heads of government and religious leaders wanted to speak to the aliens. First, each country proposed a question, and then it was the religious leaders' turn to ask.

Each leader had their turn to ask the aliens their questions. When it was the Pope's turn, he asked, "So, do you know about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?"

The alien responded, "Oh, you mean JC? Yeah! We know him. He is the best. He visits every year to make sure we are all doing okay. He also shares his great wisdom with us.

The Pope was very surprised and said, "What? He visits you every year? It has been over two millennia since he first visited us, and we are still waiting for his SECOND coming!"

The alien noticed that the Pope was irritated, so he tried to rationalize the situation. The alien thought for a second and said, "Hmmm, well, maybe he likes our chocolate better than yours?"

The Pope responded, "Chocolates? What do you mean? What do chocolates have to do with anything?"

'Well," said the alien, "when he first visited our planet, we gave him a huge box of chocolates, and he comes back each year for more. Why? What did you guys do?"

[ancianita]

23. Good one!

[JohnnyRingo]

29. hahahaha

I'll be using that.

[state of stupid]

6. I am not an expert

but what it means is make God's word come back empty. If you swear by God, you will
do anything and do not do it then you have made God's word an empty promise and have
taken the Lord's name in vain.

[Blue Full Moon]

7. Every time you say "I am".

[Marthe48]

8. I think it's ok to cuss

but not ok to use the Lord's name along with the cuss words.

[Ping Tung]

9. Man is the only animal to have found the ONE TRUE GOD ...............several of them. Mark Twain

So, which God is the writer of the commandments talking about?

[Mossfern]

31. According to Hebrew scripture

there is only ONE God.
It's the basis of the Sh'ma - declaring the unity of the Creator as there couldn't be several Creators - no?

Each culture/religion expressed their theology nevertheless. I've found that even in polytheistic cultures there is usually one "main" deity.

We could get into eschatological discussions forever about this.
Judaism, a source of the unitary God concept, does not proselytize. If someone wants to believe in the Flying Spaghetti Monster, it's just fine. The Unitary Creator created that as well.

No?

[Ping Tung]

37. I think you proved Twain's point. There are millions of One True Gods available to pick.

Whether it Baal, Jehovah, El, Minerva, Zeus, Aphrodite, or a rock.

You would think that people that pick (or manufacture) the One True Go0d would pick a nice one that isn't a cruel, punishing. self-centered, nosy, ones that demand endless praise and worship.

That would definitely (in my mind) leave out the Abrahamic versions of the same God.

“Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?”
― Epicurus

[Mossfern]

39. The Abrahamic and other religions are mostly

based on myth.

Some believe in a transcendent "God", not an immanent one.
(me) So praying for specific intervention wouldn't really be a thing for us - but if it's comforting, why not?

The issue is when those who believe in one type of God consider it their mission to convert the rest of us.

[Ping Tung]

40. Yay! We agree! Why not? Indeed.

[Xavier Breath]

10. That means I've always gotten that commandment wrong.

God dammit

[BoRaGard]

11. Beeleeve

?si=o6v_kWAr6oOGySBt

[JohnnyRingo]

32. Is that where that came from?

I honestly didn't know. I'd just heard it long ago and thought it described a lot of strip mall churches.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

13. I think it is partly about those who pray for personal gain instead of for help to people in need of basics. . . nt

[Be The Light]

15. Absolutely

those guys are evil. But much like the trump people believe their bullshit.

I look at those people and wonder who in Gods name (:chuckle is stupid enough

not to see through these guys bullshit, I mean they are so obviously, blatantly lying scum

Someone explain that to me!

[surfered]

18. Also professing faith for monetary or political reasons.

For too many, it has become a faith without works. They don’t help the needy, feed the hungry, or welcome the stranger, but claim to be Christians.

[muriel_volestrangler]

21. Going back to the earliest version I stand a chance of translating, it's "in vanum" in the Latin Vulgate version

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%2020%3A7&version=VULGATE "Non assumes nomen Domini Dei tui in vanum"

And a Latin dictionary points us to:
"that contains nothing, empty, void. vacant", "empty as to purport or result, idle, null, groundless, unmeaning, fruitless, vain"
https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0059:entry=vanus

The homophone vain is typically an adjective meaning "prideful" or "conceited," but is also heard in the phrase in vain, meaning "tried without success" or "pointless."

https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/vane-vs-vain-vs-vein

'Vanity' does come from the same Latin word, because such self-love is 'empty'.

The original Hebrew would probably need a scholar or rabbi to explain. Hopefully the translation into Latin was correct.

[summer_in_TX]

28. Thanks, Muriel!

That made it much clearer for me.

Seems like Jesus meant something similar about the people who came up to him calling him, Lord, Lord, claiming to be his followers and doing miracles in his name, but really were failing to do God's will at all.

"Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.… Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
(Matthew 7:21-23)

[NNadir]

22. I'm the veteran of a profoundly religious upbringing who's morphed into an atheist.

I never heard that interpretation of that "commandment" but it makes sense. As such, we can add it to the list of "commandments" that the orange pedophile in the White House violates.

Of course there is the issue, often ignored by fundies, of translation from one language to another. The Bible in English has been translated, a the act of translation is an act of change..

When my oldest son was born, to keep family peace, I had him baptized in the Episcopal church. This involved a number of Sundays where I had to make an appearance in church, something I didn't do much in my adult life other than for special events.

The Priest there, a young woman, offered a similarly novel interpretation of a scriptural injunction, "Spare the rod, spoil the child." Many people, including my father, interpreted this as an endorsement of corporal punishment, which is not to imply my father was abusive, but on the other hand I was subject to a smack or slap as was common in those times, something my sons never experienced. The Episcopal priest indicated that the authors of the Bible's Old Testament were in a culture of sheep herders (which says something about the breadth of their worldview) and that a "rod" was a stick used by shepherds not to beat sheep over the head, but rather to guide them on a path by gentle touches to their shoulders. This interpretation certainly didn't convert me back to Christianity but it did offer an alternative to what I see as a religion that talks peace but practices violence.

[chouchou]

24. I think the first one is weird.

Thou shall have no other Gods before me.
Ah...what Gods..and what if the other Gods have already told us the same thing?
I mean, I'll pick door three Alex, for burning in hell?

[Tatou]

25. Thanks Johnny

I agree with Johnny. It makes sense.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

38. Welcome to DU

[edhopper]

26. The problem with your analysis

Is you a basing it on the English translation. You must look at the ancient aremaic text to see what was intended.
It went through 3 or 4 languages before we got to "vain".

[JohnnyRingo]

33. Oh. OK.

But if it means keeping God's name out of the foul mouthed infuriated rants I aim at my piece of junk Buick, instead of being a sin to tell people God speaks to you only through me, there's been a terrible oversight on someone's part.

[edhopper]

35. Anybody that gets upset

about saying God Damn, Jesus Fucking Christ and such, just tell them you are following the way the Commandment was written in the original ancient Aramaic. I guarantee that they won't know what the fuck you are talking about. Bible thumpers think it was written in English.

[DenaliDemocrat]

27. Catholic teaching on this would be much more dire

Saying “Goddamnit” or “ I swear to God” would be a venial sin and certainly not one raising to breaking a Commandment.

More in line with a mortal sin would be prosperity gospel preachers using the name of God to bilk people out of money. Blasphemy. Using God to justify your awful behavior. Think of David Koresh or Jeffrey Warrens. These men are likely guilty of mortal sin using God’s name to sexually assault women and girls.

[marble falls]

30. Christ replaced the 10 commandments with 2 ...

?si=hNg2JXaqFJWkRELE

[Mossfern]

41. Ah, but for some

there are 613 commandments.

Jesus seems to have followed the same school of thinking as Hillel:
"That which is hateful to you, do not do unto your fellow. That is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation; go and learn."