Christopher Hitchens Rewrites the Ten Commandments

Posted on 3.16.2010

With Easter coming we can call get ready for Charlton Heston to appear back on TV in Cecil B. DeMille's epic the Ten Commandments.

Last week, Christopher Hitchens, that bete´ noire´ of religion, took a shot at rewriting the Ten Commandments. Beware an f-bomb at the end (at 7:28):


For more on revisionist history, here's Mel Brooks as Moses:

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8 thoughts on “Christopher Hitchens Rewrites the Ten Commandments”

  1. His reasoning has become mine. And this is why I consider faith an absurdity, because it can't really be defined, unless one is willing to give the power to define faith to some authority apart from reason or rationale.

    There are so many definitions to the term "Christian" and Church history itself defines the term differently.

    So, I suppose that all of us in free societies, come to a place of evaluating our lives based on different assumptions. These assumptions also define the frame of our values...and free societies do not define "life" too tightly because of an ultimate value of liberty.

  2. Let's just distill it to "Don't injure people or take their stuff." And we should make this apply UNIVERSALLY, and especially to governments.

  3. Richard -
    As professing Christian, I'd love to hear your thoughts/reconciliations on Hitchens. Is there any way for his rational-based approach to meet the "God said it so it must be so" faith approach?

  4. Anonymous,
    You know, I don't think it's possible to reconcile a literal across the board reading of scripture with Hitchens. I don't think he'd have much quibble with the Sermon on the Mount but I wouldn't want to debate him on the ethics of the Old Testament (outside of the prophets). Any "God said it it must be so" formulation would be a tough sell for an atheist.

  5. Angie it isn't about giving power to define faith; it is recognizing the power that created faith. Faith can not be defined without the realization of rescue, and only God can rescue man.

  6. As a Christian, I realize that there have been many immoral/unethical acts done in the name of Religion including Christians who have committed those acts in the name of Jesus and for that I lament!!!

    But I also know that where the story of God has been heard afresh, creation has thrived towards the (telos) direction of God's redemption. In the opposite direction - and this is my reaction not only to Hitchens but also to the many Christians who seem comfortable with a reductionistic god (purposely decapitolized) who is increasingly excluded from every sphere of life except for that which we call relgion - the words of Hosea (Hos 4.1-3) rings loud and clear...eliminate God from life and we need no further exlanation for for the violence,animosity, and polarization that is sweeping in from every corner of the earth.

    Grace and peace,

    K. Rex Butts

    p.s. No, I am not a fundamentalist either.

  7. To add some context for why, occasionally, I will post things of this nature on my blog.

    I, perhaps perversely, like listening to people like Hitchens. He makes me think. Sure, he's infuriating at times (who isn't?) but 9 times out of 10 he says something that I find provocative, challenging, or interesting. In short, he's talking about religion and he's not boring.

    Two things which cause me to tune in.

  8. I, for one, have no problems with you posting something from Hitchens on your blog. I found it interesting to hear his take on the Ten Commandments and after all, his take is part of the world we are called to bear witness in.

    Thanks,

    K. Rex Butts

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