So you want to start a religion...

Please fill out the following survey to define how your religion works. When done, click the "Submit" button. By clicking "Submit" you agree to follow the parameters of your new religion and (unless expressly against the rules of your religion) you will endeavor to diligently identify and name spiritual beings, author a convincing religious history, develop engaging rights, rituals and ceremonies. To support your religion you should also consider establishing a variety attention getting political positions and immediately file for tax exempt status. Ultimately, it is up to you to promote your emergent belief system.

That which you decide here, is between you and those spiritual entities to wit you are choosing to submit...

Have a fulfilling eternity!

Choose all that apply:

The physical universe is that which can be described by Physics

The physical universe is nothing
The physical universe is portion of a greater universe
The physical universe is everything

The physical universe is a delusion
The physical universe is a trick/illusion
The physical universe is a simulation
The physical universe is a calculation
The physical universe is a consciousness

Choose one:

No gods
One god
Multiple gods

Choose one:

No demigods
One demigod
Multiple demigods

Choose one:

No spirits
One spirit
Multiple spirits

Choose one:

No consciousnesses
One consciousness
Multiple consciousnesses

Choose one:

God only exists outside the physical universe
God only exists in the physical universe
God exists inside and outside the physical universe
God moves in and out of the physical universe
Not applicable

Choose one:

Demigods only exist outside the physical universe
Demigods only exist in the physical universe
Demigods exist inside and outside the physical universe
Demigods move in and out of the physical universe
Not applicable

Choose one:

Spirits only exist outside the physical universe
Spirits only exist in the physical universe
Spirits exist inside and outside the physical universe
Spirits move in and out of the physical universe
Not applicable

Choose one:

Mortals only exist outside the physical universe
Mortals only exist in the physical universe
Mortals exist inside and outside the physical universe
Mortals move in and out of the physical universe
Not applicable

Choose all that apply:

The behavior of the physical universe is result of the thoughts and activities of the gods
The behavior of the physical universe is result of the thoughts and activities of demigods
The behavior of the physical universe is result of the thoughts and activities of spirits
The behavior of the physical universe is result of the thoughts and activities of mortals

Choose all that apply:

The gods are that which none greater can exist
The gods created the physical universe
The gods can immediately observe any part of the physical universe
The gods can immediately alter any part of the physical universe
The gods can travel to any part of the physical universe
The gods can interact with any part of the physical universe

The demigods are that which none greater can exist
The demigods created the physical universe
The demigods can immediately observe any part of the physical universe
The demigods can immediately alter any part of the physical universe
The demigods can travel to any part of the physical universe
The demigods can interact with any part of the physical universe

The spirits are that which none greater can exist
The spirits created the physical universe
The spirits can immediately observe any part of the physical universe
The spirits can immediately alter any part of the physical universe
The spirits can travel to any part of the physical universe
The spirits can interact with any part of the physical universe

The mortals are that which none greater can exist
The mortals created the physical universe
The mortals can immediately observe any part of the physical universe
The mortals can immediately alter any part of the physical universe
The mortals can travel to any part of the physical universe
The mortals can interact with any part of the physical universe

Choose one:

The universe is relatively young, having been engineered
The universe is relatively old and has slowly evolved according to the processes of Physics
The universe is without age, not having been created and incapable of being destroyed

Choose all that apply:

The past is determined
The present is determined
The future is determined

Choose all that apply:

God can know the physical universe's past
God can know the physical universe's present
God can know the physical universe's future
God interacts with the physical universe in a non-linear manner

Demigods can know the physical universe's past
Demigods can know the physical universe's present
Demigods can know the physical universe's future
Demigods interact with the physical universe in a non-linear manner

Spirits can know the physical universe's past
Spirits can know the physical universe's present
Spirits can know the physical universe's future
Spirits interact with the physical universe in a non-linear manner

Choose all that apply:

Gods can be born / generated
Gods can be injured
Gods can be killed
Gods can be resurrected
Gods can be reborn / regenerated
Gods can be reincarnated

Demigods can be born / generated
Demigods can be injured
Demigods can be killed
Demigods can be resurrected
Demigods can be reborn / regenerated
Demigods can be reincarnated

Spirits can be born / generated
Spirits can be injured
Spirits can be killed
Spirits can be resurrected
Spirits can be reborn / regenerated
Spirits can be reincarnated

Mortals can be born / generated
Mortals can be injured
Mortals can be killed
Mortals can be resurrected
Mortals can be reborn / regenerated
Mortals can be reincarnated

Choose all that apply:

A god can become a god
A god can become a demigod
A god can become a spirit
A god can become a mortal

A demigod can become a god
A demigod can become a demigod
A demigod can become a spirit
A demigod can become a mortal

A spirit can become a god
A spirit can become a demigod
A spirit can become a spirit
A spirit can become a mortal

A mortal can become a god
A mortal can become a demigod
A mortal can become a spirit
A mortal can become a mortal

Choose all that apply:

A god can take the form of a god
A god can take the form of a demigod
A god can take the form of a spirit
A god can take the form of a mortal

A demigod can take the form of a god
A demigod can take the form of a demigod
A demigod can take the form of a spirit
A demigod can take the form of a mortal

A spirit can take the form of a god
A spirit can take the form of a demigod
A spirit can take the form of a spirit
A spirit can take the form of a mortal

A mortal can take the form of a god
A mortal can take the form of a demigod
A mortal can take the form of a spirit
A mortal can take the form of a mortal

Choose all that apply:

Gods always have free will
Gods sometimes have free will
Gods do not have free will
Gods have a destiny or ultimate fate

Demigods always have free will
Demigods sometimes have free will
Demigods do not have free will
Demigods have a destiny or ultimate fate

Spirits always have free will
Spirits sometimes have free will
Spirits do not have free will
Spirits have a destiny or ultimate fate

Mortals always have free will
Mortals sometimes have free will
Mortals do not have free will
Mortals have a destiny or ultimate fate

Choose all that apply:

The gods interact within a hierarchy
The demigods interact within a hierarchy
The spirits interact within a hierarchy
The mortals interact within a hierarchy

Choose all that apply:

Gods can induce gods to act
Gods can induce demigods to act
Gods can induce spirits to act
Gods can induce mortals to act

Demigods can induce gods to act
Demigods can induce demigods to act
Demigods can induce spirits to act
Demigods can induce mortals to act

Spirits can induce gods to act
Spirits can induce demigods to act
Spirits can induce spirits to act
Spirits can induce mortals to act

Mortals can induce gods to act
Mortals can induce demigods to act
Mortals can induce spirits to act
Mortals can induce mortals to act

Choose all that apply:

Mortals are animated by god
Mortals are animated by demigods
Mortals are animated by spirits
Mortals are animated by consciousness
Mortals are animated by an extracted portion of the universal spirit
Mortals are animated by the flow of the consciousness of the universal spirit
Mortals are animated by energy

Choose all that apply:

Consciousness within the physical universe is accidental
Consciousness within the physical universe is purposeful

Choose all that apply:

Consciousness is derived from god
Consciousness is derived from demigods
Consciousness is derived from spirit
Consciousness is derived from mind
Consciousness is derived from the flow of the consciousness of the universal spirit

Choose all that apply:

Personality is derived from spirit
Personality is derived from genetics
Personality is derived from experience

Choose all that apply:

A good individual has a good spirit
A good individual can have an evil spirit

An evil individual has an evil spirit
An evil individual can have a good spirit

Choose one:

Personality changes in an individual never reflects changes in spirit
Personality changes in an individual can reflect changes in spirit
Personality changes in an individual always reflects changes in spirit
Not applicable

Choose all that apply:

It is possible for a mortal to have mutually meaningful communication with a god
It is possible for a mortal to have mutually meaningful communication with a demigod
It is possible for a mortal to have mutually meaningful communication with a spirit
It is possible for a mortal to have mutually meaningful communication with a mortal

Choose one:

Higher animals are non-spiritual
Higher animals are spiritually less than humans
Higher animals are spiritually equivalent to humans
Higher animals are spiritually greater than humans
Not applicable

Choose one:

Colony animals are non-spiritual
Colony animals are spiritually less than humans
Colony animals are spiritually equivalent to humans
Colony animals are spiritually greater than humans
Not applicable

Choose one:

Lower animals are non-spiritual
Lower animals are spiritually less than humans
Lower animals are spiritually equivalent to humans
Lower animals are spiritually greater than humans
Not applicable

Choose one:

Plants are non-spiritual
Plants are spiritually less than humans
Plants are spiritually equivalent to humans
Plants are spiritually greater than humans
Not applicable

Choose one:

Cells are non-spiritual
Cells are spiritually less than humans
Cells are spiritually equivalent to humans
Cells are spiritually greater than humans
Not applicable

Choose one:

Bacteria are non-spiritual
Bacteria are spiritually less than humans
Bacteria are spiritually equivalent to humans
Bacteria are spiritually greater than humans
Not applicable

Choose one:

Viruses are non-spiritual
Viruses are spiritually less than humans
Viruses are spiritually equivalent to humans
Viruses are spiritually greater than humans
Not applicable

Choose one:

Proteins are non-spiritual
Proteins are spiritually less than humans
Proteins are spiritually equivalent to humans
Proteins are spiritually greater than humans
Not applicable

Choose one:

Amino are non-spiritual
Amino acids are spiritually less than humans
Amino acids are spiritually equivalent to humans
Amino acids are spiritually greater than humans
Not applicable

Choose one:

Molecules are non-spiritual
Molecules are spiritually less than humans
Molecules are spiritually equivalent to humans
Molecules are spiritually greater than humans
Not applicable

Choose one:

Atoms are non-spiritual
Atoms are spiritually less than humans
Atoms are spiritually equivalent to humans
Atoms are spiritually greater than humans
Not applicable

Choose one:

Machines are non-spiritual
Machines can not be spiritual
Machines will always be spiritually less than humans
Machines are or may become spiritually equivalent to humans
Machines are or may become greater than humans
Not applicable

Choose all that apply:

God knows me
God loves me
God wants my spirit after I die
God wants me to behave in specific ways
God tests me
God is displeased when I do wrong
God punishes me
God rewards me
God listens to me
God responds to me
God changes reality to influence my life
God has a plan for me
God can assign an individual a purpose without explicitly telling them
God can assign an individual a purpose by explicitly telling them

Choose all that apply:

God has a plan for the physical universe
God loves everyone
God sees everyone as equal
God knows every mortal

Choose all that apply:

God speaks or has spoken to mortals
God speaks through demigods to mortals
God speaks through spirits to mortals

God sends messages to mortals in trances
God sends messages to mortals in dreams
God sends messages to mortals in subtle ways

An interaction with God can easily be distinguish from schizophrenia

Choose all that apply:

God grants mortal status or position based upon belief
God grants mortal status or position based upon ancestry

God prefers certain tribes based upon belief
God prefers certain tribes based upon ancestry

God grants territory to certain tribes based upon belief
God grants territory to certain tribes based upon ancestry

Choose all that apply:

God recognizes certain times as sacred
God recognizes certain dates as sacred
God recognizes certain celestial convergences as sacred
God recognizes certain objects as sacred
God recognizes certain places as sacred

God recognizes certain times as important
God recognizes certain dates as important
God recognizes certain celestial convergences as important
God recognizes certain objects as important
God recognizes certain places as important

Choose all that apply:

Killing of the pre-born is not permitted
Killing of the pre-born is permitted under certain circumstances
Killing of the pre-born is permitted

Killing of infants is not permitted
Killing of infants is permitted under certain circumstances
Killing of infants is permitted

Killing of children is not permitted
Killing of children is permitted under certain circumstances
Killing of children is permitted

Killing of adults is not permitted
Killing of adults is permitted under certain circumstances
Killing of adults is permitted

Killing of animals is not permitted
Killing of animals is permitted under certain circumstances
Killing of animals is permitted

Killing of plants is not permitted
Killing of plants is permitted under certain circumstances
Killing of plants is permitted

Choose all that apply:

God can instruct killing to be performed
God can reward killing
God can instruct a war to be started
God can favor a side in a war
God always favors a side in a war

Choose all that apply:

God requires the rules to be followed
God requires charity
God requires worship
God requires devotion
God requires belief
God requires evangelism of belief

Choose all that apply:

God requires religious principles and rules to be canonized and practiced
God requires religious rights and rituals to be canonized and practiced
God requires that some rights and rituals be performed on specific dates
God requires that some rights and rituals be performed within a specific period

Choose all that apply:

God requires religious edifices to be constructed
God requires religious edifices to be consecrated
God requires religious edifices be used for all rights and rituals

Choose all that apply:

God requires mortals to be religious
God requires mortals to financially support a religion

Choose all that apply:

God requires mortals to become a member of a church
God requires mortals to financially support a church

Choose all that apply:

Religious best practice requires the rejection of all but the true godhead
Religious best practice requires the rejection of desire
Religious best practice requires the rejection of (most) worldly possessions
Religious best practice requires living a simple life
Religious best practice requires denial of self
Religious best practice requires penance
Religious best practice requires prayer on a regular basis
Religious best practice requires giving thanks and/or praise on a regular basis
Religious best practice requires celebration
Religious best practice requires feasting
Religious best practice requires inebriation
Religious best practice requires participation in religious services/ceremonies on a regular basis
Religious best practice requires submission to religious teachings
Religious best practice requires thoughtful interpretation of religious teachings
Religious best practice requires teaching historical religious events on an annual cycle
Religious best practice requires making a pilgrimage
Religious best practice requires membership consecration
Religious best practice requires performing sacrifices
Religious best practice requires behaving as a model for others
Religious best practice requires respecting everyone
Religious best practice requires showing kindness to everyone
Religious best practice requires making a point of helping others
Religious best practice requires financial contribution to the church
Religious best practice requires charity
Religious best practice requires participating in missionary work
Religious best practice requires participating in the secular community
Religious best practice requires non-violence
Religious best practice requires non-denial of religious beliefs
Religious best practice requires evangelizing religious beliefs
Religious best practice requires avoiding the secular community
Religious best practice requires shunning those who have different religious beliefs
Religious best practice requires fighting for religious beliefs
Religious best practice requires possibly killing for religious beliefs
Religious best practice requires possibly dying for religious beliefs
Religious best practice requires performing burial ceremonies for the dead

Religious best practice requires observing behavioral standards
Religious best practice requires observing ethical standards
Religious best practice requires observing hygienic standards
Religious best practice requires observing dietary standards

Religious best practice requires not using god's name in vain (it's very distracting)

Religious best practice requires being married in a religious ceremony
Religious best practice requires marrying for life
Religious best practice requires not having sexual relations prior to marriage
Religious best practice requires only having sexual relations with their spouse
Religious best practice requires not having sexual relations for reasons other than reproduction
Religious best practice requires not having more than one spouse
Religious best practice requires marrying a member of the opposite sex
Religious best practice requires marrying to have children
Religious best practice requires having children once married
Religious best practice requires being "of age" to be married

Choose all that apply:

Mortals are permitted to prey for assistance from god
Mortals are encouraged to prey for assistance from god
Mortals are permitted to prey for assistance from a demigod
Mortals are encouraged to prey for assistance from a demigod
Mortals are permitted to prey for assistance from a spirit
Mortals are encouraged to prey for assistance from a spirit

Choose one:

Religious principles and rules are unchanging
Religious principles are unchanging but rules are subject to change
Religious principles and rules are subject to change

Choose all that apply:

The religion canon can be changed only at the instruction of god
The religion canon can be changed at the discretion of the religious leadership
The religion canon can be changed by a democratic process

The religion canon can be changed to serve the membership
The religion canon can be changed to protect the membership
The religion canon can be changed to control the membership
The religion canon can be changed to preserve or enhance the influence of the religion
The religion canon can be changed to resolve inconsistencies or misinterpretations
The religion canon can be changed in response to logical evaluation
The religion canon can be changed in response to science

Choose all that apply:

God requires a religion to establish leaders
God requires religious leaders to be trained
God requires religious leaders to be certified
God requires religious leaders to be consecrated
God requires religious leaders to be certified before being consecrated
God requires religion members to be trained
God requires religion members to be certified
God requires religion members to be consecrated
God requires religion members to be certified before being consecrated

Choose all that apply:

God controls religious leaders
God guides religious leaders
God treats religious leaders the same a religion members
God grants infallibility to religious leaders

Choose all that apply:

The soul is given before conception
The soul is given at conception
The soul is given at birth
The soul is the product of the individual's life
The soul requires consecration

Choose all that apply:

Upon death the soul of a true believer may be rewarded
Upon death the soul of a true believer may be preserved
Upon death the soul of a true believer may be elevated
Upon death the soul of a true believer may be promoted
Upon death the soul of a true believer may be enlightened
Upon death the soul of a true believer may be educated
Upon death the soul of a true believer may be punished
Upon death the soul of a true believer may be reincarnated
Upon death the soul of a true believer may be rebuilt
Upon death the soul of a true believer may be recycled
Upon death the soul of a true believer may be destroyed

Upon death the soul of a faulty believer may be rewarded
Upon death the soul of a faulty believer may be preserved
Upon death the soul of a faulty believer may be elevated
Upon death the soul of a faulty believer may be promoted
Upon death the soul of a faulty believer may be enlightened
Upon death the soul of a faulty believer may be educated
Upon death the soul of a faulty believer may be punished
Upon death the soul of a faulty believer may be reincarnated
Upon death the soul of a faulty believer may be rebuilt
Upon death the soul of a faulty believer may be recycled
Upon death the soul of a faulty believer may be destroyed

Upon death the soul of a non-believer may be rewarded
Upon death the soul of a non-believer may be preserved
Upon death the soul of a non-believer may be elevated
Upon death the soul of a non-believer may be promoted
Upon death the soul of a non-believer may be enlightened
Upon death the soul of a non-believer may be educated
Upon death the soul of a non-believer may be punished
Upon death the soul of a non-believer may be reincarnated
Upon death the soul of a non-believer may be rebuilt
Upon death the soul of a non-believer may be recycled
Upon death the soul of a non-believer may be destroyed

Choose all that apply:

Souls can be released from punishment by the intercession of gods
Souls can be released from punishment by the intercession of demigods
Souls can be released from punishment by the intercession of spirits
Souls can be released from punishment by the intercession of mortals

Souls can be released from punishment by sacrifice or offerings
Souls can be released from punishment by prayer
Souls can be released from punishment by repentance
Souls can be released from punishment by trickery or resistance
Souls can be released from punishment by accident

Choose all that apply:

Souls can be reincarnated at the will of gods
Souls can be reincarnated at the will of demigods
Souls can be reincarnated at the will of spirits
Souls can be reincarnated at the will of mortals

Souls can be reincarnated after a fixed period
Souls can be reincarnated after a training period
Souls can be reincarnated only a certain number of times

Choose all that apply:

Souls have a purpose in the afterlife
Souls can remember their lives in the afterlife
Souls recognize each other in the afterlife
Souls can interact each other in the afterlife
Souls can reestablish personal relationships in the afterlife
Souls can have access to items from their lives in the afterlife
Souls can experience emotions in the afterlife
Souls can experience pain in the afterlife
Souls can experience pleasure in the afterlife
Souls can change in the afterlife
Souls can learn in the afterlife
Souls can sin in the afterlife

Choose all that apply:

Souls can interact with spirits in the afterlife
Souls can interact with demigods in the afterlife
Souls can interact with gods in the afterlife

Choose all that apply:

All gods move within common spiritual realms
Gods and demigods move within common spiritual realms
Gods and spirits move within common spiritual realms
Gods and mortals move within common spiritual realms

All demigods move within common spiritual realms
Demigods and spirits move within common spiritual realms
Demigods and mortals move within common spiritual realms

All spirits move within common spiritual realms
Spirits and mortals move within common spiritual realms

All mortals exist within a common spiritual realm

Choose all that apply:

Gods have a purpose that is relevant to other gods
Gods have a purpose that is relevant to the demigods
Gods have a purpose that is relevant to the spirits
Gods have a purpose that is relevant to the mortals

Demigods have a purpose that is relevant to the gods
Demigods have a purpose that is relevant to other demigods
Demigods have a purpose that is relevant to the spirits
Demigods have a purpose that is relevant to the mortals

Spirits have a purpose that is relevant to the gods
Spirits have a purpose that is relevant to the demigods
Spirits have a purpose that is relevant to other spirits
Spirits have a purpose that is relevant to the mortals

Mortals have a purpose that is relevant to the gods
Mortals have a purpose that is relevant to the demigods
Mortals have a purpose that is relevant to the spirits
Mortals have a purpose that is relevant to other mortals

Choose all that apply:

Gods are responsible for specific aspects of the physical universe
Demigods are responsible for specific aspects of the physical universe
Spirits are responsible for specific aspects of the physical universe

Choose all that apply:

The sun has supernatural significance
The moon has supernatural significance
The world has supernatural significance

The planets have supernatural significance
The stars have supernatural significance
The sky has supernatural significance

Celestial alignments have supernatural significance

The climate has supernatural significance
The seasons have supernatural significance
The weather has supernatural significance

The land has supernatural significance
The water has supernatural significance
The air has supernatural significance
The flame has supernatural significance

Choose all that apply:

Plants have supernatural significance
Animals have supernatural significance
Mortals have supernatural significance

Life has supernatural significance
Birth has supernatural significance
Death has supernatural significance
Gender has supernatural significance

Choose all that apply:

The act of creation has supernatural significance
The act of destruction has supernatural significance

Choose all that apply:

Food has supernatural significance
Trance has supernatural significance
Pain has supernatural significance
Pleasure has supernatural significance
Music has supernatural significance
Psychedelics have supernatural significance
Creativity has supernatural significance
Love has supernatural significance

The number of distinct religions that can be defined from this framework is:

9! * 3 * 3 * 3 *3 * 5 * 5 * 5 * 4! * 24! * 3 * 3 * 12! * 24! * 16! * 16! * 16! * 4! * 16! * 7! * 2! * 5! * 3! * 4! * 4 * 4! * 5 *5 *5 * 5 * 5 * 5 * 5 * 5 * 5 * 5 * 6 * 14! * 4! * 7! * 6! * 10! * 18! * 5! * 6! * 4! * 3! * 2! * 2! * 50! * 6! * 3 * 10! * 9! * 4! * 5! * 33! * 9! * 7! * 12! * 3! * 10! * 16! * 3! * 14! * 7! * 2! * 8! =

3.5383 x 10^202

One of these is probably right (possibly yours!)

http://www.religionstree.com/#/Home?lineageId=1

Faith Interview Request

Introduction:

I am (as we all are) on a lifelong journey of spiritual exploration. I am seeking individuals of strong faith and religious experience to interview with the desire to understand the “what”, “why”, and “how” of their beliefs. My intention is to use these interviews to put my own spiritual experiences and beliefs in perspective for a story that I'm writing.

I appreciate you even considering participating in my project and I understand that for many individuals the spiritual journey may be highly personal, please feel free to defer any question that makes you uncomfortable, omit details, or generalize. I promise to be completely confidential with regard to what you reveal or teach me. If you would prefer a "give and take" conversation to a straight interview, I am fully prepared to answer / discuss each of these questions from my perspective.

Ideally, I would like to record the conversation (audio or video). I would be very glad to share the recording with you. I promise to keep the recording in confidence and will destroy it within 24 months of creating it and if you're uncomfortable during the recording, I agree to destroy it on the spot. I will not use anything you say verbatim, I'm just interested in building thematic elements to expand upon in a fictional manner...

I am open to an interview of any duration that is convenient for you. The interview can be an open ended conversation or as as short as a 30 minute appointment.

Below are the topics that I would like to cover during the interview. I provide these to you to allow you time to consider how you would like to respond each. Once again, please feel free to establish any questions as “out of bounds”.

Questions:

1. What is your earliest significant religious/spiritual memory? What was the emotional impact of this experience? How did this alter/shape your view? Reflecting back on your reaction at the time, how do you view your reaction?

2. When did you become active in your religious community? What was the impetus (calling) that caused you to become active? How do those early experiences influence your religious practice today?

3. What are the three most influential religious experiences of your life? What was the emotional impact of each? How did these alter/shape your view of existence?

4. Were there any “false steps” that you made within your faith? What was the emotional impact of these? How did these alter/shape your view of existence?

5. What are the most important aspects your religion (expectations, good/bad, artifacts, writings, teachings, tenets, ceremonies, practices, primal forces (god, nature), spiritual agents (angels, demons, ancestors, other), afterlife, pre-life, etc)? What are the roles of these aspects in the existence of believers?

6. How do you know what you believe is correct? What is your level of certainty in your belief? Why is your certainty at its present level? How has your certainty changed over time? Do find a correlation between your level of happiness and your religious conviction? What challenges to your faith do you expect to potentially face in the future?

7. What do you believe about those who are currently not of your religion? What do you believe about individuals who lived before your religion was formed? In what way would you recommend that someone not of your faith approach your religion to afford them the best opportunity to emotionally connect with the truth of what you believe?

Thank you very much for your time and attention

Ten Commandments King James Version: Exodus 20:1-17 (deconstructed as a work of literature)

FIRST COMMANDMENT: I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

This commandment either formally acknowledges that there are multiple gods or must be considered as propaganda designed to manipulate followers (who are still allowed to believe in whatever other gods they choose) to accept these commandments as primary law. In modern terms, this would be considered as a grounding statement intended to provide an “authority premise”. Examining this commandment as an authority premise, reveals that it is only weakly supported requiring the follower to accept Moses’ testimony (as subsequently transcribed into the book of Exodus – via an unsecured (hard to validate) chain of custody – by individuals with debatable motives).

SECOND COMMANDMENT:  Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

This is a compound commandment that breaks down into don’t worship any other (presumably spiritual) entity and follow these rules. Personally, I would have lead with a “follow these rules statement” right after providing an authority basis because placing the focus upon graven images is of lower relevance because these are merely tools of worship as opposed to being worship. Clearly the act of misdirected worship must be the paramount concern because it is important to keep the peoples’ attention focused by staying on message.

An interesting aspect of the graven image portion of this commandment is that it validates the concept of sympathetic magic, in that worshiping through an object (graven image) can have or produce a reality changing consequence is induced by the worshiper.

This commandment also offers a bit of a temper tantrum, in that God is jealous and presently focused upon about a pattern of generational hatred. The tantrum is reinforced via an expression of conditional love by offering mercy to those who love God. Let’s call all of these clauses a threat on the order of “follow the rules or else”, with the “or else” part left undefined for the moment. The attitude expressed in this commandment violates the “loving god” image that many have historically preached and represents an extremely humanistic emotional attitude. If anything, I would have preferred a more “clinical” or “matter of fact” tone here – more along the lines of behave properly or you’ll be discarded as easily as I discard the bones of a fish after the flesh has been consumed.

I really dislike the “present situation” approach within a set of laws that are intended to guide behavior for the rest of history; “fathers upon the children unto third and fourth generation of them that hate me”. Living in the time that this was given it certainly has emotional impact, but with millennia between the authorship and now, the emotional impact is no more than a distraction or confirmation that people having been “wrong thinking” for a very long time. To speak to a person’s heart shouldn’t timeless principles be espoused and the intellect be engaged – as opposed to taking the “you kids have been driving me crazy for the past four generations!!!”

THIRD COMMANDMENT: Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

I’m going to assume that everything after the semicolon is poetry – because unless one does not understand what a commandment is, breaking the rules is breaking the rules and the rule breaker is therefore guilty of rule breaking.

I partially chalk this commandment up to something along the lines of “Only call me when you really want my attention. It’s very distracting when everyone is yelling my name just to emphasize or express an elevated emotional state.” But even given this possible explanation; isn’t God able to readily discern what a person is feeling and why they are yelling… It would seem that ignoring pejorative or mindlessly ecstatic shouts of one’s name would be a trivial matter to the point of not even being a consideration.

The other logical reason for this commandment would be to prevent the “cheapening” of the name of God, in that using it for random or inappropriate purposes tends to devalue the concepts behind the name… The premise of this commandment has a valid psychological basis in that people can be desensitized, contributing to the emergence of reduced gratitude and reverence.

FOURTH COMMANDMENT: Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:  For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

Hallowed days? Or is it Holy days? Or is it Holidays? Set aside time to worship in a measure of 1 to 6. The assumption being that worship and work are somehow distinct. Or perhaps the point is to substitute work for God in place of work for oneself or ones family. Unfortunately as written I would argue that this is a practically impossible commandment to keep, in that work is insufficiently defined. And even using the most convoluted definition of work one could never achieve satisfactory adherence, short of sleeping 24 hours every Sunday (as a form of worship).

The 1 to 6 ratio represents a bare minimum time for a person to decompress and provides a rhythm to life… so from a practical point of view there is utility in this rule that fails to meet the criteria of a divine edict. Most certainly people are variable, being either more or less durable, and requiring more or less time to retire from toil. So setting a hard and fast rule such as this is probably too extreme. At most, this commandment should be taken as a guideline.

And while we’re at it, why don’t these commandments layout some specifics about the proper way to worship. Modern psychology indicates that people who practice regular exercises of appreciation and community service are generally happier and more able to support each other. These are also modern tenants of many religions… It would seem that within the Ten Commandments this would be the most logical place to provide rules around how to exhibit these types of healthy behaviors.

FIFTH COMMANDMENT: Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

The word honor is the tricky bit here… most interpretations tend to suggest that this means “obey” or at a bare minimum support your parents. This is a nice idea, but why is it so specific, focusing solely upon parents? What about grandparents, siblings, and children. It clearly would have been better to direct believers to focus upon supporting a strong family unit while guiding those with less experience and knowledge to trust those with greater experience.

SIXTH COMMANDMENT: Thou shalt not kill.

OK – I don’t want to be in a situation where my life is at risk, so this commandment makes sense. But since it isn’t explicitly stated, could this be interpreted as a call for universal vegetarianism? Or taking it even further, we can’t even eat living vegetables – instead we must only consume carrion produced through non-human causes or dead vegetable matter… but wait, what about bacteria??? There’s no way to avoid consuming and killing these…

Perhaps I’m being lazy in my analysis, but given the lack of further guidance we’re going to have to assume that this just applies to people. So rewriting it; Thou shall not kill humans. Therefore no war, no death sentence, and no murder… What about self defense, or what about cases where non-life threatening but severely oppressive circumstances are inflicted by a ruling power? Passivism… at all costs… As long as we all adhere to this it works, otherwise we’re probably going to require a lot of forgiveness individually or collectively at some point…

SEVENTH COMMANDMENT:  Thou shalt not commit adultery.

Because adultery is the act of having sexual relations with a person other than your spouse, there is a psychological basis for the value of this law. The limbic system indiscriminately rewards sexual activity creating a physiological emotional bond between sex partners. Disallowing adultery is disallowing the creation of inappropriate anti-family emotional bonds.

It is interesting that God is concerned about the family again. The commandments would have flowed better with #5 and #7 immediately adjacent to each other… I would also characterize this as a specific form of “thou shall honor thy responsibilities”, in this case the responsibility having been created via commitments made at during a wedding ceremony. It’s also a type of theft (see commandment 8)…

EIGHTH COMMANDMENT: Thou shalt not steal.

Another “thou shall honor thy responsibilities” commandment - because no one wants to be stolen from, especially in situations of personal scarcity where taking from me is a threat to my family and a risk to my ability to satisfy my obligations. In reality there are a huge number of these types of rules that could be individually enumerated… apparently stealing was a significant problem at the time this commandment was authored.

NINTH COMMANDMENT: Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

I would argue that this is also a kind of theft (see commandment 8)… where the lie is an attempt to deceive thus stealing trust between individuals, having the long term effect of making lies acceptable, because everyone does it… don’t they?

TENTH COMMANDMENT: Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

If you managed to avoid coveting a neighbor’s wife, you’ve gone a long way toward preventing the adultery option… Additionally, I would argue that coveting is a prerequisite to theft (see commandment 8)… because you’re very unlikely to steal if you’re not coveting that which is “owned” by another.

This commandment only mentions that coveting of a neighbor’s wife (e.g. is silent on coveting a neighbor’s husband)… this commandment implicitly sanctions the ownership of wives by husbands, thus placing women in the category of property. Additionally, the mention of coveting servants, tells us that servants are also property either through indenture or slavery. Broadly western society abhors the concept of a person owning a person, but many espouse the divine validity of these commandments.

How can the selective (variable, pragmatic, and personally convenient) application of the laws of God by the so called “devout” be reconciled within a religious order? The reconciliation is either never done or is only done when other egregious transgressions are uncovered.

Commandments reformulated:

While not perfect, in my opinion these commandments hang together significantly better that those of Exodus because these reflect a nobler modern sense of equality and mutual respect while providing a timeless set of principles that avoid an enumeration approach to sinfulness.

FIRST COMMANDMENT: I am God your creator; above all else worship me by living in accordance with these commandments.

SECOND COMMANDMENT: Value life and treasure its capacity for love and its ability to produce vital change in the world. Only take life with clear purpose, meaning, and great reverence and humility in the recognition that all shall pass through the transformations of eternity.

THIRD COMMANDMENT: Learn and respect the diversity of human experience so that in knowing and accepting each other, all are empowered to achieve their greatest potential in service to the destiny of mankind.

FOURTH COMMANDMENT: Faithfully and transparently honor your responsibilities both explicit and implied; in service to your family, the community, and the whole of mankind for all time.

FIFTH COMMANDMENT: Practice habits of personal and interpersonal discipline that refresh the spirit through frequent honest reflection, sharing, listening, continual study, generous service, and frequent overt acts of contrition, forgiveness, bonding, gratitude, and love.

Who is the Neoheurist?

Philosopher

Visionary / Futurist / Sociologist / Political Scientist

Humanist / Libertarian / Neoheurist

System Engineer / Technologist / Biologist / Scientist

Maven / Leader / Healer / Teacher

Citizen of the World

Social Entrepreneur / Social Engineer / Architect

Arbiter / Inclusive / Balanced / Flexible / Stable / Honest / Brave

Widely Respected / Broadly Venerated / Inspirational / Archetype

Business

Problem Solver / Inventor / Inspirational / Potent

Transparent / Conscientious / Brave / Humble

Maven / Consultant / Adviser

Artist

Storyteller / Novelist / Screenwriter / Filmmaker

Essayist / Lecturer

Poet / Lyricist / Songwriter

Drawing / Cartooning / Painting

Humorist / Irreverent / Playful

Quirky / Niche / Unique / Alternative / Prized

Personal

Husband / Patriarch / Father

Friend / Confidant

Seeker / Student

Counselor / Teacher / Collaborator