Ten Commandments

Biblical Ten Commandments
    I am the Lord thy God and thou shalt not have other gods before me.
    Thou shalt not make for thyself any graven image.
    Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
    Remember the Lord's Day to keep it holy.
    Honor thy Father and Mother.
    Thou shalt not kill.
    Thou shalt not commit adultery
    Thou shalt not steal
    Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor
    Thou shalt not covet

Native American Ten Commandments
    The Earth is our Mother, care for her.
    Honor all your relations.
    Open your heart and soul to the Great Spirit.
    All life is sacred; treat all beings with respect.
    Take from the Earth what is needed and nothing more.
    Do what needs to be done for the good of all.
    Give constant thanks to the Great Spirit for each new day.
    Speak the truth; but only of good in others.
    Follow the rhythms of nature; rise and retire with the sun.
    Enjoy life's journey, but leave no tracks.


I can't help but point out the stark difference in the two sets of commandments.  The biblical commandments begin with "Thou shalt not.." with a focus on what one should "not" do. Do you sense the negative and condescending tone throughout ? As if we are all born criminals and needed a strict set of rules to just prevent us from committing grave crimes.

Contrast this with the Native American commandments. They recognize the inherent goodness in each one of us and gently guides us to live a life of beauty, harmony and responsibility.

Which one would you choose?