I thought the ten commandnents were the big ones. So why aren't religious Jews/Christians nearly as appalled with someone who commits adultery as with someone who kills or steals?

Because at the root of it all, most Christians people can empathize with the adulterer, if not the murderer or thief.

Because most people don't really take their religion that seriously when it conflicts with basic common sense.

Good question.

From God's prespective maybe they are....Do you expect humans to see things the same way God does?

I think an act of murder offends more people then an act adultry does so It is not surprising humans would find it more offensive.

In many places of the world, they are viewed fairly equally. Atleast if commited by a woman. Maybe these cultures are more pleasing to God?

Because for all the talk about religion providing a yardstick for morality, people apply it as is convenient.

Why are believers only limiting themselves to ten commandments if there are over 600 more equally important ones...

Is this an assumption or is there a source that states that the ten commandments are all equal. I am not trying to be difficult, I just do not recall that being asserted within Catholicism. Is it a tenet of Judaism?

What evidence do you have that religious people aren't as appalled by adultery?

What evidence do you have that the commandments are things that people are supposed to find appalling?

David, the big difference between Christians and atheists is that Christians are supposed to be focused on being appalled by their own behavior. Atheists enjoy judging others.

Your post is a perfect example of this principle at work.

This is a flawed question. From a Christian point of view, the old testament law is not at all the basis of our religion. I don't know where the idea that Christianity is all about following the ten commandments came from, but it is a widespread fallacy.

I know Catholicism "ranks" sins into various degrees of severity. How does it do that, and what is the Biblical basis for that? I was under the impression that all sin is relatively equal (besides one or two, like blaspheming the holy spirit)

This is an excellent perspective until you start judging atheists which is contradictory to your point.

In the time of Moses it was the same, and in some cultures since then too.

Today in some Muslim cultures an argument could be made that murder is less of a crime than adultery, because there are more exceptions when it is considered justified and either not punished or punished less severely. If a man's wife or daughter commits adultery, he can murder her and often not be punished.

Does it specify anywhere that all commandments are equally bad?

And even if you count their importance in numerical order then not honouring your mother and father is ranked worse than murder. Surely this can't be the case.

Think Moses could have had a better ranking system

Yes, according to Moses.

OP, there are clearly varying degrees and severities of crimes, including moral crimes. The level of appalment typically reflects that degree of severity.

Adultery is way below murder. It's probably closer to theft. Ethically, though, I wouldn't know which ranks worse, adultery or theft.

Because it's common sense that adultery is in the same league as murder? What the fa heck?

Because people tend to look at things from a human perspective and focus on the human consequences of behavior and forget that sins aren't against other people in Judaism and Christianity.

Sins are really against God.

Technically the word "sin" means missing God's mark.

....err, no. The point is that common sense says it isn't. Biblically, all have sinned and fall short. Doesn't matter, if it's a sin, it all counts exactly the same: exclusion from heaven. Same for forgiven sins - doesn't matter if you've committed adultery or murder, repent and all will be equally forgiven.

Common sense tells us this is silly.

Isn't that the point of commandments, to command people to see things the same way God does?


Huh?

I don't think David meant to ask why aren't people as offended by adultery as they are by murder or theft. I think he is asking why shouldn't they be. Doesn't the bible say that all sins are eqaul in the eyes of God and if you break one law you have broken them all?

So are more sins the same as one? For example if you cheat on your wife is it the same as if you cheated murdered the woman you cheated with then stole her money and gambled with it?

No, I'm saying the opposite--reread.

Alright seriously now this thread has a simple asnwer. When you cheat on someone they don't usualy die. Std maybe but usualy they survive.

Yea, Christianity doesn't at all work like that. God's not sittin there counting your sins, weighting them by severity, and then telling you how bad you are.





Also not all sins are equal. They are deserve the same punishment in the end. That does not mean that they are all equal. More severe sins will lead to more severe consequences in your life. Common sense tells us this. If you murder, you will likely go to jail. If you are an adulterer you will probably end up with a terrible/failed marriage. Both are bad, but not equally as bad. To God these actions are both despicable. Not necessarily equally despicable. There are many Old Testament examples in the Bible that say "a," b," and "c" displease God and "d," "e," and "g" are abominations to God (or something similar.) Also God did not say that all crimes were to be punished equally in Old Testament law. This again shows that God does not believe all sins to be equal even though they all keep us apart from God.


Christians don't view acts like God. Christians don't advocate putting people that don't believe in God in jail like they do with murderers. Clearly God doesn't like either situation.

As humans, we punish people based on the harm the perpetrator does to other. The more harmful, the more appalling. Christians do not believe in forcing others into their religion, but they do believe in protecting society. This is the only thing that God expects us to carry out. God will judge people for their sins not humans. Our only responsibility as humans is to protect each other through the punishment of crime.

The eternal consequences get you to the same place.

Some Christians and people of other faiths believe that marriage is a spiritual union. Some believe that every sexual act creates 'one-flesh'. These spiritual bonds would connect souls that are of 'one-flesh' into eternity. So, sleeping with a prostitute who had 10k partners would entangle your soul with all of their souls. So, if this position is taken as true, an adulterer who entangles their spouse with a multitude of others for all of eternity is causing great eternal harm to that person. Greater in fact then killing a Christian virgin.