The Ten Commandments are considered by many as old-fashioned as a Commodore 64 computer in a technologically advanced Pentium III age. So what do we do with old-fashioned systems and concepts in such a day and age? Why, we modify them, of course.
1.)Have strong values for yourself. It doesn't matter who or what you believe in as long as the values associated with that belief are good, strong and solid, making you a better person in the end.

2.)Don't waste your time worshipping the almighty dollar, material possessions or success. Be somebody who knows what is right and is able defend it. Be somebody who knows the meaning of showing love for humanity and giving compassion to others.

3.)When you open your mouth, speak with intelligence and class. You'll get more attention by expressing what you have to say without cursing; that only announces to the world just how uneducated and low class you are.

4.)Set aside one day out of the week to do something that really matters. Go to church. If you aren't a church-goer, do something that makes life a little better for someone else. Play ball with a kid on your street. Visit your grandmother. Help a friend with homework. Tell your mom you love her. A simple act of care and kindness once a week goes a long way in the busy, selfish world we live in.

5.)Give your parents respect. As much as you may not like their rules and restrictions, they are only trying to guide you toward living a healthy, happy life. Remember that they are only trying to be good parents. Your respect lets them know how much you appreciate the things they have done to raise and nurture you.

6.)Don't do things that you know will hurt other people. Put yourself in their shoes and imagine how you would feel having that act of cruelty or violence committed toward you.

7.)Be faithful to the good things you believe in and stick to these beliefs, no matter what it takes or how you may be put down and criticized by others. The more faithful you are to what you believe, the taller you stand in comparison to those who are far less faithful.

8.)Don't diminish yourself. Nobody likes a liar, cheater or someone who steals. You undermine your own ability to achieve great things in life when you do these things. Why choose to be less than you can be when you can be an honest, honorable person? Be a person with enough self respect not to steal.

9.)Be responsible for your actions. Don't hide from blame. A real man or woman admits when he or she is wrong and faces the consequences.

10.)Don't be jealous of what your friends have or try to diminish their accomplishments. You possess the ability and the personal freedom to dream your dreams and to achieve them in the same way they have. Why not challenge yourself to rise to even greater heights? It's your life, after all. Why not live it to the fullest in the best way that you know how?

Here are mine.
  1. Show some humility. To be cocky and arrogant is only human nature, especially while young; but it does not encourage others to help you mature and become less foolish.

  2. Question everything. Do it while you're young, and take special care to do it when you are older. Only by questioning can we continue to grow as individuals and as a race.

  3. Don't be afraid to be human. You will think thoughts that are technically "evil", and you will want to do things you know you shouldn't. This is not wrong, and any person or religion that says otherwise is a danger to your happiness.

  4. Always try to look on the bright side of life. It's a lie that every cloud has a silver lining, and it's hard to defeat negative emotion, but there are many simple joys in life that sometimes make it all feel worthwhile. See: art, music, the joy of creativity.

  5. Don't get bogged down with other people's troubles, but don't show them a lack of compassion. If you do, then don't expect compassion from them when things get tough for you.

  6. We'd all save each other a lot of grief if we didn't try to convert people to our beliefs. Don't expect people to respect your beliefs if they are contrary to your own, because many people won't. This may not be right, but it is human nature.

  7. Anger at something you cannot change is futile, and often a source of great sadness or frustration. Try to get out of this hole as soon as you can, whether it be something small like your brother being late to pick you up, or the violence in Israel. The best thing to do in a situation like this is to try and help rather than expressing anger. If you can do this, you are truely a strong person.

  8. Companion to commandment seven: Sadness about something you cannot change or have no control over only increases the net amount of sadness in the world.

  9. Conformity is the opiate of the masses. If conformity makes you happy, then so be it. If it does not, then don't let anyone tell you that you are wrong for not conforming.

  10. Enjoy yourself. This is utmost in importance.
George Carlin, in his "Complaints & Grievances" show from 2001, also took a stab at the Ten Commandments. His argument was that it was a "padded list", "artificially inflated to sell better", created by "(a) group of political and religious hustlers (to) scare and control primitive people". But then again, George was never known for his warmth and kindness.

The main gist of the bit, which I will not reproduce in its entirety due to copyright laws and fear of mass-downvoting, was to reduce the number of commandments. He used the Roman Catholic commandments as his starting point, being born and raised Catholic himself (until he "reached the age of reason", as he is fond of saying).

  1. The first three commandments - strange gods, name in vain, Sabbath - were deemed to be complete and utter superstitious nonsense, designed to "scare and control primitive people". They are discarded.
  2. The fourth commandment - honor thy father and mother - is also thrown out. Respect for authority should be based on the individuals performance, not be an automatic response.
  3. The fifth commandment - the 'don't kill people' one - is kept, but modified. His main problem with this one is that even religious people do not seem to take it very seriously - he mentions Kashmir, the Inquisition and the World Trade Center incident as shining examples - so why should we? Earlier in the show, he professed to not care about gun-laws or killing people, but in what I assume to be an avoidance of idiotic interpretations, it is ultimately kept yet reworded: "Thy shall try real hard not to kill anyone."
  4. Commandments 6 through 9 are combined, because they ultimately prohibit the same kind of behavior. It is reworded with positive language instead of restrictive language to read, "Thy shalt always be honest and faithful."
  5. The last one - coveting your neighbors goods - is dismissed as "plain fucking stupid". Prohibiting the desire to own what other people own is what keeps the economy going, so the tenth commandment is dismissed as well.
  6. In the end, Carlin adds his own commandment to prevent anymore religious hatred and intolerance in the world: "Thy shalt keep thy religion to thyself."

Amazingly enough, this list makes as much sense as the original.

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