jSarek's Ten Commandments
This was originally written on June 14, 2003 in response to a survey posted on The New Buzz. The First Commandment
Be it known that this be thy first commandment, and first above all: whatever wouldst thou verily that others should do unto thee, so shall ye do unto them.
"That nature only is good when it shall not do unto another whatever is not good for its own self."
--Dadistan-i-Dinik 94:5
The Second Commandment
Thou shalt not betray thy word.
"Never esteem anything as of advantage to you that will make you break your word or lose your self-respect."
--Marcus Aurelius Antoninus
The Third Commandment
Thou shalt not be willfully ignorant, nor shalt thou willfully cloud thy mind.
"I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use."
--Galileo Galilei
The Fourth Commandment
Thou shalt doubt. Even this.
"Question with boldness even the existence of God; because if there be one, He must approve the homage of Reason rather than that of blindfolded Fear."
--Thomas Jefferson
The Fifth Commandment
Thou shalt contribute knowledge to the world.
"Science only knows one commandment: contribute to science."
--Bertolt Brecht
The Sixth Commandment
Thou shalt not appease thy foe, nor thy rival, nor thy enemy, nor thy neighbor's enemy, nor thy snivelling child, nor anything under the skies, nor above them, nor beneath the sodden Earth.
"Millions for defense but not one cent for tribute."
--Charles C. Pinckney
The Seventh Commandment
Thou shalt not repress thy neighbor.
"The mass of mankind has not been born with saddles on their backs, nor a favored few booted and spurred, ready to ride them legitimately, by the grace of God."
--Thomas Jefferson
The Eighth Commandment
Know that thy God is not a jealous God; all the peoples of this world, and all worlds I hath created, I do love; and all that do love anything I have created, in turn do love Me.
"We have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love."
--Jonathan Swift
The Ninth Commandment
Thou shalt not destroy a book.
"Wherever they burn books, they will, in the end, burn people."
--Heinrich Hiene
The Tenth Commandment
For one week after they shed their mortal coil, thou shalt speak no ill of a person thou hath not met in person.
"Dei morti parla bene" (Never speak ill of the dead)
--Italian Proverb
And The Amazing Bonus Eleventh Commandment:
Thou Shalt Not Sing "It's a Small World" whilst dancing the Macarena and eating Spam and Cheez Whiz with a Spork.
Well, this one just goes without saying.
"Everybody got that?"
--"Dark Helmet" (Rick Moranis), Spaceballs