Want a headache? Discuss politics with someone these days. Or religion.
Last week we printed a letter by Arlene Heinz of Elmwood that encompassed both topics. In it, she wrote about keeping the Ten Commandments. What Arlene wrote in her letter was “especially the Fifth, ‘Thou shall not kill.’”
What we printed was “especially the Sixth, ‘Thou shall not kill.’”
Arlene did not appreciate the change, saying the Sixth Commandment involves adultery. And she is correct. She is also incorrect.
Not being much of a Bible scholar, I double-checked the order of commandments online. We try to check as many facts as possible in letters, and some never see the light of day as a result. But I didn’t spend enough time on my research and my change will no doubt earn me demerits from Father Jim and Pastor Wilson and earn me an “Opa” from Father Vaggalis.
It seems in ordering the commandments, there are no absolutes – which are limited to the commands themselves. (While we’re on this, I’ve long wondered how the directive against killing didn’t rate No. 1.)
More to the point, I should have removed a number for the commandment entirely. Because depending on your religion, the edict to not kill is either No. 5 (Catholics, Lutherans and some others) or No. 6 (Eastern Orthodox Christians, Methodists, Presbyterians, Jews and some others).
Which proves once again the axiom that discussing religion or politics will only create problems.
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Speaking of religion, we recently attended a Greek Orthodox funeral service in Decatur for a 46-year-old friend who died too young. The service was deeply depressing but also uplifting. Three young women chanted verses from Psalms 119 throughout the service in a wonderful, heartbreaking lament that somehow elicited tears while also providing hope. That is the power of religion that appeals to me.
… On the lighter side, who can forget Mel Brooks coming down from the mountain with three stone tablets inscribed with The 15 Commandments, only to drop one of the three tablets and then announce, “Oy. Ten. Ten Commandments for all to obey.” That’s a 27-second movie scene worth Googling. … During our recent theological discussion at work, it was noted that there is no Bible in the office. Just icons. Big mistake, I guess. That got me to remembering a relative who once picked up a Bible in our house, opened it and said, not so sweetly, “The binding is a little stiff on this.” … That was not true of Grandma Eick’s bible, which was worn and stuffed with obituaries and funeral cards. That tome was the original ancestry.com.
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Parting shot: Seed-collecting season is still going strong, though the winds and birds have nearly stripped some prairie species. With that in mind, it’s time to start promoting our second annual native seed event later this winter at the Salem Township Library in Yates City. Tentative date is Dec. 14, noon-2 p.m. The event was billed as a seed exchange last year, but that’s not totally accurate. Just show up and take home some seeds, even if you don’t have anything to swap. The goal is to get native plants back into the ground because of all the bugs and critters they support.
Contact Jeff Lampe at (309) 231-6040 or jeff@wklypost.com
