You don’t need to be a believer to be familiar with the Ten Commandments or Moses’ Decalogue during this Lent.
Don’t worry—I’m not here to give you a catechism lesson or expect you to recite each one. What I do want is to reflect on the misconception many people have about these guidelines, including many who profess Christianity.
When we think of “Commandments,” the idea of mandatory compliance comes to mind, and it might be assumed that following these laws means losing our freedom, as if we’d be living our lives according to rules others have decided.
However, the purpose of these commandments was to prepare people to live in freedom after years of slavery.
Moreover, following these commandments, far from restricting our freedom, would help us live with full use of our free will.
Let’s choose a few of these commandments to illustrate this.
The fifth commandment states: “You shall not kill.” It’s obvious that killing another person not only could take away your freedom—you might spend years in prison—but depending on the severity of the crime, you could even lose your life if sentenced to death. Killing someone, even in self-defense, can bring major mental challenges and often requires professional help.
Moving on to the seventh, “You shall not steal,” we find ourselves in a very similar situation. Theft is a crime, and those who steal expose themselves to prison sentences (if caught and found guilty) or even death if they trespass on private property.
But we all know there are people who have always stolen and never faced legal consequences—whether due to high levels of corruption or their ability to exploit system weaknesses. This includes politicians, leaders of some NGOs, church leaders, and anyone who cheats the IRS to receive more money each year.
All of them live enjoying the fruits of their audacity to steal and deceive, but they run the risk of being identified, prosecuted, and sentenced to fines and/or years in prison.
It’s also worth mentioning that those who cheat the IRS also risk having very little money at retirement, but that’s a topic for another article.
Finally, let’s take the tenth commandment: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.” Is there really a need to elaborate? Isn’t the envious person a slave to their own envy? Today, in a world saturated with information shared on social media, we see people posting fantasy lives, and their followers spend their time coveting everything their influencers own. They want the same clothes, the same car, the same accessories. Instead of being grateful for what we have, we’re constantly aspiring to have as much as or more than others.
The same goes for laws and regulations anywhere in the world. If we all follow the established guidelines, we’re more likely to live a calmer, happier, and freer life.
When I play loud music in my home that disturbs the whole neighborhood, I’m limiting my neighbors’ right to peace in their homes.
When I drive at high speeds, I put others’ lives at risk and their right to free movement. When I criticize and attack someone on social media for having different opinions, I’m violating their right to freedom of expression.
Following commandments, laws, and current regulations allows us to live in freedom. Doing whatever we please is called licentiousness, and it always brings negative consequences.
Blessings.
By Manuel Rosario
Industrial Engineer and Speaker
Image: Diocese
