KIDS’ PAGE

By Colleen McDonald      

The Ten Commandments                     October 17, 2001

How do you know what is right and what is wrong?  Most religions have a set of rules or laws meant to help their followers lead good lives and be the best people they can be.

People who are Jewish or Christian study the Ten Commandments, which are found in a holy book called the Hebrew Bible.  Here are eight of those Commandments:

          1.  Do not use swear words.

          2.  Celebrate Sunday as a special day.  Take time each week to be thankful for what you have,  think about people who are in need or in trouble, and consider how you can help others and make a difference in your family, school, neighborhood, etc.

          3.  Respect your parents and follow their rules.

          4.  Do not murder.

          5.  Keep your promises.

          6.  Do not steal.

          7.  Do not lie.

          8.  Do not be jealous of others or wish for things that belong to someone else.

Do Unitarian Universalists “believe in” the Ten Commandments?  Yes, and No.  We believe it is important for us to know about them, to think about what happens when people follow (or don’t follow) them, and to see how they fit with our own consciences.  We do not believe they are perfect rules that give us all the answers about how to live and help us in every situation.

What do you think about the Ten Commandments?  Talk about these questions with someone in your family:  How many of the Commandments do you follow?  How many of them have you broken?  Which is, or are, the hardest to follow?  Why?   

Muslims, who follow the religion of Islam, have a set of rules called Pillars.  Buddhists call the teachings of Buddhism Precepts.  And we Unitarian Universalists have our Principles.  I will write more about these in other KIDS’ PAGE columns.

Love,

Colleen