Why do Christians care so much about the Ten Commandments?

[Lonestar]

Really, Lonestar, you should familiarise yourself with this. The raison d'etre of your Republic lies in these issues.

The raison d'etre lies in a religious group subverting the state?

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Elohim is singular, despite having a plural suffix.

Congratulations on reading. Now look up the word revisionism.

[Robert]

Aren't they part of the covenant that the Israelites are said to have made with God? Why do Christians think it's important for them to follow it?

It's b/c of the replacement theology where the church believed they replaced the position of Israel.
It's indeed against all biblical theology that christians should use the ten commandments as their guide of do's and don'ts.

[Robert]

Except the Christians are polytheists.

Judaism isn't monotheistic either.
The old testament is filled with other gods. it's just that we translate elohim with 'angels' these days.

[Robert]

Aside from the obvious "we believe in the same God"?

*Do not have any other gods before me.
- Same God. Applies.

*You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
- Same as above. One true God, no room for idols.

* You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.
- God is holy, he is our God. Obvious.

* Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.
- Same God and he thinks it's good for us. And it is important to set some time off to relax and recharge the batteries for everyone, no?

* Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
- Respect of the elders = good in any culture, no?

* You shall not kill/murder.
- Pretty obvious, huh?

* You shall not commit adultery.
- Pretty obvious, huh?

* You shall not steal.
- Pretty obvious, huh?

* You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
- Pretty obvious, huh?

* You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
- Pretty obvious, huh?

Most of the German laws are equal to the dutch laws. Still they don't apply to me.
The 10 commandments are pretty straight forward, they apply to about everybody, except the 4th (which isn't lived up to by christians anyway) and the 10th (which is impossible to maintain by governments). The 1st and the 2nd are obviously followed by atheists and agnosts as well

gribbles question is not if the 10 commandments are good or not. The question is: why should christians care so much about them? And he's right. Christian's should not. Like I should not care about the pretty good German laws.

[Robert]

You've yet to give an intelligent reason why they shouldn't.

Romans 7
6 But now we have been discharged from the law, having died to that wherein we were held; so that we serve in newness of the spirit, and not in oldness of the letter.

Galatians 3
1 O foolish Galatians, who did bewitch you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was openly set forth crucified? 2 This only would I learn from you. Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now perfected in the flesh? 4 Did ye suffer so many things in vain? if it be indeed in vain. 5 He therefore that supplieth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, [doeth he it] by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

2 Corinthians 3
6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

John 15
9 Even as the Father hath loved me, I also have loved you: abide ye in my love. 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

12 This is my commandment, that ye love one another, even as I have loved you.

In John 15 Jesus says more or less that he lived up to God's Thora (incl. 10 commandments) and that the christians have to live up to the law of love.

There's a lot more. But gribbler is completely right, imho.
It's being said nowhere that christians should be guided by the Thora or the commandments. They should be guided by the Holy Spirit and the laws of love.

Not to mention of course that most christians do not live up to the 4th commandment (keep the sabbath) and that most of them have depictions of creatures in their house (which is against the 2nd commandment). (And Jesus says that nothing should be changed to the laws of Moses!!)

[Jon Miller]

Can you please talk about letters/books, and not just give sentences?

This is something that really annoys me about people when talking about the Bible.

We don't treat other books that way, we understand that the meaning is more than just what is said in a single sentence taken independently from everything else.

The key point Paul was talking about was that we are not saved by the law. He wasn't saying that the law had nothing to do with us.

JM
(I try to keep the Sabbath, just like I try to not hate(murder)/etc.)

[Jon Miller]

For example, this is much better (and worth talking about, I haven't read all of it, I don't know who wrote it, I just skimmed it):

http://www.abu.nb.ca/courses/pauline/Law.htm

JM

[Nikolai]

What Jon said. We are not under the law. Doesn't means we shouldn't try to follow the law.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Judaism isn't monotheistic either.
The old testament is filled with other gods. it's just that we translate elohim with 'angels' these days.

Its not just other gods per se but the blending of Babylonian/sumerian creation stories. The Yahweh creation story speaks of a singular God creating universe, matter life etc. via force of will by speaking things into existence. The Elohist creation story (Adam and Eve) speaks of the creation of man and universe via the pantheon of gods via a more intimate process of creating man from earth by hand. Two differing modes of creation. The Elohist creation story is a oral derivation of ancient sumerian legend as are parts of the Yahweh creation story (order of creation etc.).

The blending of these stories is not unlike the blending of pagan stories into Chrisitian theology (wherein saints angels and all manner of supernaturals are accomodated) to allow for the conversion of local peoples.

[Robert]

Can you please talk about letters/books, and not just give sentences?

It's a bit of a weird comment. First of all you don't give any letters/books at all.
2nd, that's how debates go, I point at a most important verse in it's context, and point at the location of the verse. The context is a given, but I'm not going to quote huge bits of text.

The first quote is most important, it's from Romans. The entire Romans 5-8 is important here.
Romans 7:6 is the key verse which words very specific what it's all about.
Romans 8 then continues to show how we should serve God in the new covenant, now apparently the law isn't the way anymore.

We don't treat other books that way, we understand that the meaning is more than just what is said in a single sentence taken independently from everything else.

We do. Every scientific book or reading quotes other sources by just citing one line and pointing to where it is.
It's obvious that the text has a context.

The key point Paul was talking about was that we are not saved by the law. He wasn't saying that the law had nothing to do with us.

No, that's just the traditional explanation.
But nowhere in Romans (to just continue on Romans) he says that.
The opposite is true, the line I cited shows that it's not about being saved but about serving God.
"so that we serve in newness of the spirit, and not in oldness of the letter." (Romans 7:6)

You may be annoyed by my way of discussing, I at least cite Paul, you just say that he says something without funding it

(I try to keep the Sabbath, just like I try to not hate(murder)/etc.)

I know some do. You're consistent in your way of believing. I think that's good.
Not hating, murdering, etc. is all observed by me as well. Not b/c of an ancient text tells me but b/c I try to live in love with my neighbor.

[Robert]

What Jon said. We are not under the law. Doesn't means we shouldn't try to follow the law.

Where in the New Testament are christians told to follow the law?
I have cited just a few places where the opposite is told.
Read Romans 7 in it's entirely, following the law will even lead to sinning, Paul says there. Not b/c the law is bad but b/c we are.

[Robert]

Its not just other gods per se but the blending of Babylonian/sumerian creation stories. The Yahweh creation story speaks of a singular God creating universe, matter life etc. via force of will by speaking things into existence. The Elohist creation story (Adam and Eve) speaks of the creation of man and universe via the pantheon of gods via a more intimate process of creating man from earth by hand. Two differing modes of creation. The Elohist creation story is a oral derivation of ancient sumerian legend as are parts of the Yahweh creation story (order of creation etc.).

The blending of these stories is not unlike the blending of pagan stories into Chrisitian theology (wherein saints angels and all manner of supernaturals are accomodated) to allow for the conversion of local peoples.

The YHWH creation story is more a statement against the other creation stories then it is a blending in of them.
Similarities are there more to point at the big difference: in the YHWH story God is the creator of the creatures. In the other stories the gods are a part of the creation, usually the sun is the main god. In Genesis 1 the sun is just another creature created by God.

[Nikolai]

Where in the New Testament are christians told to follow the law?
I have cited just a few places where the opposite is told.
Read Romans 7 in it's entirely, following the law will even lead to sinning, Paul says there. Not b/c the law is bad but b/c we are.

First and foremost, the whole NT is the story about God's promises and law fullfilled in Jesus. Jesus explicitly says that he has not come to abolish the law, but to fullfill it (see Matthew 5.17ff). We are no longer under the law, but Paul states countless times that that does not mean we shouldn't follow it. I suggest you read up on Paul's letter to the Romans, especially chapter 2(the law is written in our hearts, and our natural instinct is to follow it because it is natural, even though we don't know God). Romans chapter 3 tells us that we can't be saved by following the law, but the Bible needs to be read as a whole, and in James 2 we are told that faith without deeds are not possible, they are closely connected. So the law must be abided, not for salvation in itself, but as a neccessary part of the saving faith. This is as such the context you need to read Romans 4 in. And last, before I go(I have an appointment), read Romans 6, especially verse 15 and onwards.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

The YHWH creation story is more a statement against the other creation stories then it is a blending in of them.
Similarities are there more to point at the big difference: in the YHWH story God is the creator of the creatures. In the other stories the gods are a part of the creation, usually the sun is the main god. In Genesis 1 the sun is just another creature created by God.

My point regarding the YHWH story is that the specificity of order of creation appears a derivation of Babylonian mythos and likely is the source of the story. The differences of a singular deity and method of creation (supernatural/magical speaking the name of existence) of course mark it a departure from other creation stories.

The Elohist story is more directly akin if I read correctly to Babylonian/Caananite mythos up to and inclusion of the text of Elohim (host of gods in relation to the Caananite chief diety El). Sections of Genesis particularly Gen 1:1, Gen 3:22, and Gen 11:7 still refer to a plurality of deities.