The New Revised U.S. Commandments?

”I have wondered at times what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the US Congress.” Ronald Reagan

After seeing this quote on Facebook, and considering recent philanderings by politicians in the news, it got me thinking about what kind of revision the Ten Commandments would turn into. With compromise and backroom dealing it may look something like the following.

1. "I am the LORD your God . You shall have no other gods in My presence..."

Pass—No. It wouldn’t pass congress because it’s too narrow—don’t want to offend atheists or agnostics.

2. "Do not make an image or any likeness of what is in the heavens above..."

Pass—No. Wouldn’t pass congress because some people may wish to worship beasts, fish, birds, people, etc.

3. "Do not swear falsely by the name of the LORD..."

Pass—No. Since people can worship or not worship whom or whatever they wish, a prohibition against making false oaths in the name of the God is not important.

4. "Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy"

Pass—No. Again, since people can worship whom or whatever, the Sabbath day is unimportant.

5. "Honor your father and your mother..."

Pass—Yes. The obligation to honor one's parents would be modified to: “Highly regard your guardian as your caretaker.”

6. "Do not murder"

Pass—Yes. Murdering a human was originally a capital sin and meant decapitation (capitalis in latin = “regarding the head”). Although murdering is an offense to society, the punishment would vary state by state…decapitation optional.

7. "Do not commit adultery."

Pass—No. Adultery is defined as sexual intercourse between a man and a married woman who is not his wife (or visa versa). In the eyes of government, it is a private matter between the couple and would not be legislated.

8. "Do not steal."

Pass—Yes. If everyone stole property from one another, the items could not be traced, and it would infringe on the government’s ability to tax.

9. "Do not bear false witness against your neighbor"

Pass—Yes. One must not bring a false testimony in a court of law or legal agreements. This commandment would be restricted to court proceedings and verbal agreements observed and notarized by a third party.

10. "Do not covet your neighbor's wife"

Pass—No. If adultery is permitted, then the “desire and plan how one may obtain that which God has given to another” is a moot point.

Therefore, the Ten Commandments would be reduced to the new Four Commandments.

1) Highly regard your guardian or caretaker.

2) Do not murder.

3) Do not steal.

4) Do not bear false witness against your neighbor in court.

However, in the absence of God as a final authority, an optional commandment should be added to the top of the list:

5) Obey and Love the Government over all else.

Memory Lost

Have you ever forgotten where you put your car keys? How about people’s names? Now what if you lost your memory about what keys are? Or lost all memory about everyone you ever knew?

That is what happened to a guy I just met. He had a tumor in his brain and it had to be removed. Before they operated, the doctor warned him that he would lose his memory. As expected, once the surgery was completed he was a blank slate. When he woke, his wife, brothers and children were at his bedside and he knew none of them. He told me that even though their faces were familiar, it was frightening when he couldn’t remember their names—or even his own. In fact, he had to relearn reading, writing, walking…practically everything.

The greatest fear he had when he awoke was whether he could trust the people around him. It was as if he was an alien being dropped down from another planet, without any clues to how things worked. After many months of physical therapy and reassurance from his family, he eventually came to trust them. Everything he knows now of the past is through the eyes of his wife, brothers, children, and friends.

When we were talking he quoted his dad, “My dad always said if you don’t have time to do something right the first time, how can you find time to do it right the second time.”

“How did you know your dad said that?” I asked.

He replied, “I know it because my brothers told me.”

His survival was something he was extremely grateful for, but starting from scratch seemed to me an almost insurmountable task. Not to know your own home, road, city, or even country, is a daily battle he fights. Figuring he had a fresh outlook on the world with his new mind, I asked him what he thought of the U.S. He said, “It’s the best country in the world.” That was good to hear. He seemed to have a positive and refreshing view. Going out was his week spot. He would get embarrassed that he didn’t know the people who knew him and he feared he might have done wrong to others and not know it. Coincidentally, two months earlier I had a dream that I lost my memory (Alzheimer’s) and I woke up in a panic. It wasn’t a pretty feeling, but it gave me a glimpse of what he may be going through. I tried to encourage him by saying he has a new start on life, but secretly I knew it would be agonizing for anyone to start over.

He recently got his drivers license and I am sure the freedom and control will benefit him; even though at present he sticks fervently to the same route. One interesting side effect was his relationship with his wife of 40 years. He said he was having fun. I guess it was like a new romance. She must have been one dedicated woman to stick close to his side. It made me realize how important we are to each other. It is easy to take someone for granted when you see them day-in and day-out with set expectations. In some ways, I wish I could just press the reset button in my mind. To trust and appreciate others better…to see the freshness in those relationships before it’s too late.

Truth Hurts

At lunch I was in Taco Bell and waiting for my order when I noticed a cute little girl in pigtails plucking out napkins from the dispenser. I quit counting after six. She walked happily back to her table and set the napkins down, then waited while her father picked up their order. He returned with the food and gave her some trash to throw away. I stood behind the bin as she pushed the garbage in with both hands. As she tried to remove her hands, the wooden trash flap pinched her fingers tight. With panic in her eyes, she cried out, “Daddy!” The more she pulled the tighter it pinched.

I reached over from the other side and pushed the flap so she could remove her hands. She bashfully looked away and dashed back to daddy. Without words, the father gave me a thank-you smile, to which I gave him a no-problem smile in return.

It struck me how simple it would have been for her to just push the flap up and release herself. But she was young and panicked during a stressful unknown situation. As adults we think we are smarter and say we wouldn’t panic in such obvious conditions, but that’s not true. We sabotage ourselves all the time without even realizing we are doing it. This event reminded me of a Politician who lied to cover up his misdeed, blaming others in the process. In the end, he paid dearly for it, losing credibility, trust, and ultimately his job. Maybe it was just his self defensive mechanism inside that went awry. Please don’t think you’re immune. Any of us could make the same mistake. Whether it be an offense with your spouse, friend, or boss, the simple and best solution is to always come clean as quickly as possible. Of course, coming clean with the truth will hurt more than a pinch on our hands, but it hurts far less and will limit self inflicted damage in the long run.

Welcome

Hi Everyone,

Wanted to let you know about the changes at my website. It will not only combine short stories and information on my books, but also allow me to express myself in blog form. I'm still trying to find my way around and figure out what topics to bring up. I've been considering pulling out an old sci-fi novel and posting a chapter every week or two. If anyone has a recommendation of what they would like me to post, I'm all ears. Thanks for reading!

The Sanctuary

Second Book in the Tuball series

The Sanctuary has a dual element of present and past. The heroin is an electrical engineer named Rebecca who discovers Tuball’s ancient ruins under the Caspian Sea, just east of Baku, Azerbaijan (in truth, there are some ancient cart ruts that lead right into the sea). Rebecca, who works for Terra Petroleum, and a team of others set aside oil exploration to examine the ruins. Opposing forces also believe there may be treasure in the underwater city and join in on the search.

A connection with the past is made when Shem is forced to take his tribe to the safety of the city 7,500 years earlier. Segues between past and present stories are used to help give the reader a fuller picture and essence of the ancient sanctuary. If you like suspense, this book is for you.

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Book Review

"The Sanctuary seamlessly intertwines two journeys separated by no less than 7,500 years. In this unforgettable follow-up to Tuball: The Lost City, author Gary Riedl chronicles the almost Tolkien-esque epic of Shem amidst the events that unfold surrounding Terra Petroleum's accidental discovery of ancient ruins.

Riedl's ability to unite mystery, adventure, love, religion, and culture in this entrancing novel is almost unparalleled. The descriptions were so exceptionally vivid that reading the pages was more like a theatrical experience.

This book is unquestionably worth reading. Be prepared, though, The Sanctuary will make you long for an adventure of your own. Until then, join Dr. Witherspoon, Rebecca Belmont, Jamal Razemani, and other friends as well as felons on their unexpected quest into The Sanctuary."

--Austin Gohn

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Tuball: The Lost City

First Book in the Tuball series

The title of the book came to me when my brother asked if I would write a novel about an ancient civilization. Tubal-Cain is the name of a man expert in using metals, as noted in the book of Genesis. I assumed a city would have to support such technology, and thus, Tuball: The Lost City was born. The story centers around Shem, a young man of eighteen, bored of simple farming life. He ventures off into strange new lands, getting into trouble with unknown tribes and fierce creatures. He also falls in love with a beautiful girl who worships foreign gods.

Excitement in this book builds, like a snowball rolling downhill, with some very interesting twists toward the end. If you like fact based fiction, adventure and discovery, you will be sure to enjoy this one.

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Book Review

"Tuball: The Lost City is a fascinating book to read. Because of the populated areas told about, I am assuming this was a time before the flood with which God destroyed the world. It was great fun to read what one author has envisioned about those days long ago. The Sethites, those descended from Seth, believed in the one, true God, talked to Him, worshipping only Him. Those of Cain, the slayer of Able, called Cainites, worshipped many gods. This greatly disturbed Shem, and his outspokenness often got him into some tightly dangerous situations. How God protected him throughout, no matter what he faced - even death - is wonderful reading. If you love historical fiction, especially ancient history, you'll enjoy this book."

--Peggy Blann Phifer

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