Research Catalog

Title

The Ten commandments, by Joseph Lewis; an investigation into the origin and meaning of the Decalogue and an analysis of its ethical and moral value as a code of conduct in modern society.

Author

Lewis, Joseph, 1889-1968.

Publication

New York, N.Y., Freethought Press Association [1946]

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Description

[644] pages; 27 cm

Subject

• Ten commandments
• Ten commandments
• Ten Commandments
• Free thought
• Free thought
• De Tien geboden

Bibliography (note)

• Bibliography: p. 615-623.

Contents

• 1. What are the commandments? -- The ten commandments as revealed in the book of Exodus -- The ten commandments as revealed in the book of Deuteronomy -- The difference between the ten commandments recorded in the book of Exodus and the book of Deuteronomy -- The conflicting arrangement of the ten commandments as revealed by a comparison of the protestant, Catholic and Hebrew version -- The first table of stone -- The second tables of stone and a forgotten set of commandments -- 2. The first commandment -- The Bible deity and Abraham Lincoln -- The prologue to the commandments -- Moses, the bible deity and the children of Israel -- Moses and the magic rod -- Moses and Aaron before pharaoh -- Pharaoh's heart is hardened -- Frogs, lice and flies -- The three plagues -- The plagues of locust and darkness -- The murder f the first-born and the feast of the Passover -- The parting of the Red Sea and the drowning of the Egyptians -- Were the children of Israel ever in bondage in Egypt? -- Moses as God -- The clergy and the first commandment -- 3. The second commandment -- The sadism of the bible deity -- Jealousy: The attribute of primitive Gods -- Punishing the innocent -- The fear of images and the origin of their prohibition -- Shadows, reflections and idolatry -- A threat and a promise -- Glorified punishment and perverted justice -- The observance of this commandment and the origin of Anti-Semitism -- The Bible God and the idea of monotheism -- 4. The third commandment -- The animistic significance of Names -- Names of God's taboo -- The magical use of God's name -- What is the name of the God of Israel? -- The first deadly parallel -- The second deadly parallel -- Title versus name -- Blasphemy -- The clergy and the third commandment -- The third commandment and oaths -- Taking God's name in vain -- 5. The fourth commandment -- Is there a Sabbath day? -- Which day is the seventh? -- The Sabbath as a taboo -- The magic association of the numeral "seven" and the Sabbath -- The sanctity of the Sabbath -- The secret of circumcision -- Born on the Sabbath -- Christianity and the Sabbath -- 6. The fifth commandment -- Parents as Vice-regents of God -- The element of sympathetic magic in tribal filial obedience -- Faithfulness and failure.
• 7. The sixth commandment -- Killing and self-preservation -- Is killing ever justified? -- Religious delusion and homicidal mania -- Irresponsible and accidental killing -- The frequency of murder and the prevalence of suicide -- Moses kills a man -- The clergy, this commandment and war -- Blood taboo -- The animistic belief in blood pollution -- 8. The seventh commandment -- The sin of sex and some aspects of adultery -- What is adultery? -- Bastardy -- Sacred and profane prostitution -- Religious festivals and sexual promiscuity -- Celibacy -- The confessional -- Erotic adultery -- Adultery and the varied sexual customs of mankind -- Virginity -- Chastity -- The privilege of the first night -- Promiscuity -- Modesty -- Sexual hospitality -- Group marriage -- Fidelity and unfaithfulness -- Incest -- A provincial taboo -- Adultery as a taboo based on sympathetic magic -- Additional evidence of the prevalence of sympathetic magic among the Biblical Hebrews -- Complementary examples of sympathetic magic -- The child and this commandment.
• 9. The eight commandment -- What constitutes a theft? -- Law, ethics and conscience -- Stealing as Atavism -- Kleptomania -- Stealing as a taboo in tribal society -- The sin of stealing and the removal of landmarks -- Religion and thievery -- The negation of ethics -- 10. The ninth commandment -- The tribal significance of 'neighbor' -- Biblical evidence of Hebrew tribal solidarity -- The clannishness of tribal law -- The stranger tabooed in tribal society -- The fulfillment of this commandment -- The law and this commandment -- Sectarian vs. universal brotherhood -- 11. The tenth commandment -- The hidden meaning in coveting -- Coveting, witchcraft and the evil eye in primitive culture -- Coveting and counting -- Propiriatory phrases -- Amulets and charms -- Knots -- Noise as a prophylactic against evil -- Neither a sin nor a crime.

LCCN

46001239

OCLC

• ocm00512412
• 512412
• SCSB-197747

Owning Institutions

Princeton University Library