Why so uptight about the ten commandments?

Channel 4 are broadcasting "The Bible: A History" at the moment. I watched some of Episode 3 which had Ann Widdecombe (English Catholic and conservative MP) talking about the ten commandments. I found her point of view very interesting and very positive. She basically was saying that the ten commandments were a good thing and it was a pity they weren't followed more closely in today's society.

What surprised me during the programme was the explosive anger displayed by both Stephen Fry and Chistopher Hitchens, both atheists. For the record I am agnostic.

Stephen Fry when asked by Ann Widdecombe what was wrong with the commandments, like "honour your father and mother", "don't kill", he interrupted vehemently and demanded to know where was the commandment against slavery. Hold on, did I miss something? He was asked a simple question but he evaded giving an answer. I don't pretend to read his mind, but was this because he didn't want to say there was nothing wrong with them?

He also got particularly upset at the notion of commandment, "How dare you command me..." What's wrong with commanding people not to kill each other? Okay, we can get into the whole notion of killing in self defence etc. but over all we really shouldn't be killing each other. Stephen also went on to say that the commandments have suppressed, tyrannised and bullied. Suppressed who? Tyrannised who? Bullied who? The church may have done this. Kings and tyrants may have done this. But the commandments themselves did not. In fact if the church and company followed the commandments they would not have suppressed, tyrannised or bullied anybody.

Christopher Hitchens, similarly, couldn't seem to answer straight up on the ten commandments. Instead he insisted that we read the next chapters of the bible and all about the cruelty therein. He then seemed to march out of the room.

Why do these guys get so incensed by the notion of a moral code which comes out of the bible? Okay, it may not be perfect and certainly doesn't address certain modern day issues. But it seems to me that they do address the core issues. And the fact of the matter is if people followed the ten commandments today, then I doubt society would be in the mess it is. Forget about religion. Forget about God. Taking the ten commandments in isolation, they are not a bad moral code at all.

Fergal MacAlister
www.uglythump.ie