The Ten Commandments are a set of biblical principles that are related to ethics and worshipping. "The New Commandments" by Christopher Hitches was a fairly interesting and could be easily controversial. The author touched upon many things that may have been suspect and he also touched upon things that may have been left out. The author begins challenging the commandments in which he believes may be out dated or no longer produce useful results. If things are considered to be "written in stone" and no longer hold any validity, who is to change it? In reference to the commandments, the author believe that they are not set and they are considered to be a work in progress. According to Christopher Hitches the commandments were created from situational ethics, he believes that they have the signs of having been man-made and changed when under pressure. Based upon the different ethical theories, the way someone views the Ten Commandments may be different. Our morals should not be set in tablet form and this holds a lot value coming from a postmodern writer like Christopher Hitchens. He believes that the first 3 commandments holds no true value and that they have nothing to do with morality. Being that the Commandments were written so long ago, I can imagine why someone in todays world would have the challenge of accepting them. Most of the facts that we receive today is subjective, bias and it is constructed socially. Also to add, there is no such thing as the truth. What may be right in one persons eyes may be wrong to someone else. What one considered to be true or righteous is based upon what there culture consider to be truth. According to the author, the first four commandments are not valid if you are not a jew. Through out the chapters of the bible there are several instances when going against the commandments are acceptable. The author used such examples in efforts to improving his argument, "Thou shalt not kill" is clearly stated in the bible but is not pacifistic as the author stated. Furthermore, "Thus saith the lord God of Israel, put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbor. And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men" here is an example of the commandments contradicting themselves which helped bring the author to another valid point being that he is postmodern. He believed that some commandments should be retired, being that they may not apply to todays world, and as well he believed that some new commandments should be adopted as well. The ten commandments are
