The Atheist 10 Commandments

I’m not sure if you’ve heard of the famous magic act Pen and Teller. In any event, Pen Jillette is a pretty outspoken atheist. The thing is, he seems to be a very reasonable and respectful guy too.

I’ve seen him in many interviews and thought, “Now here’s a guy I could have a good conversation with.” I’ve never seen him be adversarial or confrontational. Serious? Yes. Direct? Sure. But always respectful.

Well, it seems he’s put together a list of the “Atheist 10 Commandments” And they are pretty good. I think they have a lot of common ground we all can agree on–atheist, Christian, believer.

So here they are. I think you’ll like them too:

1. The highest ideals are human intelligence, creativity and love. Respect these above all.

2. Do not put things or even ideas above other human beings. (Let’s scream at each other about Kindle versus iPad, solar versus nuclear, Republican versus Libertarian, Garth Brooks versus Sun Ra— but when your house is on fire, I’ll be there to help.)

3. Say what you mean, even when talking to yourself. (What used to be an oath to (G)od is now quite simply respecting yourself.)

4. Put aside some time to rest and think. (If you’re religious, that might be the Sabbath; if you’re a Vegas magician, that’ll be the day with the lowest grosses.)

5. Be there for your family. Love your parents, your partner, and your children. (Love is deeper than honor, and parents matter, but so do spouse and children.)

6. Respect and protect all human life. (Many believe that “Thou shalt not kill” only refers to people in the same tribe. I say it’s all human life.)

7. Keep your promises. (If you can’t be sexually exclusive to your spouse, don’t make that deal.)

8. Don’t steal. (This includes magic tricks and jokes — you know who you are!)

9. Don’t lie. (You know, unless you’re doing magic tricks and it’s part of your job. Does that make it OK for politicians, too?)

10. Don’t waste too much time wishing, hoping, and being envious; it’ll make you bugnutty.

Pretty good stuff, right? I like this guy.

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