Our Christian Land

Gary Sisco · October-13th-2007, 09:47 AM

Americans know Big Macs better than Ten Commandments
Fri Oct 12, 2007 3:23pm EDT
NEW YORK, (Reuters Life!) - How many of The Ten Commandments can you name? Put to the test, Americans recalled the seven ingredients of a McDonald's Big Mac hamburger and members of TV's "The Brady Bunch" more easily than the Bible's Ten Commandments.

A survey by Kelton Research found 80 percent of 1,000 respondents could name the burger's primary ingredient -- two all-beef patties -- but less than six in 10 knew the commandment "thou shalt not kill."

Less than half of respondents -- 45 percent -- could recall the commandment "honor thy father and mother" but 62 percent knew the Big Mac has pickle.

Bobby and Peter, the least recalled-names from the fictional Brady Bunch family, were remembered by 43 percent of respondents -- topping the 34 percent who knew "remember the Sabbath" and 29 percent recalling "do not make false idols."

The survey was commissioned by the Ten Commandments Commission in the lead up to the October 19 release of animated movie "The Ten Commandments" and as part of an online campaign to boost awareness of The Ten Commandments.

Actor Elliott Gould, who voices God in the upcoming movie produced by Promenade Pictures, gave his backing to the campaign to raise awareness of the commandment's historical basis for the U.S.'s legal and moral code.

"I would hope that to renew, restore and strengthen our resolve in relation to ethics and morals can help to pave the way to make for peace and harmony in the world amongst all of us," he said in a statement on Friday.

The campaign's Web site which also has a test challenge is http://www.10commandmentschallenge.org/.

© Reuters 2006.

Monte Smith · October-13th-2007, 09:52 AM

The zippy jingle helps.

Gordon B · October-13th-2007, 10:09 AM

Nice to see Gary posting good news!

I'd be really worried if Americans didn't know that there were beef patties in Big Macs or if a majority of Americans could recite the Ten Commandments like they were the multiplication tables.

Whew!

2481632641282565121024204840968192163843276865536
Now who can do that is if if were a jingle!

Gary Sisco · October-13th-2007, 10:29 AM

I think it's hilarious.

Thing is, in the 21st C, I don't really believe that most people really believe any of that hocus pocus. They just think they're supposed to say they do when asked.

How can anyone's religious professions be taken seriously when they can't articulate even the most basic precepts of their professed faith?

They can't, so I don't. The thing that causes me concern is the way their phony belief translates into political power, apparently often unthinkingly.

For example, Why should a professed Christian fear death? It's just a trip to see Jesus. I thought that was the whole point.

Vince Kargatis · October-13th-2007, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary Sisco

Thing is, in the 21st C, I don't really believe that most people really believe any of that hocus pocus.

I never thought of Gary as a wild optimist, but here he proves otherwise.

Gary Sisco · October-13th-2007, 10:35 AM

Well, I'll tell you. There's the old saying that there aren't any atheists in a foxhole (not true, by the way). I can tell you for a fact you won't find anyone in a foxhole yearning to go home to Jesus, either.

On the other hand, there are clearly many who believe to the point of blowing their own asses away in a free trip to paradise.

Gordon B · October-13th-2007, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vince Kargatis

I never thought of Gary as a wild optimist, but here he proves otherwise.

Yep, I expect Brian O to chip in with his appreciation of Gary's good news any post now.

crawjo · October-13th-2007, 12:47 PM

Jesus fucking Christ, when are you guys going to repent and accept Jesus as your personal savior? I mean, really. It's 2007. Christianity has been going strong for 2,000 years, and you assholes still aren't convinced? HE DIED FOR YOUR SINS AND THEN WAS RESURRECTED ON THE THIRD DAY. Get your ass in a pew already and show some fucking gratitude.

In all seriousness, though, I'd much rather obey the Ten Commandments than eat a Big Mac, if it came to that choice. Fortunately, it hasn't.

Dan G · October-13th-2007, 01:06 PM

A couple of years ago at a dinner party the conversation turned to religion, and the group was trying to see if we could, collectively, remember all 10 commandments. Though we all grew up going to church, I think probably all but one of us at the table was an athiest. The only one I could remember turned out to be a variation of #10. In the King James Version of The Bible, which was what we were forcefed in the Pentecostal Church I attended until I was about 13, was: Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.*

The version of it that I remembered was Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife's ass.

* Most modern translations change ass to donkey, but maybe the conservative right could keep using this version as another anti-gay teaching.

Gary Sisco · October-14th-2007, 07:51 AM

Could be a new curse, for the Amish:

"Thy neighbor's ass!"

Sergio Zamora · October-14th-2007, 10:44 AM

There are some pretty good ones in there, like "Don't kill people". I mean, yeah, under certain circumstances it may be necessary, but as a general rule it works fine. "Don't steal" is generally ok as long as everyone follows it including capitalists.

Then there's the one about the neighbor's wife; I've seen my neighbor's wife, and for the time being I'm ok with that commandment.

Again, "honor your mom and dad" is usually followable, unless your pop is one of those mean-ass drunks who beat the shit outta you when you were a kid. Or worse. In that case, fuck'em.

And then there's "Remember the Sabbath and keep it Holy". Hells yeah, of course, but only up to the Dio years.

The rest of those commandments seem kinda useless. I can probably find more value in remembering the names of the Brady kids than remembering "thou shalt not make for thyself an idol".

Gary Sisco · October-14th-2007, 10:50 AM

unless that idol be Mammon.

crawjo · October-14th-2007, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sergio Zamora

The rest of those commandments seem kinda useless. I can probably find more value in remembering the names of the Brady kids than remembering "thou shalt not make for thyself an idol".

Yeah, they are pretty useless, but it still beats the food poisoning you get from eating a Big Mac.

Uli · October-14th-2007, 11:13 AM

I think is the idol one is interesting. Even Sankt Olewnick would be well advised to abide.

Monte Smith · October-14th-2007, 12:07 PM

I'm sure it is mostly the zippy jingle. For instance, I'm sure the percentage of Americans who can name the toppings of a Pizza Hut Meat Lover's Pizza, which is a cuisine bereft of a zippy jingle, is more in line with the percentage of Americans who can quote basic Abrahamic dogma.

walto · October-14th-2007, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Monte Smith

The zippy jingle helps.

I've got a memory device [don't know how to spell the word for those things this morning] for the Commandments that a Sunday School teacher slammed into me a hundred years ago.

Squaredancecalling Steve · October-14th-2007, 01:14 PM

mnemonic

Squaredancecalling Steve · October-14th-2007, 01:18 PM

Mnemonics Now Erase Man's Oldest Nemesis, Insufficient Cerebral Storage

GoodSpeak · October-14th-2007, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gordon B

Nice to see Gary posting good news!

I'd be really worried if Americans didn't know that there were beef patties in Big Macs or if a majority of Americans could recite the Ten Commandments like they were the multiplication tables.

Whew!

2481632641282565121024204840968192163843276865536
Now who can do that is if if were a jingle!

What are multiplication tables?

clinthopson · October-14th-2007, 04:26 PM

I observe about three or four of those commandments but I can't remember which ones except the one about killing.

walto · October-14th-2007, 06:59 PM

Thanks, SqD.

GoodSpeak · October-14th-2007, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clinthopson

I observe about three or four of those commandments but I can't remember which ones except the one about killing.

I'm kinda partial to that one too, Clint.

kenny weir · October-14th-2007, 09:15 PM

A definition of bemused: A "Christian nation" (thou shalt not kill) in which there is such widespread support for the death penalty.

crawjo · October-14th-2007, 11:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kenny weir

A definition of bemused: A "Christian nation" (thou shalt not kill) in which there is such widespread support for the death penalty.

Especially considering that Jesus was himself a victim of the death penalty.

GoodSpeak · October-14th-2007, 11:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crawjo

Especially considering that Jesus was himself a victim of the death penalty.

At the hands of the fascist Roman Empire, yes.

Don't you guys read history at all?

Dan G · October-14th-2007, 11:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoodSpeak

Don't you guys read history at all?

Never the original event, just the sequels.

Jazzzoline · October-15th-2007, 12:07 AM

commandment # 1: eat your Big Mac every day

commandment # 2: if you ordered a Big Mac trio, make sure the fries are delivered. nowadays, the fench fries are often missing since it's the most expensive thing in the trio

commandment # 3: if you use the bathroom, make sure you wash your hands properly afterwards

GoodSpeak · October-15th-2007, 12:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan G

Never the original event, just the sequels.

Well....all righty then.

kenny weir · October-16th-2007, 07:00 PM

'Merica is a big, fat (literally and metaphorically) juicy target for these kind of barbs ... a country obscenely wealthy Christians share with mutltitudes of poor and homeless in a most un-Christian fashion.

But ...

Really ...

There's not a "Christian" country/community/enclave/whatever in existence in which a radical nutjob like Jesus would not be reviled, despised and persecuted.

Probably never has been, although I'm open to correction on that. Maybe in the very early centuries of the church?

It's pretty funny ... looked at more objectively, if we can, it puts Western fuming about the war-like nature of the the Muslim world in perspective.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not even sure I'm against capital punishment. But someone may be a great dad, give to charities, be kind to animals; the may even be a saint (

and righteous in every possible way. But if they're wealthy (or maybe even simply prosperous) and/or support the death penalty, I don't see how they can be considered Christian.

My newspaper's religious columnist is a great mate, and we've had all sorts of booze-fuelled raves about such things. For him, a Christian is someone who believes Jesus Christ is his saviour etc etc. For me that's just words, and those words seem to be come more and more rubbery. I'm more interested in what people DO.