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CID BENEDICT D.

PABALAN CHRISTIAN ETHICS 4


LLB 3

1. How can we as Christians break the first commandment?

The first commandment holds that we shall not have other gods before Him. However, be
it consciously or unconsciously, we sometimes tend to deviate from making God as the central
authority of our actions.
Humans as we are, we sometimes make our co-equals become the controlling force in our
lives that we seem to forget that we have a God.
For instance, when we fall in love with someone, we become too engrossed with the
person to whom we are in love with, that we make him/her the center of our lives. When the time
comes that we become troubled with our relationship with such person, we sometimes sulk too
much with our emotions, that we seem to believe that everything will become useless and
meaningless when we lose such person. Some even resort to ending their lives because they think
that life has lost its meaning, along with the loss of the person they love.
Such human experience, I believe, is one example, wherein we break the first
commandment. We allow ourselves too much to be immersed with our earthly desires, that we
forget to place God to be in the center of our lives, and in a way, we have taken God out as our
only God, by making someone else the center of our universe.

2. If we give God our primary worship and loyalty, would it be acceptable to add a few
other minor deities just to be safe? What are the reasons for your answer?

NO. From what the first commandment tells us, God is telling us to place our faith and
loyalty upon Him. Such is absolute.
In making God the center of our lives, we are not engaging into some sort of a lottery by
placing many bets for more chances of winning. We do not resort to believing also that there are
other gods or deities, just to be safe. I believe that it is through our belief that there is only one
God, and no one else, that the strength of our faith upon him is tested.

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CID BENEDICT D. PABALAN CHRISTIAN ETHICS 4
LLB 3

3. Can a Christian participate to celebrations dedicated to other gods?

NO. God is the one and only God that should be the center of our lives. To participate in
celebrations dedicated to other gods is tantamount to recognizing these “other gods”, and is thus,
contrary to the first commandment.

4. Is it justified to “swear religiously in the name of God”?

NO. God’s name for me is sacred. It is in itself holy. Thus, swearing in His name, for me,
is a sign of disrespect.

5. Can a Christian bear the name of God and go to bars or nightclubs?

Going out to bars or night clubs in general is not a deviation from the teachings of God. It
must be stressed however, that it all depends on your intention.
Bars and nightclubs are places where we meet others, where we get to converse and
where we may also engage in healthy conversations. We must not close our minds and paint such
act of going to the bars with everything evil that we can think of.
The problem comes in, however, when or intention is to do things that are against the
teachings of God, or against the way of life that he wants us to live. For instance, some go to
Bars to hit on the opposite sex, or to engage in activities so satiate some earthly desires.

6. Can one make a promise out of politeness knowing he or she cannot fulfil it?

NO. To live a life based on the teachings of God means to live an honest and truthful life.
Thus, we must not utter things that we know we cannot do for it speaks of our ways in dealing
with others. Making a promise out of politeness is in truth dishonesty in the guise of politeness,
thus, against living a life that God wants us to live.

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