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Analysis of the Ten Commandments
Most people know the Ten Commandments - or perhaps it is better to say that they think they know the Ten Commandments. The commandments are one of those cultural products that people imagine that they understand, but in reality, they frequently can't even name all of them, let alone explain them. People who already think they know all they need are unlikely to take the time to research the subject with any great care and precision.

Christian Views of the Ten Commandments
Because of the multiplicity of Christian denominations, it is inevitable that the Christian views of the Ten Commandments would be both confusing and contradictory. There is no one authoritative way for Christians to understand the commandments and as a consequence, many of the interpretations conflict with each other. Even the lists that Christians use aren’t all the same.

Muslim View of the Ten Commandments
Islam does not accept the absolute authority of the Bible, teaching that it has become corrupted over the years, and therefore it does not accept the authority of the listing of the Ten Commandments that appears in the Bible. Islam does, however, accept the status of both Moses and Jesus as prophets, which means that the commandments are not completely ignored, either.

Jewish Views of the Ten Commandments
There is a popular perception that the Ten Commandments are 'the commandments' of Jewish religious tradition, but this is mistaken. The Hebrew scriptures contain 613 commandments in addition to these ten. This does not mean, however, that all commandments are equal. Jewish scholars have generally treated the Ten Commandments as basic or ideological foundations to the all the rest.

Ten Commandments as Treaty
It has been suggested by some scholars that the Ten Commandments is best understood by comparing it to some of the treaties written during the same time period. Rather than a list of laws, the commandments are in this view actually an agreement between God and his chosen people, the Hebrews. A number of interesting features of the Ten Commandments become more understandable when we adopt such a perspective.

Ten Commandments & Congress
Federal and State governments keep trying to get involved with the debate over the Ten Commandments, usually for the purpose of trying to have them posted rather than for the purpose of remaining neutral in matters of religion.

Costs of the Ten Commandments
Whenever a monument, plaque, or some other posting of the Ten Commandments is challenged as a violation of the separation of church and state, the government involved (local, state, or federal) usually defends them in court. These court battles can drag out for years and go through several levels of the judicial system - and, just as often, the government loses. Sounds like business as usual, but what is the cost of doing business?

Introduction to the Ten Commandments
Quite a few politicians and citizens want the government to display the Ten Commandments on public grounds and in various government buildings, like schools. In such a situation, it becomes reasonable to ask: What exactly are these 'Ten Commandments'? What many don’t realize is that there aren’t really 'the' Ten Commandments; instead, there are multiple versions of the Ten Commandments.

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