As a long-time nonbeliever, I still observe religious holidays and usually spend the extra day off with specialty foods and seasonal movies. Easter is reserved for Cecil B. DeMille’s epic, “The Ten Commandments,” a tradition since childhood three-channel television.

My husband, Ed, and I are not Siskel and Ebert, but we know a stellar cast, elaborate sets and creative costuming when we see them. Our comments on The Ten Commandments are side discussions. I tell Ed that Dr. Levinson from my philosophy of religion class professed that many scholars and modern Jews don’t believe Moses existed as biblically depicted, nor is there any archeological evidence of wandering masses in the area.

Ed and I discuss the ten plagues as possible environmental phenomena like red algae blooms, mycotoxins, disease outbreaks and volcanic ash-caused darkness. Without scientific literacy, tools and understanding that we have today, the ancients used stories to contain and explain. I recommend Mr. DeMille’s storytelling. As we watch, I consider the “Big Ten” through the lens of 2024 and Number Nine stands out to me as wildly relevant and advisable for modern life. Modern times scream for a strict observance of Number Nine — the one about bearing false witness.

In my personal experience, false witnessing at the intersection of words and political alignment is out of control. I, for instance, am repeatedly falsely witnessed as nasty, groomer, pedophile, baby-killer, insane/mentally ill/crazy, libtard, demon-crat, Satan’s worker, woke, socialist, commie, and lately, vermin.

It’s clear that people are completely unaware that they are bearing false witness. Of course, I forgive them because they know not what they do, but dang if I don’t long for some truth bearing. Those of us who prefer truth appreciate people who use language with respect to its power to support society — or destroy it — which is probably why the whole false witness thing made it into the Big Ten.

The Bible gets right to these things we call words, in the beginning and all, where life is literally spoken into being. This establishes words as powerful things, that prayers are worthwhile, that human language is a force to create our world.

In 2024’s social media, where fingers speak faster than a chisel on stone, faster than a human brain can critically think, I find Number Nine extraordinarily wise guidance regarding the use of words today. Confession: I’m prone to dystopic avoidance and sometimes worry our keystrokes could be teaching machines how to treat humans by how we treat each other online. As far as I know, there is no pearly gate for machines, no biblical consequences like Matthew 12:36-37, where Jesus declares that people will be judged by their idle words.

The ability to use language as a creative force leaves little room to misuse words and we can all do better. Luckily, we live at a time when tools of truth-bearing are readily available: dictionaries, encyclopedias, expert journal publications, libraries, political party platforms, etc., at our fingertips.

The Bible has a lot to say about speaking truth and we can bear truth as a choice; or we can remain silent. Wouldn’t you know it? The Bible has a lot to say about silence.

#KnowNumberNine, #BearTruth

Marugg is a secular humanist happy to glean and credit good ideas from religious texts; not a fan of bad ideas found in religious texts. She can be reached at janetmarugg@gmail.com.