#pesel

[ella-chan-or-evelynp]

Kind of an angry post and a controversial opinion but

I'm tired of ingo and volo getting the most content out of all pla chracters

Like where's content of the wardens, the other merchants and most importantly the entire galaxy expedition team

These two basically overshadow almost everyone

adaman and irida deserve their popularity

On the other hand ingo and volo dont deserve theirs, their also overrated

Pla has a wonderful cast of characters yet fans only focus on train guy and merchant cynthia

Their not even my favorites

My favorites are adaman, irida, sabi, lian, pesselle melli, and gaeric

#pokemon legends arceus #im going to be bullied by poketumblr #again #wheres the content for my girls sanqua #tuli and especially peselle

[ghostypetrainer]

Just want y’all to know that in the faller gene AU, someone absolutely buys Zisu a ‘Sun’s Out, Guns Out’ tank-top. This is critical information about this AU.

#faller gene au #critical to who you ask? #critical to ME #and all other Women enjoyers #she probably also owns one in the reverse time travel au #peselle bought it for her as a joke

[allerod]

hacker fail! this user didn’t manage to log into their own library account and the system doesn’t allow for password change 

#i bet the pin gotta be some combination of either my name/library id/pesel. since no change thus it couldn't be just made up by me #but what combination..... #jeśli ktoś ma konto biblioteczne w warszawie śródmieście i chciałby się podzielić czym jest pin...... #będę do nich jutro dzwonić bo chcę przedłużyć wypożyczenie książki ale uh oh niezręcznie

[autismsubway-remade]

There's a way back home (chapter 6)

first five are on ao3! read it here (tws for this chapter: blood, violence, description of injury, light description of animal (zoroark) death.)

Once Akari was asleep, Chiyo made her way back to the woods. She was seething, not only had a Zoroark attacked the man she respected but it had also tried to attack her ray of light, and caused her even more pain.

Rage rolled off of the noble in waves, a feeling not unfamiliar to the froslass. This was how she felt when she died, a feeling of furious bloodlust. That beast was going to pay dearly. She could still smell Ingo's blood on its fur, pungent and metallic. It lead her to the Zoroark, still licking its wounds and pawing at its broken snout.

Chiyo was not satisfied. She loomed over the beast, breathing ice onto its neck and freezing the wisps rolling off of its mane. Dark energy covered her arm as she slashed at the Zoroark, an effortless night slash cutting deep into the other pokemons flesh. The beast howled in pain, turning towards her and snarling at her. A truly ugly sight.

Chiyo unleashed an ice fang, biting deep into the Zoroark and not letting go until she was sure her ice had seeped deep into its veins, the other pokemon writhing and swiping at her uselessly. She spit out a mouthful of foul-tasting blood, and slashed the beast again. She was pleased when it collapsed, wounds bleeding sluggishly in the cold of her own blizzard. She could just leave it to die, or she could place its head on a stake as an example.

She did neither. Chiyo used one final blizzard to freeze the Zoroark, and tipped it over to shatter. Other pokemon would clean up the mess.

The sun was starting to rise, and so she went back to Akari's tent so she could be there once her daughter awoke.

---------------------------------------------------------

Akari woke up screaming, wailing not unlike a misdreavus as the previous day flashed through her mind. The Zoroark had appeared in her dreams, gnashing teeth and torn flesh sprinting towards her as blood dripped from its open maw. Ingo's blood.

He had almost died. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 had almost died. Miette had been badly injured, and she would never have known if it wasn't for Chiyo. Akari sobbed, harsh and grating as she clung to her pillow. She wanted to go home. She felt a familiar icy cold hand on her back, rubbing in soft circles and occasionally patting her back as she wailed and hiccupped. The zorua pup was pawing at her leg, trying to climb onto her to comfort her in its own way. Chiyo made soft soothing noises, humming under her breath a song Akari somehow recognized.

She dropped the pillow and moved to lean her head into Chiyo's chest, letting the noble pet her hair. "Child, you will be alright. The beast is taken care of, and that man will live." Her soft voice reassured the young teen, and Akari's sobs slowly turned into light sniffles as she rubbed at her eyes.

"B-But what if he isn't? What if...What if I was too late?" she whimpered, anxiety eating away at her. "He will not die. I will make sure of it." Chiyo could not control life nor death, but her conviction was so strong that Akari believed she could anyways. Akari wiped at her red-raw eyes and prepared Cheeseburger's breakfast, healed only slightly as the pup's ears wiggled when it suckled. "Baby time.." She whispered softly, petting the zorua.

When Cheeseburger was fed, she swaddled the pup in its blanket, tied it around her chest and stood up. Akari stood up and walked to the medical tent, Chiyo following close behind.

It smelled overwhelmingly of herbs and rubbing alcohol in the tent, Peselles familiar face greeting her as she entered. An old woman was speaking, voice shaky with age.

"-And you must rest! You were very nearly killed! You young men may be stubborn, but you are not immortal!" The old woman chastised, tone leaving no room for arguement.

Ingo didn't even get a chance to speak as Akari stared down at him, eyes wet with more tears. "You're alive!" She shouted, relief flooding her body. Akari ran over to hug Ingo, falling on her knees and sobbing into his chest. He was alive, his heartbeat strong and body warm. "Thank you very much young Akari. You, Lady Sneasler and Lady Chiyo saved my life." The aforementioned sneasler chirred in pride, soaking up the little praise with a smug grin. "Sneas!" She said, probably meaning something like 'You're damn right I helped save your life!' Akari sniffled wetly, weakly apologising for getting Ingo's shirt dirty.

"It's fine young Akari, it's been far worse."

"Young girl! You could go re-opening his wounds if you bowl him over like that again!" The old woman flicked her on her head. "Warden Calaba, go easy on her! She's just a kid!" Peselle chided from the corner as she ground up more herbs. "Besides, she was the main reason he's even alive right now. Frankly, we should be thanking her for finding him, and even keeping pressure on the wound!"

"I was just doing what Chiyo told me to.." Akari mumbled, face flushed slightly in embarrassment and from the residual tears. Chiyo nodded, and placed a hand on Akari's head. "It is correct that I instructed her to keep pressure on the wound, but it was her bravery that lead to Ingo's survival." Akari pulled the hood of her tunic over her head, and she heard Ingo chuckle. Evil.

She was so glad he was alive.

"Okay Ingo, we need to change your bandages and apply more salve." Peselle said, bringing the herbal paste over to the cot he was sitting on. It smelled overwhelmingly vegetal, and Akari turned her nose up at the strong smell. Gross.

"You're gonna smell like celery." She mumbled into Cheeseburger, having placed her face into the baby zoruas fur to block out some of the scent with the smell of baby (which was much more pleasant.)

"Celery man." She pointed at Ingo.

"Yes, I am Celery man. And actually, the smell is from the medicinal leeks."

"Same thing. Basically." Ingo shrugged, and the old woman undid the bandaging with her suprisingly steady hands. Akari winced as she saw the wound on Ingo's chest, raw and red and stitched together with thick threads. He hissed when the salve was spread over it, and Akari looked away. It could have been worse. It was very nearly worse.

She left the medical tent, and Ingo didn't blame her for it.

Akari sat in the snow outside, softly petting Cheeseburger as she willed herself not to cry again.

"Come child. You will get ill if you do not eat and drink something." Chiyo spoke, grasping her free hand gently. Akari felt like a little kid getting dragged along by her mother as Chiyo led her back to her tent and handed her an oran berry and a small honey cake. Akari didn't want to know if Chiyo stole it or made it, it didn't make a difference either way.

She ate slowly at first, before realizing how hungry she actually was and finishing the food in record time. Akari's hands were sticky and blue with Oran berry juice, so she left to wash them and her face in the nearby stream. She grabbed a bucket from her tent, filling it with the stream water.

Should she boil it? That's what you were supposed to do right?

"Chiyo, do I need to boil the water before I drink it?" The froslass nodded. "It would not hurt to do so, yes."

Akari felt her eyes drooping as she waited for the water to boil. The tent was warm from the fire, and Cheeseburger was snoring on her chest. Any remaining adrenaline and anxiety had left her body the moment she saw Ingo alive, leaving her deeply exhausted. Chiyo placed a blanket over her shoulders, and pet her hair.

"It's alright to sleep. You've had a very eventful two days." That was all Akari needed to hear, snoring softly as the noble pet her hair.

---------------------------------------------------------

Chiyo knew what to do the moment Akari fell asleep. After killing the Zoroark, she had foraged many things like sticks, berries, vegetables and dazzling honey. The froslass remembered her life as a human, and used that to her advantage.

Cooking was something she had always been good at, and she knew pearl clan tents came with supplies (even if they were basic.) She quietly rummaged through the small chest near the stove, pulling out a cutting board and a sharp knife. She would need to find a safer place to put that, so that Akari wouldn't accidentally get injured.

She poured half of the now boiled water out of the pot and into another, putting the rest of the sterilized water in jars and setting them aside as drinking water. She placed the pot of water back on the stove, and worked on cutting up some bean pods she had foraged. She went over ingredients in her head. Cheri berries for the broth, as they were slightly spicy and flavorful, bean pods and springy mushrooms for nutrients, filleted and grilled magikarp for protein and diced medicinal leeks to prevent illness.

An easy yet delicious stew she had made many times before, for both her younger siblings and parents when they had been ill or stressed.

She pushed down her grief, and focused on the stew. This was no time to get emotional over people who were long dead.

She woke Akari up to eat, and to drink water to replenish her fluids. She canned the remaining stew, making sure everything was properly sealed before patrolling the icelands for the night.

#writing #pokemon legends arceus #theres a way back home #arceus chosen au #warden ingo #ingo #trainer akari #nurse peselle #warden calaba #froslass #zorua #zoroark #blood tw #gore tw #injury tw #violence tw #violence #descriptions of injury #ask to tag #(chiyos stew recipe is inspired by one of my moms :]) #submas #pokemon #lady sneasler #uncle ingo

[waywardstation]

I want to step on Ingo…to pop his back. Man looks like he needs a good back crack.

In regards to this ask

Ingo does the dad thing where he wants someone to step on his back. Peselle won’t let him do it the way he thinks he needs, though.

#FIX THIS MAN’S BACK #wayward’s asks #submas #ingo #warden ingo #pesselle #pokemon pesselle #croagunk #pokemon legends arceus #pokemon legends #pokemon #PLA #waywardstationart

[sumbarlivetv]

Kodim 0311 Pesel, Lepas Atlet Pessel Dalam Ajang Kejuaraan Forki Se - Sumbar

Kodim 0311 Pesel, Lepas Atlet Pessel Dalam Ajang Kejuaraan Forki Se – Sumbar

Pesisir Selatan, Sumbarlivetv.com – Kodim 0311 Pesel, Lepas Atlet Pessel Dalam Ajang Kejuaraan Forki Se – Sumbar.  Komandan Distrik Militer (Dandim) 0311 Pessel Letkol Inf. Moch Suherli yang juga selaku Ketua Forki Pessel melepas senanayak 27 orang Atlet Olahraga Karate Kabupaten Pesisir Selatan ( FORKI Pessel) dalam mengikuti kejuaraan Piala Ketua FORKI Sumatera Barat. Kegiatan itu sendiri akan…

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#Dandim 0311/ Pessel #kabupaten pessel #Kodim 0311 Pesel #Pengcab FORKI se-Sumbar #sumatra barat #Universitas Negeri Padang

[sixleggedchairs]

yeah okay i think drawing soukoku is therapeutic for me. never before, maybe excluding my depressive episode at like fifteen-sixteen yo. have i ever drawn this much soukoku. good news is i finished applying to one of the colleges i want to attend. it made me spit blood but i dont need to worry about that hellish application site for at least another 24 hours. at this point i feel like i would rather go through a hunger games style tournament to get in rather than typing in my email or PESEL number ever again. my distaste for computers continues to sabotage my daily life. but yeah- save me soukoku. soukoku drawing save me. soukoku drawign

#bsd #bsd art #bungo stray dogs #bungou stray dogs #digital art #bsd chuuya #bsd dazai #bsd skk #skk #soukoku #soukoku fanart #soukoku art #bsd fanart

[mlembug]

Because of the gender marker change which resulted in PESEL (national id) change, as far as medical records are concerned, I'm unvaccinated, despite having 3 covid vaccine doses.

Had to set up an appointment with my family doctor and she made a referral for a vaccine and in the meantime no vaccines are available anymore :/

#trans #poland #covid

[applesjuice]

What kind of mischief is Akari often doing ?

In Hisui they are causing people to get gray hairs early. Akari is that kid you look away from for ten seconds and next thing you know they've climbed halfway up the side of a building and cant get down. Wanted to make Hopkin a cup of tea? Oops the tea leaves they got from one of the clans was actually the devil's lettuce so hope you like bong water professor.

Peselle wants a toxicroak? I caught you an alpha. One time Rei walks by the training grounds and finds Zisu tossing them around like a rag doll and they're laughing like its fun. Pure insanity. Zero self preservation.

#ask #pokemon legends arceus #legends arceus au

[lesbianmichelmishina]

characters from earlier games whom i want the scarvi cast to meet

nemona: LEON. high-energy champs who love to win??? nemona would so be a leon fangirl.

arven: i want to see him cooking with beni. mochi vs sandwiches.

penny: i want penny to meet guzma, solely so that guzma can slowly realise that this nerdy eevee-obsessed kid is a much more serious criminal than he is.

katy: viola! omg they would chat about their darling bugs while katy bakes, and then viola would take some insta-worthy photos of the resulting cake that go viral. the cake is vivillon themed.

brassius: he and burgh would be friends i think.

kofu: he and crasher wake have the combined energy of a tsunami and that sounds hilarious.

tulip: i HAVE to see tulip doing diantha's makeup and sweating the entire time. she's too gay for this shit.

iono: RAIHAN.

larry: i'm going to say red, because while red is an unspeakably strong trainer and certified oddball, he's also got strong Normal Dude vibes and that fits well with larry. i think red would listen sympathetically to larry's complaints about work while the two of them eat ramen.

ryme: hear me out, i think there's room for a collab between her and piers. he jams out on a guitar, she freestyles to whatever beat he creates.

grusha: melony. this boy needs a hug and i think melony could give him a good one. also ice type friends.

clavell: he and looker attempt to understand slang together. clavell is struggling because he's clavell, looker is struggling because paldean is not one of his best languages. they are Trying.

rika: cynthia. see, every lesbian pokemon fan swoons for cynthia. i don't think rika would be any different. i think rika would lose her shit upon meeting cynthia. then the two of them bond over garchomp.

poppy: byron. he would instantly go Dad Mode on this tiny girl. then he finds out that she has steel types and he's on the verge of trying to get custody. how does he tell roark about his new baby sister.

hassel: burgh again, but for different reasons. i think hassel is a burgh fanboy.

real sada/turo: norman sits them down and has a Friendly Chat with them about their parenting skills. the slakings are blocking the doors. there is no escape.

ai sada/turo: i want them to meet laventon solely because laventon trying to work out what the fuck the ais are would be hilarious.

mela: flannery. awkward torkoal buddies!

ortega: listen he and bede would either be besties or hate each other on sight and i cannot work out which would be funnier.

giacomo: piers again, he's totally a piers fan, he's done fan remixes of piers's songs.

atticus: i want him to meet and get proper ninja training from koga and janine because he deserves it.

eri: zisu. the arm-wrestling contest would be LEGENDARY.

jacq: he and sycamore probably found each other on grindr during a conference and. y'know.

salvatore: he would like to meet fantina! the two could practise their kantonese together.

raifort: she and volo would get along for the worst reasons.

miriam: i want her to meet peselle. they have common ground and honestly i think it'd be cute.

dendra: i can picture her training with maylene and having a good time.

saguaro: i think gaeric would immediately fall in love if he met saguaro. and tbh i can't blame him.

tyme: i'm gonna say clemont. she would be really impressed by his inventions and would be a good tutor to him.

koraidon/miraidon: listen n would take one look at these big idiot lizard dogs and IMMEDIATELY fall in love. they are his new friends, he will give them all of the sandwiches.

#gotta tag em all #pokemon spoilers #scarvi spoilers

[sm4llerthanthis]

Nosz kurde youtube naniósł ograniczenie wiekowe na film nanami chan (żeby zweryfikować wiek trzeba wysłać youtubowi zdjęcie dowodu a ja nie chcę żeby mieli mój pesel 💀)

#bede motylkiem #będę motylkiem #chce byc lekka jak motylek #disordered eating cw #disordered eating mention #disordered eating thoughts #i need to lose so much weight #motylek any #motylki any #motylki w brzuchu #lekkie motylki #lekka jak motyl #blogi motylkowe #4norexla #4narex1a #4n0rexic #4n4blr #4nor3xia #4n4rexia #4n0r3xia #4norexi4 #ed relapse #ed not sherran #ed not ed sheeran #ed not sheeren #tw restrictive ed #ed bullshit #tw disordered thoughts #tw ana trigger #tw ed sheeran

[drifftingg]

Mam dzisiaj wizytę u magika po prochy a powinienem być z tydzien i tak się zastanawiam czy lepiej palić Jana ze pomyliłem 6 tygodni i 7 tygodni czy powiedzieć ze za tydzien bym nie mógł być bo jestem na wyjeździe u rodziny z okazji moich urodzin (pesel będzie widział wiec akurat te urodziny to prawda) od razu mówię ze bez tych tabletek to ja mogę skoczyć z mostu niż żyć choćby dobę (kmtw)

[ghostypetrainer]

@m1sosazai replied to your post “gliscor and chandelure both get to participate in...”:

Maybe pesselle is a secret underground nurse who heals the Pokemon of criminals lmao. For whatever reason her stint as a nurse joy didn't work out so she changed her name and became a black market doctor...

​pesselle is different from all of her sisters. she likes doing crime almost as much as she likes healing pokemon. she’s therefore the cool sister.

#m1sosazai #spy x family au #she will not ask questions ever #has a friendly business relationship with ingo #peselle: oh! chandelure's flames are glowing so brightly tonight! #ingo: yes she ate very well tonight #peselle: good for her!

[r0-boat]

FINALLY!!

Cyllene breaking her s/o’s back 😩

- noodle

Oh God I'm going to be so chaotically gay

Cyllene breaks you literally

Cw: you get hurt don't worry she doesn't break bones she just pulls something pegging

Gn!reader

Your eyes roll back as your partner continues pounding into you. The harness has been holding pretty well, considering the rough treatment you and Cyllene were putting it through.

Her nails pierce your skin as she digs them into the back of your neck, holding you down. Even as she holds you down with one hand, you can't get away. Strong... when her toy is not pounding deep inside and making it hard to think, you need to make a mental note not to make Cyllene mad.

Cyllene tries not to use your body as a stress ball but work has been so hard lately with little to no break. She can't help but release some stress even if it's just a little.

Well, you do squeal in delight every time her hand comes down on your ass. And the way you clench around the plastic toy making it harder for her to move, forcing her to fuck you harder

She doesn't think you really mind.

You shutter healing her softly at callous fingers grab your sides pulling me back onto her cock over and over as she tries to drive harder and deeper.

However this wasn't enough growing more and more frustrated, she needs more just hearing your nice noises was not enough.

Cyllene finally removed her hand from your neck, you whimper at the empty feeling inside you as she pulls out for just a moment to flip you on your back. Your face heats up as she stares down at you drinking up the way your face twists and pleasure when she slams back inside of you. The new angle had you arching your back smokes around her locking her in place. The toy hitting that spot over and over,

Your orgasm hits you like a bolder cumming on her cock. Cyllene can only gasp in response, her eyes half-lit and her mouth partly open, the most emotion she has had all night. She's so close just a little more... she just needs a little more... she tries to find a new angle lifting your legs up over her shoulders, you practically scream in delight the only thing silencing it was Cyllene pillowy lips

There it is! Yes! Right there!.

Oh you look so good underneath her like this. More.

She Tightens her grip around your thighs pulling them off her with ease as she's getting closer and closer to bursting.

With her name leaving your lips after a string of begging makeing her lose it eyes rolling back as she slams as hard as she could down onto you, folding you in half, your legs bending a little too fast. You feel a sharp pain in your thigh and bum, Cyllene hearing your yell immediately snapping out of her High to pull out of you and getting off of you.

"Are you ok?!" She says as startled As You Are.

"Y-yeah...i-think"

Cyllene starts to touch and gently squeeze parts of your tracing over the parts where she has touched before where did it hurt you?"

" I think my lower left thigh"

You feel her fingers pressed into it you winch in pain.

" it's nothing serious I probably just pulled something in your hamstrings, ... I'm sorry."

You give Cyllene a smile kissing her reassuring that there's nothing to be sorry about.

"I'll give you a day off tomorrow..." she says putting an arm around you as she scoots you closer in the sheets of her futon.

You couldn't help but snuggle against her comfy chest grabbing at her night clothes as you slowly drift off ignoring the throbbing pain.

You might have gotten your hamstrings pulled but after getting her back blown out, it was kind of worth it. Your heart warms, thinking she will probably come by later to keep you company.

Cyllene however is thinking what she's going to tell Kamado and Peselle tomorrow about your absence and injury.

She really has to be reminded of her strength.

#smut #pokemon legends arceus #pokemon cyllene #pla cyllene #cyllene x reader #don't ask where the toy came from I will not tell you

[officialyourdailyinspiration]

The 10 Commandments

1 And Moshe called kol Yisroel, and said unto them, Shema, Yisroel, to the chukkim and mishpatim which I speak in your ears today, that ye may learn them, and be shomer to do them.

2 Hashem Eloheinu made a Brit with us in Chorev.

3 Hashem made not this Brit with Avoteinu, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive today.

4 Hashem talked with you panim b’panim in the har out of the midst of the eish,

5 (I stood between Hashem and you at that time, to show you the Devar Hashem; for ye were afraid by reason of the eish, and went not up into the har) saying:

6 I am Hashem Eloheicha, Which brought thee out of Eretz Mitzrayim, from the bais avadim.

7 Thou shalt have no elohim acharim before Me.

8 Thou shalt not make thee any pesel, or any temunah of anything that is in Shomayim above, or that is in Ha’Aretz beneath, or that is in the mayim beneath ha’aretz;

9 Lo tishtachaveh (thou shalt not bow down thyself) unto them, nor serve them; for I Hashem Eloheicha am an El Kannah, visiting the iniquity of the avot upon the banim unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me,

10 And showing chesed unto thousands of them that love Me and are shomer over My mitzvot.

11 Thou shalt not take the Shem of Hashem Eloheicha in vain; for Hashem will not hold him guiltless that taketh Shmo in vain.

12 Keep shomer Shabbos to set Shabbos apart as kodesh as Hashem Eloheicha commanded thee.

13 Sheshet yamim thou shalt labor, and do all thy work:

14 But the Yom HaShevi’i is the Shabbos of Hashem Eloheicha: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy ben, nor thy bat, nor thy eved, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine donkey, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy ger that is within thy she’arim; that thy eved and thy amah may rest as well as thou.

15 And remember that thou wast an eved in Eretz Mitzrayim, and that Hashem Eloheicha brought thee out thence through a yad chazakah and by an outstretched zero’a; therefore Hashem Eloheicha commanded thee to be shomer Shabbos on Yom HaShabbat.

16 Honor thy av and thy em, as Hashem Eloheicha hath commanded thee; that thy yamim may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in ha’adamah which Hashem Eloheicha giveth thee.

17 Lo tirtzah (thou shalt not murder).

18 V’lo tinaf (neither shalt thou commit adultery).

19 V’lo tignov (neither shalt thou steal).

20 V’lo ta’aneh v’reacha ed shav (neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbor).

21 V’lo tachmod (neither shalt thou covet, desiring) thy neighbor’s wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbor’s bais, his sadeh, or his eved, or his amah, his ox, or his donkey, or any thing that is thy neighbor’s. — Deuteronomy 5:1-21 | Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB) Orthodox Jewish Bible Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2008, 2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International and the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Cross References: Genesis 15:13; Exodus 18:20; Exodus 19:18; Exodus 20:2-3 and 4; Exodus 20:17; Exodus 34:7; Leviticus 19:11; Numbers 14:18; Deuteronomy 29:1; Psalm 81:9; Matthew 5:21; Matthew 5:27; Matthew 5:33; Matthew 15:4; Matthew 19:18; Mark 2:27; Luke 13:14; Luke 23:56; Romans 7:7; Galatians 3:19; Hebrews 8:9

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Michael Shermer

Published: Aug 9, 2023

There is arguably no better known set of moral precepts than the Ten Commandments. As an exercise in moral casuistry, in this essay, excerpted from my chapter on religion in my 2015 book The Moral Arc, let’s consider them again in the context of how far the moral arc has bent since they were decreed over three millennia ago. (The Ten Commandments are stated in two books of the Old Testament, Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:4-21. I quote from Exodus, King James Version.) In the next essay I shall reconstruct them from the perspective of a science- and reason-based moral system.

I. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

First, this commandment reveals that polytheism was commonplace at the time and that Yahweh was, among other things, a jealous god (see God’s own clarification in Commandment 2). Second, it violates the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution in that it restricts freedom of religious expression (“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof”), making the posting of the Ten Commandments in public places such as schools and courthouses unconstitutional.

II. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me.

This commandment is also in violation of the First Amendment’s guarantee of the freedom of speech, of which artistic expression is included by precedence of many Supreme Court cases (“Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech”). It also brings to mind what the Taliban did in Afghanistan when they destroyed ancient religious relics not approved by their Islamist masters. Elsewhere in the Bible, the word “idol” is synonymously used, with the Hebrew word pesel translated as an object carved or hewn out of stone, wood or metal.

What, then, are we to make of the crucifix, worn by millions of Christians as an image, an idol, a symbol of what Jesus suffered for their sins? The crucifix is a graven image of torture as it was commonly practiced by the Romans. If Jews today were suddenly to start sporting little gas chambers on gold necklaces the shocked public reaction would be as unsurprising as it would be unmistakable.

I the LORD thy God am a jealous God.

That might explain the genocides, wars, conquests, and mass exterminations commanded by the deity of the Old Testament. These humanlike emotions reveal Yahweh to be more like a Greek god, and much like an adolescent, who lacks the wisdom to control his passions.

The last part of this commandment—visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me—violates the most fundamental principle of Western jurisprudence developed over centuries of legal precedence that one can be only be guilty of one’s own sins and not the sins of one’s parents, grandparents, great grandparents, or anyone else for that matter.  

III. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

This commandment is once again an infringement on our Constitutionally-guaranteed right to free speech and religious expression, and another indication of Yahweh’s petty jealousies and un-Godlike ways.

IV. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Again, freedom of speech and religious expression means we may or may not choose to treat the Sabbath as holy, and the rest of this commandment—For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy—make it clear that its purpose is to once again pay homage to Yahweh.

Thus far, the first four commandments have nothing whatsoever to do with morality as we understand it today in terms of how we are to interact with others, resolve conflicts, or improve the survival and flourishing of other sentient beings. At this point the Decalogue is entirely concerned with the relationship of humans and god, not humans and humans.

V. Honor thy father and thy mother.

As a father myself, this commandment feels right and reasonable, since most of us parents appreciate being honored by our children, especially because we’ve invested considerable love, attention, and resources into them. But “commanding” honor—much less love—doesn’t ring true to me as a parent, since such sentiments usually come naturally anyway. Plus, commanding honor is an oxymoron, made all the worse by the hint of a reward for so doing, as in the rest of that commandment: “that thy days may be long upon the land which the lord thy God giveth thee.” Honor either happens naturally as a result of a loving and fulfilling relationship between parents and offspring, or it doesn’t. For a precept to be moral, it must involve an element of choice between doing something entirely self-serving and doing something that helps another, even at the cost of oneself.    

VI. Thou shalt not kill.

Finally, we get a genuine moral principle worth our attention and respect. Yet even here, much ink has been spilled by biblical scholars and theologians about the difference between murder and killing (such as in self-defense), not to mention all the different types of killing, from first-degree murder to manslaughter, along with mitigating circumstances and exclusions, such as self-defense, provocation, accidental killings, capital punishment, euthanasia, and of course war.

Many Hebrew scholars believe that the prohibition is against murder only. But what are we to make of the story in Exodus (32:27-28) in which Moses brought down from the mountain top the first set of tablets, which he smashed in anger, and then commanded the Levites: “Thus saith the lord God of Israel, put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbor. And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.”

How can we reconcile God’s commandment not to kill anyone with his commandment to kill everyone? In light of this account, and many others like it, the sixth commandment should perhaps read thus: Thou shalt not kill—not unless the Lord thy God says so. Then shalt thou slaughter thine enemies with abandon.

VII. Thou shalt not commit adultery.

Coming from a deity who impregnated somebody else’s fiancé, that’s a bit rich. However, the bigger issue is that this commandment, like all the others, is a blunt instrument that doesn’t take into account the wide variety of circumstances in which people find themselves. Surely grownups in intimate relationships can and should negotiate the details of their relationship for themselves, and one hopes that they’ll act honorably toward their partner out of a sense of integrity, and not because a deity told them to.     

VII. Thou shalt not steal.

Again, do we really need a deity to command this? All cultures had and have moral rules and legal codes about theft.

IX. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

Anyone who has been lied to or gossiped about can explain why this moral commandment makes sense and is needed, so chalk one up for the Bible’s authors whose insights here were spot on.

X. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his cattle, nor anything that is thy neighbor’s.

Consider what it means to covet something—to crave or want or desire it—so this commandment is the world’s first thought crime, which goes against centuries of Western legal codes. More to the point, the very foundation of capitalism is the coveting or desire for things and, ironically, it is Bible-quoting Christian conservatives who most defend the very coveting forbidden in this final mandate.

The late Christopher Hitchens best summed up the implications of taking this commandment seriously, in an April 2010 Vanity Fair essay: “Leaving aside the many jokes about whether or not it’s okay or kosher to covet thy neighbor’s wife’s ass, you are bound to notice once again that, like the Sabbath order, it’s addressed to the servant-owning and property-owning class. Moreover, it lumps the wife in with the rest of the chattel (and in that epoch could have been rendered as ‘thy neighbor’s wives,’ to boot).”

After demolishing the Decalogue in his inimitable style, Hitchens proffered his own list of commandments:

• Do not condemn people on the basis of their ethnicity or color.  • Do not ever use people as private property. • Despise those who use violence or the threat of it in sexual relations. • Hide your face and weep if you dare to harm a child.  • Do not condemn people for their inborn nature—why would God create so many homosexuals only in order to torture and destroy them? • Be aware that you too are an animal and dependent on the web of nature, and think and act accordingly.  • Do not imagine that you can escape judgment if you rob people with a false prospectus rather than with a knife. • Turn off that fucking cell phone—you have no idea how unimportant your call is to us. • Denounce all jihadists and crusaders for what they are: psychopathic criminals with ugly delusions. • Be willing to renounce any god or any religion if any holy commandments should contradict any of the above.”

Hitchens caps his list in summary judgment: “In short: Do not swallow your moral code in tablet form.”

Now, that is a rational prescription! In my next Skeptic column here I will offer my own “Provisional Rational Decalogue.” So you don’t miss it please consider subscribing below.

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