LONDON – According to a new British poll, the country is quickly forgetting the Ten Commandments.
Only three of the laws – passed to Moses on tablets of stone in Old Testament times – made any showing in the poll, commissioned for an event called “Just10 South London.” Less than half of the population remembered the admonitions not to steal, murder or commit adultery, but it appears that commandments such as “don’t take the Lord’s name in vain” are fast becoming a distant memory.
Only 9 percent of those polled recalled the commandment not to lie. Worst remembered of all the commandments was “keep the Sabbath day holy,” which was correctly identified by only 4 percent of those polled.
There were varying results for age and regional differences. Among 15-24 year-olds, only 11 percent remembered to “honor thy father and mother,” while in the 65-plus age group, the figure was 20 percent.
One region had 15 percent of respondents remembering the commandment they shouldn’t lie, while another resulted in 32 percent of those polled knowing the charge not to “covet.” Some 20 percent of Londoners recalled the charge to respect their parents, while 53 percent of those interviewed in the Britain’s West Country remembered the admonition not to steal.
According to a press release from Britain’s Premier Christian Radio, the survey was timed to coincide with speaker J. John’s 10-night retelling of the commandments, an event dubbed “Just10 South London.” Each evening John reworks a different commandment to give it a more contemporary feel – so “thou shalt not kill” becomes “how to tame your temper.”
Ben Paine, project manager of “Just10 South London,” said in the same release, “The series opens-up the wisdom of these ancient principles and applies it to the lives we lead today. Finding-out ‘how to affair-proof your relationships,’ or ‘how to live by priorities,’ is a real opportunity for people to make positive changes in their lives.”
The survey was conducted between Aug. 27-29 2004. One thousand people were interviewed in 10 regions across England, Scotland and Wales.
