Do Not Misuse God’s Name

Dec 01, 2014

The Worst Sin You Can Commit

Not all sins are equal. Some are worse than others. The worst one of all? Committing evil in the name of God. This commandment is often misunderstood because it's mistranslated. It's not concerned with saying God's name "in vain" like "God, did I have a terrible day at the office!" It's about using God's name in the commission of evil. We see this today when Islamists invoke God's name while they murder innocent people. This video is part of our series on the Ten Commandments.

Study Guide

Is there such a thing as "the worst sin"—one sin that is worse than all others? Yes. It’s committing evil in God’s name.: Dennis Prager on the destructive consequences of committing evil in God’s name: “[W]hen religious people commit evil, especially in God's name, they are not only committing evil, they are doing terrible damage to the name of God. In our time, there is an example of this. The evils committed by Islamists who torture, bomb, cut throats, and mass murder—all in the name of God—do terrible damage to the name of God. It is not coincidental that what is called the New Atheism—the immense eruption of atheist activism—followed the 9-11 attacks on America by Islamist terrorists. In fact, the most frequent argument against God and religion concerns evil committed in God's name—whether it is done in the name of Allah today or was done in the past in the name of Christ. People who murder in the name of God not only kill their victims, they kill God, too.”
View source; The Ten Commandments provide an absolute moral guide to all of humanity, given to man by God, the divine authority, not the word of man or government.
View source; The Ten Commandments established ethical monotheism, which teaches that God is supranatural (transcends nature), personal, holy, the source of all goodness, and the God of all humanity.
View source; Related reading: The Ten Commandments: Still The Best Moral Code – Dennis Prager
View source; Related reading: The First Three Commandments: Duties to God – Peter Kreeft
View source
People who murder in the name of God—like radical Islamists—not only kill their victims, they kill faith in God, too.: Dennis Prager on the destructive consequences of committing evil in God’s name: “[W]hen religious people commit evil, especially in God's name, they are not only committing evil, they are doing terrible damage to the name of God. In our time, there is an example of this. The evils committed by Islamists who torture, bomb, cut throats, and mass murder—all in the name of God—do terrible damage to the name of God. It is not coincidental that what is called the New Atheism—the immense eruption of atheist activism—followed the 9-11 attacks on America by Islamist terrorists. In fact, the most frequent argument against God and religion concerns evil committed in God's name—whether it is done in the name of Allah today or was done in the past in the name of Christ. People who murder in the name of God not only kill their victims, they kill God, too.”
View source; The Ten Commandments provide an absolute moral guide to all of humanity, given to man by God, the divine authority, not the word of man or government.
View source; The Ten Commandments established ethical monotheism, which teaches that God is supranatural (transcends nature), personal, holy, the source of all goodness, and the God of all humanity.
View source; Related reading: The Ten Commandments: Still The Best Moral Code – Dennis Prager
View source; Related reading: The First Three Commandments: Duties to God – Peter Kreeft
View source
Atheism erupted after 9/11. Why? Because the jihadists misused God’s name—destroying many people’s faith in God by doing evil in His name.: Dennis Prager on the destructive consequences of committing evil in God’s name: “[W]hen religious people commit evil, especially in God's name, they are not only committing evil, they are doing terrible damage to the name of God. In our time, there is an example of this. The evils committed by Islamists who torture, bomb, cut throats, and mass murder—all in the name of God—do terrible damage to the name of God. It is not coincidental that what is called the New Atheism—the immense eruption of atheist activism—followed the 9-11 attacks on America by Islamist terrorists. In fact, the most frequent argument against God and religion concerns evil committed in God's name—whether it is done in the name of Allah today or was done in the past in the name of Christ. People who murder in the name of God not only kill their victims, they kill God, too.”
View source; The Ten Commandments provide an absolute moral guide to all of humanity, given to man by God, the divine authority, not the word of man or government.
View source; The Ten Commandments established ethical monotheism, which teaches that God is supranatural (transcends nature), personal, holy, the source of all goodness, and the God of all humanity.
View source; Related reading: The Ten Commandments: Still The Best Moral Code – Dennis Prager
View source; Related reading: The First Three Commandments: Duties to God – Peter Kreeft
View source
God is the source of all goodness. Doing evil in His name not only sullies it—it destroys people’s faith in Him.: Dennis Prager on the destructive consequences of committing evil in God’s name: “[W]hen religious people commit evil, especially in God's name, they are not only committing evil, they are doing terrible damage to the name of God. In our time, there is an example of this. The evils committed by Islamists who torture, bomb, cut throats, and mass murder—all in the name of God—do terrible damage to the name of God. It is not coincidental that what is called the New Atheism—the immense eruption of atheist activism—followed the 9-11 attacks on America by Islamist terrorists. In fact, the most frequent argument against God and religion concerns evil committed in God's name—whether it is done in the name of Allah today or was done in the past in the name of Christ. People who murder in the name of God not only kill their victims, they kill God, too.”
View source; The Ten Commandments provide an absolute moral guide to all of humanity, given to man by God, the divine authority, not the word of man or government.
View source; The Ten Commandments established ethical monotheism, which teaches that God is supranatural (transcends nature), personal, holy, the source of all goodness, and the God of all humanity.
View source; Related reading: The Ten Commandments: Still The Best Moral Code – Dennis Prager
View source; Related reading: The First Three Commandments: Duties to God – Peter Kreeft
View source
Those who commit evil in the name of God are not just insulting Him. They’re destroying others’ faith in Him.: Dennis Prager on the destructive consequences of committing evil in God’s name: “[W]hen religious people commit evil, especially in God's name, they are not only committing evil, they are doing terrible damage to the name of God. In our time, there is an example of this. The evils committed by Islamists who torture, bomb, cut throats, and mass murder—all in the name of God—do terrible damage to the name of God. It is not coincidental that what is called the New Atheism—the immense eruption of atheist activism—followed the 9-11 attacks on America by Islamist terrorists. In fact, the most frequent argument against God and religion concerns evil committed in God's name—whether it is done in the name of Allah today or was done in the past in the name of Christ. People who murder in the name of God not only kill their victims, they kill God, too.”
View source; The Ten Commandments provide an absolute moral guide to all of humanity, given to man by God, the divine authority, not the word of man or government.
View source; The Ten Commandments established ethical monotheism, which teaches that God is supranatural (transcends nature), personal, holy, the source of all goodness, and the God of all humanity.
View source; Related reading: The Ten Commandments: Still The Best Moral Code – Dennis Prager
View source; Related reading: The First Three Commandments: Duties to God – Peter Kreeft
View source

Is there such a thing as "the worst sin" -- one sin that is worse than all others? Well, there is. I am well aware that some people differ. They maintain that we can't declare any sin worse than any other. "To God, a sin is a sin," is how it's often expressed. In this view, a person who steals a stapler from the office is committing as grievous a sin in God's eyes as a murderer. But most people intuitively, as well as biblically, understand that some sins are clearly worse than others. We are confident that God has at least as much common sense as we do. The God of Judaism and Christianity does not equate stealing an office item with murder.

So, then, what is the worst sin? The worst sin is committing evil in God's name. How do we know? From the Third Commandment of the Ten Commandments. This is the only one of the Ten Commandments that states that God will not forgive a person who violates the commandment. What does this Commandment say? It is most commonly translated as, "Do not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. For the Lord will not hold guiltless" -- meaning "will not forgive" -- whoever takes His name in vain."

Most people understandably think that the commandment forbids saying God's name for no good reason. So, something like, "God, did I have a rough day at work today!" violates the Third Commandment. But that interpretation presents a real problem. It would mean that whereas God could forgive the violation of any of the other commandments -- dishonoring one's parents, stealing, adultery, or even committing murder -- He would never forgive someone who said, "God, did I have a rough day at work today!" Let's be honest: That would render God and the Ten Commandments morally incomprehensible.

Well, as it happens, the commandment is not the problem. The problem is the translation. The Hebrew original doesn't say "Do not take;" it says "Do not carry." The Hebrew literally reads, "Do not carry the name of the Lord thy God in vain." One of the most widely used new translations of the Bible, the New International Version, or NIV, uses the word "misuse" rather than the word "take:" "You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God." This is much closer to the original's intent.

What does it mean to "carry" or to "misuse" God's name? It means committing evil in God's name. And that God will not forgive. Why not? When an irreligious person commits evil, it doesn't bring God and religion into disrepute. But when religious people commit evil, especially in God's name, they are not only committing evil, they are doing terrible damage to the name of God.

In our time, there is an example of this. The evils committed by Islamists who torture, bomb, cut throats, and mass murder -- all in the name of God -- do terrible damage to the name of God. It is not coincidental that what is called the New Atheism -- the immense eruption of atheist activism -- followed the 9-11 attacks on America by Islamist terrorists. In fact, the most frequent argument against God and religion concerns evil committed in God's name -- whether it is done in the name of Allah today or was done in the past in the name of Christ.

People who murder in the name of God not only kill their victims, they kill God, too. That's why the greatest sin is religious evil. That's what the Third Commandment is there to teach: Don't carry God's name in vain. If you do, God won't forgive you.

I'm Dennis Prager.

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