DEAR ABBY: There is no reason for anyone to be ignorant of God's word, especially the Ten Commandments. If everyone obeyed these clear and simple rules, all the problems in the world would disappear! As a matter of fact, the Ten Commandments are the transcript of God's character and the pure foundational law of his universal and eternal government.
I noticed that you did not print the entire wording of the Ten Commandments in your column. You left out a portion of the wording in the First, Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth Commandments. Why? Have you never read verses 18 and 19 from the 22nd chapter of the Book of Revelation? It says, "For I testify unto every man that heareth the word of the prophesy of this book, if any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book; and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book."
Every "jot and tittle" written in God's word is extremely important. No human has the right to tamper with it in any way. The reason people do not know what the Ten Commandments say is just a matter of priorities. God's word is not important enough for them to spend time searching the Scriptures and applying the instructions to their lives. People are "too busy" these days with the "cares of this life." And one of these days, it will be TOO LATE. Signs of the end of time are fast fulfilling all around us, and people are as blind and unbelieving as they were in the days of Noah.
Abby, I challenge you to print this letter in your column, and end it by printing the entire wording of all of the Ten Commandments, and I challenge your readers to read Exodus 20 for themselves. If it makes a difference in only one person's life for eternity, it will be well worth honoring this request. -- HELEN L. SELF, MORGANTON, N.C.
DEAR MS. SELF: I'm printing your letter, but space limitations prevent me from printing the entire wording of the Ten Commandments according to each of the denominations that registered complaints about my having printed the King James version. My apologies to those who were offended.