Some years ago, the founder of CNN and other cable networks told the Dallas Morning News that Christianity was “a religion for losers.”1 He commented that he’d lived a bit of the wild life, and if that sentenced him to hell, then so be it.

Shortly after these statements, Turner stood before the American Humanist Association and proclaimed that it was time to update the Ten Commandments. They were grossly out of date, he said. It was time for his “Ten Voluntary Initiatives,” which took a much more politically correct direction.

These included ecological guidelines, a vow of nonviolence, an effort to be friendlier, and the promise to have no more than two children (though again Turner was off to a poor start; he had five).2

Some scoffed at “the Mouth of the South,” as he was known. But in some humanistic circles, Turner’s Top Ten list is still admired and studied. It certainly tells many people what they already want to hear without making any demands of personal morality or, for that matter, any mention of God at all.

Over the years, I’ve heard echoes of Turner’s take from ordinary people. I recall a young man who came to me in the midst of a number of problems in his life. I talked to him about Christ, about sin, and the need for forgiveness. He sighed, rolled his eyes, and said, “Christianity is no more than a list of silly rules that take all the joy out of life. I need to tell you, Dr. Jeremiah, I can’t think of a single good reason to become a Christian.”

Something in us really doesn’t like rules. When you’re late for an appointment, and you’re slamming down the accelerator to get across town quickly, that stop sign seems like a real annoyance. And if no other cars are coming, it feels like another “silly rule.”

On the other hand, if you move into that intersection and spot another speeding car coming at you and ignoring the sign—well, then the rules look a lot better. At that moment, you appreciate stop signs, and you understand how they were placed for your protection.

The Ten Commandments are stop signs at the prime intersections of life. They were given by a God who loves us and wants our best.

In his book The Lost Message of Jesus, Steve Chalke discusses the common misconception that these rules are simply restrictive hoops God expects us to jump through. People get the idea, he explains, that the commandments are requirements for a demanding God’s approval. But the Bible says nothing of the kind. The Ten Commandments were given to Moses and the Israelites in the wilderness where God had already demonstrated His love and acceptance.