Many people's lives have been influenced by oaths, creeds and commandments that they have uttered repeatedly for years without questioning their validity. Many of these were appropriate for their date and circumstances. Today, in the age of science and reason, they are no longer valid and one needs to reexamine and review them. I have done so herewith.

Hippocratic Oath

The following is the oath repeated by all medical school graduates on graduation day and which I took upon graduating from Cornell Medical School in 1935.

"I swear by Apollo the physician, and Aesculapius, Hygeia, and Panacea and all the gods and goddesses, that, according to my ability and judgement, I will keep this Oath and this covenant.

To reckon him who taught me this Art equally dear to me as my parents, to share my substance with him, and relieve his necessities if required; to look upon his offspring on the same footing as my own brothers, and to teach them this Art, if they shall wish to learn it, without fee or stipulation; and that by precept, lecture, and every other mode of instruction, I will impart a knowledge of the Art to my own sons, and those of my teachers, and to disciples who have signed the covenant and have taken an oath according to the law of medicine, but no one else.

I will follow that system of regimen which, according to my ability and judgment, I consider for the benefit of my patients, and abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous. I will give no deadly medicine to anyone if asked, nor suggest any such counsel; and in like manner I will not give to a woman an abortive remedy. With purity and with holiness I will pass my life and practice my Art.

I will not cut persons laboring under the stone, but will leave this to be done by such men as are practitioners of this work. Into whatever houses I enter, I will go into them for the benefit of the sick, and will abstain from every voluntary act of mischief and corruption; and, further, from the seduction of females or males, of freemen and slaves.

Whatever, in connection with my professional practice, or not in connection with it, I see or hear, in the life of men, which ought not to be spoken of abroad, I will not divulge, as reckoning that all such should be kept secret. While I continue to keep this Oath unviolated, may it be granted to me to enjoy life and practice of the Art, respected by all men, in all times. But should I trespass and violate this Oath, may the reverse be my lot."

When Hippocrates created this oath around 425 B.C., medicine was in its infancy and surgery was performed by "barber surgeons," an itinerant group that operated and left town. The mortality due to hemorrhage and infection was 100%. It is no wonder that Hippocrates decreed that no one should cut for stone. At that time bladder and kidney stones were common place. Today this oath is used symbolically and is no longer taken literally. As a urologist I violated this oath from the day I began practice.

Apostles' Creed

As a young man raised in the Anglican or Episcopalian faith I uttered this creed on innumerable occasions during services at church. As years went by I began to doubt the facts and validity of this creed, and today no longer subscribe to it.

"I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen."

As I became more scientifically oriented at college and medical school I found that the words of the creed were no longer acceptable. First, the idea of resurrection was impossible for me to conceive and that Jesus, the prophet, was actually the son of God was equally unacceptable. Hence, the creed was no longer meaningful and it was abandoned. I need a natural explanation for events and not a supernatural one.

The Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments are attributed to Moses and are taken from the Old Testament. The most popular version is that taken from Exodus 20:2-17. It is a uniquely Hebraic document and predates the New Testament and the Koran. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all claim a common origen in Abraham. They started with a common ancestor but subsquently deviated in their concepts and beliefs, and, unfortunately, today are in conflict and have become devisive.

1. "I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me." (Ex 20:2-3)

There are no religions in the world save Judaism that would acknowlege that they were brought out of bondage from Egypt! It is no longer applicable to Christianity or Islam.

2. 'Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain." (Ex 20:7)

Today many people do not have a clear understanding of the word God or Lord and use it irreverently. Only the deeply devout take offence if the words are used loosely. The word God was more meaningful to the pioneers of our country than it is to today's citizens.

3. "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything 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." (Ex 20:4-6)

The Hebraic and Muslim faiths take this commandment seriously! The Christians violate it, and have done so since the Treaty of Nicea in 325 A.D. when the Aryans (One God) and the Trinitarians (Three Gods) met in convention and voted in favor of three Gods, i.e. "The Father, The Son and The Holy Ghost". Emperor Constantine called the convention, and later gave up his Roman religion and became a Christian.

4. "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy." (Ex. 20:8)

Today only the members of the Jewish and Islamic faiths continue to respect the sabbath. Most catholics and protestants have dishonored it, and use it for shopping and pleasure.

5. "Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long." (Ex. 20:12)

In general this is a sound philosophy and should be respected. However, there are exceptions and abusive and cruel parents may be undeserving of this respect.

6. "Thou shalt not kill." (Ex. 20:13)

Until WAR is outlawed every soldier that fights to defend his country will violate this commandment. To have killed Stalin and Hitler would have been no sin.

7. "Thou shalt not commit adultery." (Ex. 20:14)

Today with divorce rates as high as 50% and couples living outside the covenant of marriage, adultry no longer has the impact of sin that it once had.

8. "Thou shalt not steal." (Ex. 20:15)

A father whose family is starving and who lives next to a miserly man who has a super abundance of Life's needs may well be justified in stealing. Circumstance may well play a role in one's moral conduct.

9. "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour." (Ex. 20:16)

Bearing false witness against one's neighbor may be warranted if by so doing one is saving one's community and performing an extraordinary sevice.

10. "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, nor thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's." (Ex. 20:17)

I would phrase it otherwise by saying one should respect one's neighbors life, family, and perrsonal property. To envy anothers possessions is common but to act on one's impulses may be a crime. To covet is to wrongfully desire. It is a thought, not an action.

In Short....

In short, this presentation was designed merely to show that people view things differently and that there are no absolutes in human behavior. One's behavior is determined by one's needs: i.e. survival, the preservation of one's personal interests and acquisations, and the opportunity to advance in life on a level playing field. TIME changes many things and the Ten Commandments are, as i see it, less influential these days.

Ingersoll's Creed

While I am opposed to all orthodox creeds, I have a creed myself and my creed is this: Happiness is the only good. The time to be happy is now: the place to be happy is here. The way to be happy is to make others so. This creed is somewhat short, but it is long enough for this life, strong enough for this world. If there is another world, when we get there we can make another creed. But this creed will certainly do for this world.

Charles E Jacobson, Jr.
June 2001