Shattered Tablets: Why We Ignore the Ten Commandments at Our Peril

This book really made me sit back and strongly consider myself in the light of the 10 Commandments. Looking at the world status today, the concept in this book along with Bible, I can see this "downward spiral" playing out. Would recommend this book to all professing Christians to pick apart our own denial of the 10 Commandments being a focus point in our lives.

'Shattered Tablets' is truly an excellent book, giving Jewish and Christian Americans modern examples and ancient scholarship about our religious and national heritage and the threats to it. In a world where it is difficult not to notice the number of people who compare the state of western civ. to the decline of the Roman or Byzantine Empire (my particular favorite- a fat and happy population enjoying a luxurious lifestyle and spending most of its time in legalistic disputations, while the invaders are at the gate), or global warming and the end of the world, or the Christian Book of Revelation and the end of the world, or some Islamic groups with the return of the 12th imam and the end of the world, or the final age of the Hindu goddess Kali, goddess of death, and the end of the world, Mr. Klinghoffer adds clarity to a confused time and a confused people. To an old person, many young people today look quite unhappy and unable to make meaningful lives- in part because of adherence to a materialistic philosophy, inadequate basic schooling in reading, spelling, math, American and world history, literature, and religion, a narcissistic culture that seems to be composed of sex, drugs, hype, and rock and roll, along with sad celebrities and $300 jeans and athletic shoes- it is a standard catalogue, but a damaging one. Mr. Klinghoffer is not old, and his books give us old people some hope that there could be more thoughtfulness in our societies, more attention to personal responsibilities and duties, more learning- more of everything that is good. His first book is about his search for his personal and religious heritage, the second on Abraham and the growth of monotheism, and the third on the rejection of Jesus as the Messiah awaited by the Hebrew people. All are well written and rewarding to read.

What a great read! In "Shattered Tablets" David Klinghoffer has taken a common pastoral theme and brought it to life with an impressive historical and theological account of the basis of each of the Ten Commandments - producing a compelling and persuasive case, with vivid illustrations, for his thesis that we ignore the Decalogue at our peril. For example, in his treatment of the Second Commandment prohibiting idolatry, Klinghoffer takes the reader on a theological tour de force through impressive discussions of "American style" idolatry, Christian tolerance versus pagan tolerance, American polytheism and cultural relativism, all culminating in the ultimate manifestation of the "little 'god' that lurks within the self." And that is just the second chapter! Although he warns his readers early on of his "intent to measure in the book. . . .the ideological view that would enshrine materialism as the official quasi-religion of American culture and government," I wondered if Klinghoffer had suspected that his research would lead him to so many examples of outrageous behavior, grotesque beliefs, and twisted values. I am still recovering from learning that the U.S. armed forces recognize Wicca (a type of witchcraft and paganism) as an official religion. For Klinghoffer and others, the Ten Commandments are more than a historical theory. They are a true, living blueprint of what we should and should not do, think and expect. It is not a list of suggestions but theological certainties that are as unassailable as the law of gravity. Stepping off the moral precipice of the Decalogue has the same sure consequences (individually and to civilization) as stepping off the edge of the roof of a building. "Shattered Tablets" is beautifully written, well-researched and well-reasoned. It is an important contribution and is highly recommended.

Using the Ten Commandments as a diagnostic tool, David Klinghoffer offers a morally courageous analysis of the pathological drift of American culture. The illustrative vignettes provided by the tragi-comic moral obtuseness of Seattle, Klinghoffer's home city, contribute to the book's great readability and serve as an effective juxtaposition to the moral common sense inherent in the Decalogue. The fundamental thesis of the book is generated by the relationship between the two tablets of the Law: how a culture behaves toward God (the first five commandments) goes a long way toward determining how the people within that culture behave toward each other (the second five commandments). In both orthodox Jewish and Christian thought there is a clear understanding that creeping societal secularization leads by incremental steps to interpersonal degradation. The validity of this understanding is demonstrated by Klinghoffer through a thought-provoking examination of the moral depth inherent in each commandment and its relationship to the others, as well as through a trenchant analysis of the deleterious consequences - both actual and possible - attending their neglect. The result is a powerful critique of secularization that strongly motivates Klinghoffer's prophetic call for a return to America's Judeo-Christian heritage. I am not at all optimistic that this call will be heeded, but the uncompromising clarity with which the need for it is explained and illustrated makes this book a very important one indeed, and reflects well on the moral courage and integrity of the author. Highly recommended!

David Klinghoffer clearly and incisively articulates why our American culture has gotten so off track. By ignoring--better throwing out--the decalogue we have allowed secularism to define our morality. Klinghoffer is not afraid to speak in cutting and sometimes politically incorrect terms about the devastating consequences of secularism on our culture. By dissecting each of the commandments and showing how they relate to one another, he shows why religious belief is essential in maintaining a moral culture. While the book predominantly deals with the Jewish Rabbinical interpretation of the Ten Commandments, he was also sensitive to the common experience of those in the Evangelical Christian tradition. His book is quite engaging and thought provoking. I couldn't put it down and will heartily recommend to my friends and family.