Why the Ten Commandments are for atheists, too The Second Commandment: You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain. "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will make me go in a corner and cry by myself for hours." -Eric Idle Words matter. A man is hanging a picture. His hand slips and his finger shifts in front of the hammer. Instead of hitting the nail, he hits his thumb. “ Jesus Christ!” he shouts. He could have said a lot worse. I have actually had this discussion with nonbelievers who see absolutely no reason why they should refrain from using such expressions. Their attitudes usually soften when I point out that such language might offend people. They also usually concede that such expressions should not be used around children. ...