With respect to the breaking down of the commandments.
The "ten" commandments are listed in
both, the books of Exodus 20:2-5 and Deuteronomy
5:6-9 and have slightly different lists in each
place. There actually is no numerical distinction
in the books to indicate what the ten consist of.
Jewish sources have traditionally broken the list
down in different ways according to whichever Rabbinic
school they were associated with. Likewise, Protestant
and Catholics have also broken them down differently,
but neither has done it with malice. They are merely
drawing from different ancient traditions.
(There have been anti-Catholic sects that
try to break the list down to condemn particularly
Catholic religious practices and art.)
There is no omission of the second commandment
(here I am assuming that you are referring to the
" ' you shall carve no image..' verse" that
comes from Deuteronomy 5:8.) This is directly condemning
a practice of idol worship that is referred to
in the first part of the verse "no other gods." There
was an ancient practice of worshiping these things
as though they were in fact, gods, but even the
Lord himself instructed the Jews to fabricate what
would be considered "graven images" in
several places, most notably in the construction
of the Ark of the Covenant, the central reliquary
in Jewish worship.
"Make two cherubim of beaten gold for the
two ends of the propitiatory, fastening them
so that one cherub springs direct for each end.
The cherubim shall have their wings spread out
above, over in the propitiatory with them; they
shall be turned toward each other, but with their
faces looking toward the propitiatory"
(Exodus 25: 18ff).
These images that adorned the most holy object
of Jewish veneration would be damnable according
to the interpretation of the fundamentalists that
condemn Catholic art. To be consistent, they would
have to condemn God as well.
Catholics do not worship images, but use them as
means to instruct and remind us of the events and
saints they represent, to inspire us to imitate
and reflect on God's grace and heroic accomplishments
in his faithful. Holy music is meant to do the
same. They lift our senses and imagination, but
can in no way take the place of God, who is infinite
and glorious. Lastly, the breaking down of the
final two commandments has to do with the emphasis
taken from the Early Church with respect for purity
as something unique, and singled out by Christ:
"every one who looks at a woman lustfully
has already committed adultery with her in his
heart...(Matthew 5:28).
Thus the two commandments each focus on two important,
but distinct, areas of human concupiscence:
- freedom from lust, and
- freedom from greed or avarice with respect
to others goods.
While interrelated, the distinction brings the
necessary focus on maintaining an inward control
with respect to carnal desires.
