Each of the Ten Commandments is either unnecessary or incomplete.

Definitions: tru·ism   /ˈtruɪzəm/ Show Spelled[troo-iz-uhm] Show IPA noun a self-evident, obvious truth. ax·i·om   /ˈæksiəm/ Show Spelled[ak-see-uhm] Show IPA noun 1. a self-evident truth that requires no proof. 2. a universally accepted principle or rule. 3. Logic, Mathematics . a proposition that is assumed without proof for the sake of studying the consequences that follow from it. I will argue that the ten commandments are axiomatic principles; practical truisms for everyday life. The only measure of proof should be found in practical applications. Since the first four commandmentrequire faith in God, we must focus on generally neutral commandments to measure a benefit. (After all, we cannot measure the benefit of obedient worship if the subjects do not practice religion.) Since I only need to convince the voter that one of these commandments proves beneficial, I will focus on the last six. 5. Honour thy father and thy mother. A generally sensible commandment. We can see this benefit,if we are a parent. It would be generally beneficial for our quality of life,to have children who respect us and listen to our guidance. 6. Thou shall not kill. Again, a generally sensible commandment. We can see thisbenefit, if we desire not to be murdered. 7. Thou shall not commit adultery. This commandment is a little bit more flexible today than itwas 50 years ago. However, monogamy is still a commonly held virtue and thusthis commandment is beneficial for members of society that invest time, moneyand emotion into a committed relationship. 8. Thou shall not steal. This commandment proves beneficial if we desire to keep ourvaluable possessions. 9. Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbour. This commandment proves virtuous if you don't want to beaccused of crimes that you did not commit. There is real benefit in notspending extended periods of time in a prison for crimes you are innocent of. 10. Thou shall not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shallnot covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, norhis ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is thy neighbor's. This commandment proves beneficial if you want to keep yourneighbor out of your wife. Some folk find it deeply offensive when a neighboris making a romantic advance on their spouse. All of these six commandments are axiomatic. The benefits are self-evident. While the real proof is deeply personal, I cannot put the voter's feelings down as a reference. Therefore, I will provide references of people who advanced the general truth behind these commandments. References: Honor thy mother and thy father:http://www.focusas.com... This link gives insight into the lives of children who did not listen to their parents and ran away from home. The statistics will show that run-away teens are prone to drug addiction and prostitution. Thou shall not kill / Thou shall not covet thy neighbor's wife:http://www.chicagotribune.com...; This source covers two truisms. It is generally undesirableto deal with the emotional pain of a murdered spouse. It is just as traumatic to the victim, when she was raped by a man who coveted her. Thou shall not commit adultery: http://collegemhc.academia.edu... This source compares infidelity to the pain of death. It is a research article concerning the healing process after adultery has taken place. The mere existence of this article gives credence to the destructive nature of infidelity, where monogamy was the intent. Thou shall not steal: http://www.ncvc.org...; This source is a statistical outline concerning the economic, emotional and societal impact of robbery. These statistics clearlypoint out a victim group. We can safely rest in the self-evident truth, that theft is undesirable. Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor: http://www.chron.com... This article outlines the negative fallout of being falsely accused of crime. We se evidence of persons being jailed for murder, assault and sex crimes when they are innocent. The primary evidence used against thesevictims was "false testimony". Conclusion: The entire argument is based on a person's desire not to be a victim. My opponent has argued on a basis of unchained freedom to do what-ever his heart desires. My argument focus on the polar opposite. Whathappens when you fall victim to persons who live unrestricted by moral guidelines? My opponent may claim:" We can have morality outside of the ten commandments!" Sure. That's not the argument though and that doesn't erase the ten commandments. They stillexist and they are well within the guidelines of axiomatic morality. It would appear that my opponent has a problem with the source, rather than the substance.Unfortunately, that's not an objective component of this debate. I will post rebuttal next round, since this round was primarily for opening arguments.