Why do most Christians claim the 10 commandments as their moral guidance?

Because many love to pick and choose what parts they follow and what parts they ignore.

First answerer: WHERE in the NT are the Ten Commandments?

You ask a loaded question. The old covenant came to an end. None of it "applies" as it did during the ministration of the old covenant.

Paul points out that the problem with the law is the works/deeds of the law -- those requirements that were unique to that covenant that the Israelites had to perform.

The law is a teaching tool for the immature according to Paul in Galatians chapter 3. It is not enough to be told not to murder for a Christian. A Christian is to have love for even an enemy. Murder is born of a spirit of hatred.

The believer fulfills the law through faith expressed through love. Under the old covenant, one complied with the law in the letter, despite the heart.

I don't know. I tried to hold a Christan to these standards once when he was saying that all gays should die. I got my head chewed off about it being part of the old testament when I cited the ten commandments as why he, as a Christian, shouldn't wish that. He also ended up called me a communist when I tried to say it was in the new testament too, I'm sure there were other things that he was trying to imply I was, but I really wasn't willing to listen to his rant. Granted not all Christians are like this, but generally the ones trying to tell me that I don't have any morals are the ones who don't actually have any themselves . . .

Other than the first 3(?) commandments about the jealous god that allows no other gods before him (thereby implying that there ARE other gods, of course), the rest of the commandments are basic moral principles that evolved back when humanity consisted of small hunter-gatherer groups that needed rules to live by for mutual support.

There are some 618 (+/-) rules, laws, statutes, and commandments in the OT. Your method, just do as most christians do and follow those that are convenient or support your personal prejudices and claim Jesus freed us from the inconvenient ones.

Jesus tells us to follow the 10 commandments in the new testament also.When christians say the old doesnt apply they usually mean the sacrifices and circumcision.The commandmnets thou shalt not kill ect... are still to be followed

I believe the 10 commandments were restated in the NT except for obeying the OT sabbath.

Matthew 5:17 Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

[Jesus]

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Jesus perfectly completed the sacrificial system. There is no longer need for animal sacrifice because Jesus fulfilled the law. Since Jesus fulfilled the law, all those who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are imputed with His righteousness and God see those believers as perfect, since God sees them through Jesus Christ. However, this does not, in any way, give believers license to sin.

don't follow any of the ones that demand of you to stone people until they die, that's not a good thing you might go to jail,

i think there might be a list in the NT telling which laws jesus changed or abolished and which ones he didn't.

although he did say that he didn't come to abolish the laws which would indicate that we should still follow them.

God gave us all the 10 Commandments so we would know right from wrong. Man refused to keep the commandments and man strayed away from the Lord.

The Ten Commandments let us know that we are sinners and have fallen short of God's glory. The Word says that all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory. None are perfect and for that reason God sent Jesus, because without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins. The blood sacrifice of animals could not take away our sins, it just covered them. Jesus was the perfect, sinless man who was sacrificed for our sins that took away the sins of the world. Jesus took our sins upon Himself and gave us His righteousness. Jesus was our substitute. Jesus went to the cross for our sins so we could win back eternal life which was lost when sin came into the Garden of Eden by Adam and Eve listening to Satan. The wages of sin is death and death came into the world in the Garden of Eden. God killed an animal to cover the nakedness of Adam and Eve.

It is the Holy Spirit who is my moral guidance. It is the Holy Spirit who purifies and refines me and convicts me of my sins. It is the Holy Spirit who brings all things to my remembrance and teaches me all things concerning Christ Jesus. Without Jesus, I am nothing. It took the blood of Jesus to wash away my sins. God gave us the Ten Commandments so we would know that we needed a Savior.

Hebrews 7:22

By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.

Matthew 22:37-40 (King James Version)

37Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38This is the first and great commandment.

39And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

40On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

John 14:21

He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

Romans 7:12

Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.