The Universality of the Golden Rule in the World Religions

[Ronin Truth]

The Universality of the Golden Rule in the World Religions

Christianity

All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.
Matthew 7:1

Confucianism

Do not do to others what you would not like yourself. Then there will be no resentment against you, either in the family or in the state.
Analects 12:2

Buddhism

Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.
Udana-Varga 5,1

Hinduism

This is the sum of duty; do naught onto others what you would not have them do unto you.
Mahabharata 5,1517

Islam

No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself.
Sunnah

Judaism

What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellowman. This is the entire Law; all the rest is commentary.
Talmud, Shabbat 3id

Taoism

Regard your neighbor’s gain as your gain, and your neighbor’s loss as your own loss.
Tai Shang Kan Yin P’ien

Zoroastrianism

That nature alone is good which refrains from doing another whatsoever is not good for itself.
Dadisten-I-dinik, 94,5

http://www.teachingvalues.com/goldenrule.html

[Jamesiv1]

"Don't drop bombs on me pal, or I'll drop bombs on you"

[erowe1]

This is good to use against people who try to say that the true significance of Jesus was just in his ethical teachings and not his audacious claims about who he was.

[Ronin Truth]

This is good to use against people who try to say that the true significance of Jesus was just in his ethical teachings and not his audacious claims about who he was.

You just may want to consider rethinking that one.

All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye so to them.

[erowe1]

You just may want to consider rethinking that one.

All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye so to them.

Doesn't that prove my point?

[Ronin Truth]

"Don't drop bombs on me pal, or I'll drop bombs on you"

You seem to have the coolest pictures. Snagged this one too.

[Ronin Truth]

Doesn't that prove my point?

Well, I guess if that's what you really want others to do to you, then sure.

[erowe1]

Well, I guess if that's what you really want others to do to you, then sure.

I don't follow you.

If the ethics Jesus taught were basically just the ethics everyone already accepted, then what was so significant and radical about that?

When people say things like, "Jesus came and preached a message about how we should treat each other, and then other people came along and corrupted that by preaching a message about Jesus, instead of the message Jesus preached. And I want to get back to the message Jesus preached." well, they really have no use for Jesus at all. His ethics are the same ones we all already have anyway. And there's no need to "get back to" the message Jesus preached, since the Golden Rule has always been with us with or without Jesus.

It also raises the question of why he was executed. It wasn't because he taught the Golden Rule. It seems to me that his own claims about who he himself was were more significant than some would like to believe.

[Ronin Truth]

I don't follow you.

If the ethics Jesus taught were basically just the ethics everyone already accepted, then what was so significant and radical about that?

When people say things like, "Jesus came and preached a message about how we should treat each other, and then other people came along and corrupted that by preaching a message about Jesus, instead of the message Jesus preached. And I want to get back to the message Jesus preached." well, they really have no use for Jesus at all. His ethics are the same ones we all already have anyway. And there's no need to "get back to" the message Jesus preached, since the Golden Rule has always been with us with or without Jesus.

It also raises the question of why he was executed. It wasn't because he taught the Golden Rule. It seems to me that his own claims about who he himself was were more significant than some would like to believe.

Whew, then I guess I wasn't following you either.

Obviously nothing particularly radical about the Golden Rule. Leaving it out might be radical. Though you could have fallen back on the Jewish version.

My execution SWAG is that he was becoming a burr under the blanket and a pain in the patootie to the Church and the state PTB at the time. The temple money changer incident, I'm sure didn't help. They may also have thought that he was crazy. John had been beheaded. Just cleaning house of troublemakers.

[GunnyFreedom]

This is because the concept was introduced to Noah in the Noahide covenant, the one that gave us the rainbow. Every people on Earth can trace their lineage and belief back to God's covenant with Noah. Since the seed of the Golden Rule was planted there, it should come as no surprise that basically every world religion incorporates it. This is closely related to the law of reaping and sowing, which is also called 'karma,' and it arises out of the same covenant.

[Ronin Truth]

This is because the concept was introduced to Noah in the Noahide covenant, the one that gave us the rainbow. Every people on Earth can trace their lineage and belief back to God's covenant with Noah. Since the seed of the Golden Rule was planted there, it should come as no surprise that basically every world religion incorporates it. This is closely related to the law of reaping and sowing, which is also called 'karma,' and it arises out of the same covenant.

So why do so few in the world follow it? Wouldn't it easily resolve about 95% of the world's human problems?

[pcosmar]

So why do so few in the world follow it? Wouldn't it easily resolve about 95% of the world's human problems?

One would think..

But then you have to ignore the other influences.. The other force working in the world.. A malevolence that hates man and seeks to destroy.

Sadly,, this is where 100% of the problems come from.

[GunnyFreedom]

So why do so few in the world follow it? Wouldn't it easily resolve about 95% of the world's human problems?

Everyone teaches it, but almost nobody lives it. Sounds like the problem with humans, and why so many fail to germinate into an eternal soul. Billions of seeds planted, all of them given an equal chance at eternity, only a few germinate. Contrarily, conditions of suffering tend to produce those conditions most favorable to eternal germination, so from the outside it all looks kind of "cruel god nonsense." From the eternal perspective a completely different picture emerges.

[Ronin Truth]

Everyone teaches it, but almost nobody lives it. Sounds like the problem with humans, and why so many fail to germinate into an eternal soul. Billions of seeds planted, all of them given an equal chance at eternity, only a few germinate. Contrarily, conditions of suffering tend to produce those conditions most favorable to eternal germination, so from the outside it all looks kind of "cruel god nonsense." From the eternal perspective a completely different picture emerges.

Well then they need need to stop teaching it until they can find a better way to teach it, so that it really soaks in. Every church, every Sunday, every school, every day. The species survival stakes are pretty high. The way we're going now, sure just ain't cutting it.

[Crashland]

Everyone teaches it, but almost nobody lives it. Sounds like the problem with humans, and why so many fail to germinate into an eternal soul. Billions of seeds planted, all of them given an equal chance at eternity, only a few germinate. Contrarily, conditions of suffering tend to produce those conditions most favorable to eternal germination, so from the outside it all looks kind of "cruel god nonsense." From the eternal perspective a completely different picture emerges.

The problem with that analogy is that a sower of seeds cannot control the fact that the vast majority of the seeds won't germinate. God obviously would be able to control this considering he would have designed both the seeds and the ground, and would be perfectly capable of creating non-faulty seeds and giving each seed the nutrients it needs.

[erowe1]

So why do so few in the world follow it? Wouldn't it easily resolve about 95% of the world's human problems?

Be careful what questions you ask. This one puts you on a path that leads straight to the Gospel that Paul (and Jesus) preached about Jesus.

If you haven't read the book of Romans in 50 years, you might consider dusting it off and seeing how this is so.

[robert68]

The problem with that analogy is that a sower of seeds cannot control the fact that the vast majority of the seeds won't germinate. God obviously would be able to control this considering he would have designed both the seeds and the ground, and would be perfectly capable of creating non-faulty seeds and giving each seed the nutrients it needs.

You’re not supposed to hold the "almighty God" accountable for his actions.

[erowe1]

You’re not supposed to hold the "almighty God" accountable for his actions.

How could you? Accountable to whom?

[Crashland]

How could you? Accountable to whom?

Maybe the golden rule, for starters.

[pcosmar]

You’re not supposed to hold the "almighty God" accountable for his actions.

You will have that opportunity. You can ask anything you wish when you stand before His throne.

You will know.. even as you are known.

Accountable to whom?

Hmm,,
The arrogance of the creature.

[GunnyFreedom]

The problem with that analogy is that a sower of seeds cannot control the fact that the vast majority of the seeds won't germinate. God obviously would be able to control this considering he would have designed both the seeds and the ground, and would be perfectly capable of creating non-faulty seeds and giving each seed the nutrients it needs.

Well, for those who are minded unto death, this world of death is their just reward. For healthy plants it is good to grow in a kind of fertilizer formed from the dead material of such other plants that have died and been tilled into the soil. Let the dying produce the mansions today that the just will inherit tomorrow. They have their joys now, and they were minded unto death, so they died as is meet. Those minded unto life will live and inherit the substance of the world evil leaves behind. Everybody really gets what they want out of it, so it seems pretty fair to me.

[robert68]

..

Hmm,,
The arrogance of the creature.

An almighty creator has only himself to blame for the characteristics of what he created.

[pcosmar]

An almighty creator has only himself to blame for the characteristics of what he created.

God did not create Rebellion. (or it would not have been rebellion at all)

Though He is allowing it to run it's full course..

I suppose he could have stopped it as it happened,, but then the results would never have been revealed. the consequences never known.
In His wisdom he has allowed it to be seen by all creation,, so that the evil of the rebellion can be fully understood,, and His justice known.

[Ronin Truth]

Be careful what questions you ask. This one puts you on a path that leads straight to the Gospel that Paul (and Jesus) preached about Jesus.

If you haven't read the book of Romans in 50 years, you might consider dusting it off and seeing how this is so.

I think I got the important parts. Well if you're just going to give Satan a free run of the planet, what can you really reasonably expect as an outcome? Certainly not the way I would handle it.

Oh, well, just passing through.

[Crashland]

God did not create Rebellion. (or it would not have been rebellion at all)

Though He is allowing it to run it's full course..

I suppose he could have stopped it as it happened,, but then the results would never have been revealed. the consequences never known.
In His wisdom he has allowed it to be seen by all creation,, so that the evil of the rebellion can be fully understood,, and His justice known.

Creating creatures that have the capability to rebel, and allowing that rebellion to occur, is the same thing as creating rebellion.

[erowe1]

Maybe the golden rule, for starters.

The Golden Rule isn't a who.

[erowe1]

I think I got the important parts. Well if you're just going to give Satan a free run of the planet, what can you really reasonably expect as an outcome? Certainly not the way I would handle it.

I should hope that the way God handles things is not the way any of us would.

[pcosmar]

Creating creatures that have the capability to rebel, and allowing that rebellion to occur, is the same thing as creating rebellion.

So you think you should have been created with no freedom?
Just as a machine with no thought,, just programing.

I suppose he could have. But he did not.

Perhaps that is another question you could ask Him.. since you have the freedom to think it.

[Crashland]

The Golden Rule isn't a who.

Correct. It makes more sense to be held morally accountable to moral principles than to be held morally accountable to a person, especially not to a person who doesn't live up to basic moral principles like the golden rule.

[erowe1]

So you think you should have been created with no freedom?
Just as a machine with no thought,, just programing.

I suppose he could have. But he did not.

Perhaps that is another question you could ask Him.. since you have the freedom to think it.

Let's say we do have freedom (I'm not sure what that even really means, but I'll go with it for the sake of argument).

It would still have to be the case that God could have created creatures with freedom who were not going to use that freedom to rebel. But he instead chose to create creatures with freedom who were going to rebel. Including freedom in the process doesn't relieve us of having to admit that God's plan included the absolute certainty that his creatures would rebel against him.