The Golden Rule

[NeTrips]

Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

When Jesus taught what is now called the Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12), He was instructing His disciples to do unto others what they wanted done to them, He was not instructing unbelievers. I certainly do not want a person who believes in cannabalism of anyone over 30 to do unto me what he believes. The same came can be said of many other peoples.

Many have made claims that what Jesus said is merely a rehashing of what is found in other religions but this is untrue. Jesus' teaching is positive, it tells what a beleiver should do. The other religions' teachings are negative, they tell you what not to do.


The HINDU religion taught:

This is the sum of duty: do naught to others which if done to thee would cause thee pain.

The Mahabharata

The BUDDHIST religion taught:

Hurt not others with that which pains yourself.

The Udana-Varga

The JEWISH traditions taught:

What is hateful to you, do not to your fellow men. That is the entire Law; all the rest is commentary.

The Talmud

The BAHA'I faith teaches:

He should not wish for others that which he doth not wish for himself, nor promise that which he doth not fulfill.

Do you believe the Golden Rule applies to everyone? Should it?

 

[Marz Blak]

It seems (at least, when formulated in the negative) more likely to lead to overall maximization of general happiness than just about any other basic ethical axiom I can think of, so I'd say it should be applied generally.

Whether it should apply to me, particularly, or not is another matter, of course.

 

[Phred]

In your zeal to be exclusionary you missed what was actually said. One of the first known examples of the "golden rule" comes from the Rabbi Hillel in the example below...

The Talmud tells that a gentile came to Shammai saying that he would convert to Judaism if Shammai could teach him the whole Torah in the time that he could stand on one foot. Shammai drove him away with a builder's measuring stick! Hillel, on the other hand, converted the gentile by telling him, "That which is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. That is the whole Torah; the rest is commentary. Go and study it."

If you don't want it done to you, don't do it to others... doesn't matter if they believe in what you believe or not.

 

[HouseApe]

When Jesus taught what is now called the Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12), He was instructing His disciples to do unto others what they wanted done to them, He was not instructing unbelievers.

How do you know this?

I certainly do not want a person who believes in cannabalism of anyone over 30 to do unto me what he believes. The same came can be said of many other peoples.

The Golden Rule does not say to do unto others what you believe. It says to do unto others what you would have others do unto you. I would bet the cannibal you mention changes his tune when he hits 30.

Do you believe the Golden Rule applies to everyone? Should it?

Absolutely not. I would have others each give me $100 so I could be rich. Does that mean I want to give everyone else $100? Heck no.

That's the problem with Jesus. He really didn't give us anything we would actually do. Nice concepts but never practical.

 

[Marz Blak]

That's why the negative version ('do not do unto others...') makes more sense than the Jesus version.

But I guess the negative version doesn't sound as nice.

 

[chaz345]

How do you know this?

If you go back to Matthew 5:1 it says that he was speaking to his disciples and everything between there and the verse in question is other lessons.

That's the problem with Jesus. He really didn't give us anything we would actually do. Nice concepts but never practical.

I disagree. Everything He told us to do is most definitely hard to do. And since most if not all of it goes against our more base nature, not many people will do it consistantly, and no one will do it perfectly and 100% of the time. But on the occasions that it is done, the result is nearly always positive.

 

[HouseApe]

Never noticed that, but you're right, the negative version makes much more sense.

 

[elman]

That's the problem with Jesus. He really didn't give us anything we would actually do. Nice concepts but never practical.

Yeah right! It is much more practical to leave everything where I worry only about myself and have no concern for the needs of others. What a wonderful world that would be if we were all like that.

 

[chaz345]

That's why the negative version ('do not do unto others...') makes more sense than the Jesus version.

But I guess the negative version doesn't sound as nice.

The negative version is easier. It requires less of us. The negative makes more sense to you because it can be lived up to with only your own power. It is impossible for a human to live up to the positively phrased version on their own power. Jesus set such high expectations of His followers, not so that we'd consistently fail, but so that we'd realize our need for Him.

 

[elman]

The negative version is easier. It requires less of us. The negative makes more sense to you because it can be lived up to with only your own power. It is impossible for a human to live up to the positively phrased version on their own power. Jesus set such high expectations of His followers, not so that we'd consistently fail, but so that we'd realize our need for Him.

And so we would know it is never good to be satisfied with where you are on the road of life and stop being loving to others.

 

[Phred]

The negative version is easier. It requires less of us. The negative makes more sense to you because it can be lived up to with only your own power. It is impossible for a human to live up to the positively phrased version on their own power. Jesus set such high expectations of His followers, not so that we'd consistently fail, but so that we'd realize our need for Him.

Only thing is we don't need him. Not even a little bit. Negative, positive... blah... the point is that for a moment, think about what you're doing and ask yourself, is this something you'd appreciate if someone were doing it to you?

I don't need to believe in gods come to earth to figure that out.

 

[elman]

Only thing is we don't need him. Not even a little bit. Negative, positive... blah... the point is that for a moment, think about what you're doing and ask yourself, is this something you'd appreciate if someone were doing it to you?

I don't need to believe in gods come to earth to figure that out.

No you don't because He created you with that knowledge.

 

[uberd00b]

No you don't because He created you with that knowledge.

Naw! S'just common sense and empathy.

 

[elman]

Naw! S'just common sense and empathy.

That is what comes with being created a normal human being.

 

[tapero]

When Jesus taught what is now called the Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12), He was instructing His disciples to do unto others what they wanted done to them, He was not instructing unbelievers. I certainly do not want a person who believes in cannabalism of anyone over 30 to do unto me what he believes. The same came can be said of many other peoples.

Many have made claims that what Jesus said is merely a rehashing of what is found in other religions but this is untrue. Jesus' teaching is positive, it tells what a beleiver should do. The other religions' teachings are negative, they tell you what not to do.


The HINDU religion taught:
The Mahabharata

The BUDDHIST religion taught:
The Udana-Varga

The JEWISH traditions taught:
The Talmud

The BAHA'I faith teaches:



Do you believe the Golden Rule applies to everyone? Should it?

I'm not postive but fairly certain this is the reasoning about this verse.

God is very aware that we love ourselves, tho some of us struggle greatly with this, and some of us don't take care of our bodies, and many things.

However, what He's saying is love others as you would love yourselves. Again, he knows we love ourselves very much.

I am very pleased if a non christian believes this truth.

If you speak of cannibals, may as well throw Christians in there, for there are many Christians who do not practice this truth, or if they do, they do it to their sick way of love.

just look at the many times christians hurt other christians.

anyway, no i guess i wouldn't want a cannable who believes loving one self means killing others and such.

but i surely don't mind the non christians who mean well and try to carry out this command at all.

 

[Marz Blak]

The negative version is easier. It requires less of us.

That's certainly true.

The negative makes more sense to you because it can be lived up to with only your own power.

Well, that's certainly true too, but as a practical matter I don't see what can be done about it. I only have the power that I have.

It is impossible for a human to live up to the positively phrased version on their own power. Jesus set such high expectations of His followers, not so that we'd consistently fail, but so that we'd realize our need for Him.

I don't quite follow this. How does Jesus' setting high altruistic examples give people the power to do what He did? I mean, He was God, after all. He didn't even stay dead when they killed Him!

And so we would know it is never good to be satisfied with where you are on the road of life and stop being loving to others.

I agree. Altruism is good for society as a whole, etc. But only up to a point, and only if everyone plays along. If the early Christians hadn't stopped 'turning the other cheek' when persecuted, being fed to lions, etc., I'd expect that there'd be very few Christians left these days.

 

[Phred]

No you don't because He created you with that knowledge.

Seeing as we evolved from a common ancestor that we share with chimps and bonobos, do they have that knowledge as well?

 

[Gipper]

Seeing as we evolved from a common ancestor that we share with chimps and bonobos, do they have that knowledge as well?

Where does it say that in scripture?

 

[levi501]

Where does it say that in scripture?

When God says he created heaven and earth, it's safe to assume he meant evolution as well.

 

[Gipper]

When God says he created heaven and earth, it's safe to assume he meant evolution as well.

Show me where it says "evloution" in Genesis.