Is it “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” or should your philosophy be “Do unto others as others do unto you?” Find out what major organizations say about this so-called Golden Rule and decide if it is the guiding principle you want to lead your life by.
Every day, wherever you go, you will see people who are unpleasant, disrespectful, or even downright cruel. Then you see people who are pleasant , gentle spirited, and who make the world a better place every day. Some people would say the unpleasant people have an attitude problem and the pleasant people have the right attitude- or do they? How should we treat one another in our day to day lives, how can we decide just how to do that? Wouldn’t it be nice if there were some sort of universal teaching that helped to show us how to behave toward other people? Some people say there is and they call it the Golden Rule or something similar. Join Mysticsense as we explore the Golden Rule and find out if it is a universal teaching and if it is one that you want to embrace.
What is the Golden Rule?
The Golden Rule is a teaching many religions and disciplines embrace that says we should treat people the way we want to be treated. This concept teaches us that everyone matters, and we should care about the needs and feelings of everybody, not just ourselves. Most people are considerate of the people they know, love, and even some of the people who they know and don’t always like. But how do we treat those we consider enemies, or even complete strangers? The Golden Rule answers that question, and different faith groups have their own interpretation of how we should treat everybody.
Baha’i
One of the newer faiths, Baha’i believes in unity of all religions. It teaches that religion and god has been revealed throughout history by the founders of major world religions and their prophets. It also teaches that all people should unify together in fellowship and all people are equal to one another and should reside in world peace. Gossip and backbiting are forbidden and partisan politics, which create divisions are not allowed. Baha’u’llah, the founder and one of the prophets of Baha’i said “ O son of man! If thine eyes be turned toward mercy, forsake the things that profit thee and cleave unto that which will profit mankind. And if thine eyes be turned towards justice, choose thou for thy neighbor that which thou choosest for thyself.” He believed we are all interconnected. He said we are all one and if we harm someone else, we also harm ourselves. He said “ Ye are all the leaves of one tree and the drops of one ocean.” Read about the union of marriage here: Will You Marry Me? Why Getting Married Matters
Buddhism
In Buddhism there is a Golden Rule of Reciprocity called the Law of Karma. It says that our actions have consequences and those consequences will come to us either in this life or after we are born again through reincarnation. This means if we are compassionate and kind, we will be treated in the same way. If we cause harm, then in the future, harm will befall us. The Udana-Varga 5: 18 says “ Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.” The Dhammapada in chapter 10 says “ Everyone fears punishment; everyone fears death, just as you do. Therefore do not kill or cause to kill. Everyone fears punishment; everyone loves life just as you do. Therefore do not kill or cause to kill.”
Christianity
At an event now called the Sermon at the Mount, Jesus was quoted as saying a lot about the Golden Rule . In the Book of Matthew, chapter 7, he said “1-Do not judge, or you too will be judged.2- For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Later in Matthew 7, he said, “9-Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10- Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11- If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12- So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” Read about unconditional love here: Unconditional Love Meaning
Druidry
Another of the modern religions, Druidry, is based on ancient Celtic pre-Christian religious practices. Since the Druids shared their teaching using the oral tradition rather than through scriptures, most of the knowledge of ancient Druids comes from the Romans. We know that Druids would break up fights between warring tribes, and as a result many of today’s Druids are people of peace. They believe in living harmoniously with other people, all the animals, all of nature, and the very earth itself. Druidry.org says “ The primary philosophical posture of Druidism is one of love and respect towards all of life – towards fellow human beings and animals, and all of Nature. A word often used by Druids to describe this approach is reverence…For many Druids today the primary position of love and respect towards all creatures extends to include a belief in the idea of causing no harm to any sentient being… Many Druids today adopt a similar stance of abstaining from harming others, and of focussing on the idea of Peace, drawing their inspiration from the Classical accounts of the Druids, which portrayed them as mediators who abstained from war, and who urged peace on opposing armies. Julius Caesar wrote: ‘For they [the Druids] generally settle all their disputes, both public and private… The Druids usually abstain from war, nor do they pay taxes together with the others; they have exemption from warfare.’ And Diodorus Siculus wrote: ‘Often when the combatants are ranged face to face, and swords are drawn and spears are bristling, these men come between the armies and stay the battle, just as wild beasts are sometimes held spellbound. Thus even among the most savage barbarians anger yields to wisdom, and Mars is shamed before the Muses.’ Read more about Druid beliefs here: Druid Beliefs, Religion & Worship | Order of Bards, Ovates & Druids (druidry.org)
Humanism
Not everybody is religious, but even a lot of non-religious people believe we should hold ourselves to standards of how we treat other people. Humanism is a non-theistic philosophy system many who are members of different organizations embrace, and even some atheists embrace it.Bottom of Form Humanists consider the Golden Rule a universal teaching and Think Humanism says the Golden rule is about treating people the way they want to be treated, which is with “tolerance, consideration and compassion.” Americanhumanist org writes, “ Humanism is a progressive philosophy of life that, without theism or other supernatural beliefs, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good.” Humanists do what they feel is the right thing for the sake of doing it, not to try and avoid afterlife punishments or earn rewards. Treating people the way you want to be treated is part of that. Read more about Humanism here: About the American Humanist Association - American Humanist Association
Islam
The Golden Rule is observed in Islam. Multiple Muslim references attest to it. The Qu’ran says “ Woe to those who give short measure, who demand of other people full measure for themselves, but give less than they should when it is they who weigh or measure for others.” Fakhr al-Din al-Razi recalls a quote from the early authority Qatadah “ Fulfil the measure, O son of Adam, as you would love it fulfilled for yourself, and be just as you would love justice for yourself.” Another place it is extolled says “ None of you [truly] believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself.” An-Nawawi’s Forty Hadith 13 ( p. 56) It is up for debate among Muslims who their brother is. Some believe it is only other Muslims of their same sect, but others believe that all of humanity are their brethren.
Judaism
Judaism follows the Golden Rule also. In “What is hateful to you do not do to your fellow: this is the whole Torah; the rest is explanation: go and learn” comes from the Babylonian Talmud. “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against your kinsfolk. Love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord” comes from Leviticus 19:18. Even strangers are called to be treated as we would treat ourselves in Leviticus 19:34.
Satanism
Satanism has a different idea of how to treat people. The founder of the Church of Satan, Antion LaVey said “ Satanism advocates practicing a modified form of the Golden Rule. Our interpretation of this rule is “ Do unto others as they do unto you”, because if you “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” and they, in return, treat you badly, it goes against human nature to continue to treat them with consideration. You should do unto others as you would have them do unto you, but of your courtesy is not returned, they should be treated with the wrath they deserve.” He also wrote, “ Hate your enemies with a whole heart, and if a man smite you on one cheek, SMASH him on the other…for self-preservation is the highest law.” Abuse survivors sometimes find such takes on the Golden Rule liberating, and some people consider it a disservice to themselves to treat those who have abused them with kindness. Others find this vindictive and say two wrongs never make a right. Read about the Devil here: All About the Devil
How To Decide
We all want to be treated fairly, kindly, and with compassion. Sometimes, however, a situation calls for objectivity. Someone might be asking you to treat them in a way they like, but that isn’t fair to other people. They might want special privileges, favoritism, or to be given unfair exceptions. They might also want you to excuse them from the consequences of their actions. How can you decide how to treat someone in situations like this? Balancing what is fair for everybody as well as upholding justice is important. You also have to search your conscience.
Balance
Balancing what is fair for everybody involved is one way to decide how to treat someone. If someone is always late paying you the rent, is it fair to tolerate that when everybody else pays on time? Most especially if the person who is late paying does so because they blow money on things they don’t need? Then again, if you have an employee who has never called off or been late, and they have a family emergency, should you tell them they have to come in to work anyways just because it is their scheduled shift? Furthermore, is someone trying to take advantage of you? You have to be fair to yourself as well as other people and refuse to be taken advantage of. Libra is a Zodiac Sign that is all about living a balanced life and you can read about them here: Libra Traits | Star Sign in the Spotlight
Justice
Some people think of justice as punishment for misdeeds, but it isn’t always just that. Justice means making sure everybody gets a fair chance to participate. So, if you are having a community meeting, saving a front row seat for someone who is hard of hearing so they can understand what is being said is justice- even if somebody else who does not need the accommodation gets there first. Justice also means not enabling your family member who wants a free place to stay because they would rather not pay rent that they can afford. Justice might mean telling someone they were gossiped about, and it might mean telling friends you do not have time to do the things they want you to because you need to rest. Read about the difference between good and evil here; What’s the Difference Between Good and Evil?
Conscience
When you are at a loss as to how to treat someone, you have a voice within you that can guide you. It is called your conscience. Emperor Marcus Aurelius said conscience gave humanity the ability to be rational and to choose to do unselfish acts. It is important to think of your own well-being, of course, but your conscience will let you know the right and wrong way to treat other people. A good conscience causes us to act with integrity- which means doing the right thing even if you will not be praised or rewarded for it. Deep within you, there is your conscience, which already knows what is wrong and right and it tells you how to treat others.
If someone has treated you poorly, you might want to treat them the same way, just so they know how it feels, but is that really what you want to do? If someone is unkind to you, you might think being kind to them will make them learn to be kind, but what if it doesn’t? Major philosophies have their beliefs on how we should treat one another, but nobody can decide but you how you do that. So, what do you think? Should you live your life by the so-called “Golden Rule”, and how should you apply that to your daily life?
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