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It's not a perfect rule, but it's as close as we've gotten.

TheMiddleWay 8 May 23
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11 comments

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1

The problem I have with " do unto others as you would have them do to you", would be in view of sadism. I would not recommend a sadist going around hurting people just so someone would hurt them back.

Word Level 8 May 25, 2022
1

"The Jewish Talmud tells of Rabbi Hillel who lived around the time of Jesus. A pagan came to Rabbi Hillel saying that he would convert to Judaism if Hillel could teach him the whole of the Torah while standing on one foot. Rabbi Hillel replied to the pagan, β€œWhat is hateful to yourself, do not do to your fellow man. That is the whole Torah; the rest is just commentary. Go and study it.”" 😎

0

Yep, that seems to be the consensus for a simple rule. Of course, in real life things get messy when not everyone actually adheres to that attitude, so various nuances need to be applied for specific situations.

What is good for you might not be good or healthy for another, especially if there are things you don't know about them. If someone has made mistakes, they might like to be forgiven and receive grace, total absolution, but if they knowingly have injured people what is the deterrence for more injury and where is the justice for the injured.

Some might like to live in a world under one religion, thinking that would be best for everyone... Some might like to live in a world with no religion. We can't all have our way, so we just have to look at the big picture, boil it down to the basic common denominator of our human values and try to do the right thing for all.

This simple rule is a start but we need to continue to use our minds and our sense of right and wrong, listen to others, speak our minds, and somehow try to make a beautiful harmony out of all the different voices.

0

Regardless of different religions, they teach more or less the same thing; they simply demonstrate the state of being human.

Ryo1 Level 8 May 24, 2022
0

I live by my own rules and try not to hurt anyone.

5

The Platinum Rule is better....Do onto others as they would want you to. This requires you to know what the other person actually "wants". When you don't know them and have no idea of their desires, the the Golden Rule is better than nothing.

@Matias Sadists and masochists been throwing that ol' monkey wrench into the golden rule since it started.

@Matias It comes from an "audiobook" that Michael Scott Earl used to have on ReasonWorks.com (now mysteriously and sadly defunct). It is also preached a lot in sales and business training. Earl approached the topic as Atheist philosophy.
See...
[google.com]

2

It is simple, threat others how you want to be treated.

freudian?

4

It is interesting, and sad, that ALL above religions and philosophies espouse the same commandant but few, if any, abide by it and most completely ignore it.

@TheMiddleWay Thank you. I do indeed get the message and strive to apply it to my life and how I treat others.

8

SORRY ... the Satanic Temple nailed it better than all the rest:

THERE ARE SEVEN FUNDAMENTAL TENETS
I
One should strive to act with compassion and empathy toward all creatures in accordance with reason.
II
The struggle for justice is an ongoing and necessary pursuit that should prevail over laws and institutions.
III
One’s body is inviolable, subject to one’s own will alone.
IV
The freedoms of others should be respected, including the freedom to offend. To willfully and unjustly encroach upon the freedoms of another is to forgo one's own.
V
Beliefs should conform to one's best scientific understanding of the world. One should take care never to distort scientific facts to fit one's beliefs.
VI
People are fallible. If one makes a mistake, one should do one's best to rectify it and resolve any harm that might have been caused.
VII
Every tenet is a guiding principle designed to inspire nobility in action and thought. The spirit of compassion, wisdom, and justice should always prevail over the written or spoken word.

This!

I, II, III V, VI, and VII are great, but doesn't the "freedom to offend" in IV rather contradict I, II, VI and VII?

@tinkercreek No, because if you read carefully the, freedom to offend, refers to others freedom to offend you, while the other rules apply to what you do to others. So four is just an extention of one, but it certainly could be more plainly worded.

5

Honesty and kindness towards all is an honorable way to live.

Betty Level 8 May 23, 2022
2

Life itself is far from perfect, and the aim there is certainly a noble one though, which is what matters most.

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