The Golden Rule is arguably the most essential basis for the modern concept of human rights, in which each individual has a right to just treatment, and a reciprocal responsibility to ensure justice for others.
A key element of the Golden Rule is that a person attempting to live by this rule treats all people with consideration, not just members of his or her in-group. The Golden Rule has its roots in a wide range of world cultures, and is a standard different cultures use to resolve conflicts.
A key element of the Golden Rule is that a person attempting to live by this rule treats all people with consideration, not just members of his or her in-group. The Golden Rule has its roots in a wide range of world cultures, and is a standard different cultures use to resolve conflicts.
The Golden Rule has a long history, and a great number of prominent religious figures and philosophers have restated its reciprocal, bilateral nature in various ways (not limited to the above forms).
As a concept, the Golden Rule has a history that long predates the term "Golden Rule" (or "Golden law", as it was called from the 1670s). The ethic of reciprocity was present in certain forms in the philosophies of ancient Babylon, Egypt, Persia, India, Greece, Judea, and China.
Statements that mirror the Golden Rule appear in Ancient Egypt in the story of The Eloquent Peasant. Rushworth Kidder states that the label 'golden' was applied by Confucius (551–479 B.C.), who wrote a version of the Silver Rule. Kidder notes that this framework appears prominently in many religions, including "Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Zoroastriansim, and the rest of the world's major religions", and Simon Blackburn states that the Golden Rule can be "found in some form in almost every ethical tradition."
"Every religion emphasizes human improvement, love, respect for others, sharing other people's suffering. On these lines every religion had more or less the same viewpoint and the same goal." – Dalai Lama
"Lay not on any soul a load that you would not wish to be laid upon you, and desire not for anyone the things you would not desire for yourself. " – Baha'u'llah
"If thine eyes be turned towards justice, choose thou for thy neighbour that which thou choosest for thyself." – Epistle to the Son of the Wolf
"Surely it is the maxim of loving-kindness: Do not unto others that you would not have them do unto you." – Analects 12:2
"This is the sum of duty: do naught unto others which would cause you pain if done to you." – Mahabharata 5:1517
"None of you [truly] believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself." – Number 13 of Imam "Al-Nawawi's Forty Hadiths."
"One should treat all creatures in the world as one would like to be treated." – Mahavira, Sutrakritanga 1.11.33
"What is hateful to you, do not to your fellow man. That is the law: all the rest is commentary" – Talmud, Shabbath 31a
"All things are our relatives; what we do to everything, we do to ourselves. All is really One." – Black Elk
"I am a stranger to no one; and no one is a stranger to me. Indeed, I am a friend to all." – Guru Granth Sahib, p.1299
"Regard your neighbor's gain as your own gain and your neighbor's loss as your own loss." – T'ai Shang Kan Ying P'ien 213-218
"We affirm and promote respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part." – Unitarian Principle
Almost all organized religions have such an ethic. It is normally intended to apply to the entire human race. Unfortunately, it is too often applied by some people only to fellow believers.
Exceptions to the Golden Rule
Religious groups from Asatru to Zoroastrianism as well as non-theistic ethical and philosophic systems, like Humanism and Ethical Culture, differ greatly in their concepts of deity, other beliefs, and practices. However, all of the major world religions and philosophic systems have an Ethic of Reciprocity.
In Christianity and Judaism, this is called "The Golden Rule." It is often expressed as:
In Christianity and Judaism, this is called "The Golden Rule." It is often expressed as:
"Do onto others as you would wish them do onto you."
However, the EOR (Ethics of Reciprocity) is not universal. In some cases it is contraindicated. Their rules of behavior are very different than the EOR taught by major world religions.
They do not teach that one should treat others as one would wish to be treated.
Satanism
Anton Szandor LaVey is the founder of the Church of Satan. He taught that a Satanist should respond with kindness to those who deserve it, and respond with vengeance to those who attack. That is how a Satanist should react to the treatment given by others by responding to them in the same way.
They do not teach that one should treat others as one would wish to be treated.
Satanism
Anton Szandor LaVey is the founder of the Church of Satan. He taught that a Satanist should respond with kindness to those who deserve it, and respond with vengeance to those who attack. That is how a Satanist should react to the treatment given by others by responding to them in the same way.
LaVey wrote a list of rules summarizing his expected behavior of members:
The Nine Satanic Sins
The Nine Satanic Sins
1. Stupidity—The top of the list for Satanic Sins. The Cardinal Sin of Satanism. It’s too bad that stupidity isn’t painful. Ignorance is one thing, but our society thrives increasingly on stupidity. It depends on people going along with whatever they are told. The media promotes a cultivated stupidity as a posture that is not only acceptable but laudable. Satanists must learn to see through the tricks and cannot afford to be stupid.
2. Pretentiousness—Empty posturing can be most irritating and isn’t applying the cardinal rules of Lesser Magic. On equal footing with stupidity for what keeps the money in circulation these days. Everyone’s made to feel like a big shot, whether they can come up with the goods or not.
3. Solipsism—Can be very dangerous for Satanists. Projecting your reactions, responses and sensibilities onto someone who is probably far less attuned than you are. It is the mistake of expecting people to give you the same consideration, courtesy and respect that you naturally give them. They won’t. Instead, Satanists must strive to apply the dictum of “Do unto others as they do unto you.” It’s work for most of us and requires constant vigilance lest you slip into a comfortable illusion of everyone being like you. As has been said, certain utopias would be ideal in a nation of philosophers, but unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately, from a Machiavellian standpoint) we are far from that point.
4. Self-deceit—It’s in the “Nine Satanic Statements” but deserves to be repeated here. Another cardinal sin. We must not pay homage to any of the sacred cows presented to us, including the roles we are expected to play ourselves. The only time self-deceit should be entered into is when it’s fun, and with awareness. But then, it’s not self-deceit!
5. Herd Conformity—That’s obvious from a Satanic stance. It’s all right to conform to a person’s wishes, if it ultimately benefits you. But only fools follow along with the herd, letting an impersonal entity dictate to you. The key is to choose a master wisely instead of being enslaved by the whims of the many.
6. Lack of Perspective—Again, this one can lead to a lot of pain for a Satanist. You must never lose sight of who and what you are, and what a threat you can be, by your very existence. We are making history right now, every day. Always keep the wider historical and social picture in mind. That is an important key to both Lesser and Greater Magic. See the patterns and fit things together as you want the pieces to fall into place. Do not be swayed by herd constraints—know that you are working on another level entirely from the rest of the world.
7. Forgetfulness of Past Orthodoxies—Be aware that this is one of the keys to brainwashing people into accepting something new and different, when in reality it’s something that was once widely accepted but is now presented in a new package. We are expected to rave about the genius of the creator and forget the original. This makes for a disposable society.
8. Counterproductive Pride—That first word is important. Pride is great up to the point you begin to throw out the baby with the bathwater. The rule of Satanism is: if it works for you, great. When it stops working for you, when you’ve painted yourself into a corner and the only way out is to say, I’m sorry, I made a mistake, I wish we could compromise somehow, then do it.
9. Lack of Aesthetics—This is the physical application of the Balance Factor. Aesthetics is important in Lesser Magic and should be cultivated. It is obvious that no one can collect any money off classical standards of beauty and form most of the time so they are discouraged in a consumer society, but an eye for beauty, for balance, is an essential Satanic tool and must be applied for greatest magical effectiveness. It’s not what’s supposed to be pleasing—it’s what is. Aesthetics is a personal thing, reflective of one’s own nature, but there are universally pleasing and harmonious configurations that should not be denied
The Creativity Movement: This group was formerly called the "World Church of the Creator"® (W.C.O.T.C.) until it lost a trademark infringement suit.
Unlike Satanists, they teach a virulent form of racism. They hate non-whites, Jews, and homosexuals.
One of their beliefs is that:
Unlike Satanists, they teach a virulent form of racism. They hate non-whites, Jews, and homosexuals.
One of their beliefs is that:
"What is good for the White Race is the highest virtue; what is bad for the White Race is the ultimate sin."Their religion is based mainly upon love of the white race and hatred of everyone else, who they refer to as members of the "mud races." There have been a number of mass murders which have allegedly been perpetrated by members of the Creativity Movement.
When The Golden Rule Does Not Necessarily Apply
Any rule must be applied carefully, and with full knowledge of the likely consequences. Many of the "golden rules" imply that there is some absolute and universal standard to what is beneficial and what is harmful.
Consider a comment by George Bernard Shaw in 1903:
"Do not do unto others as you would that they should do unto you. Their tastes may not be the same."
Author and freethinker Ali Sina comments:
"A much more accurate definition of the Golden Rule is: Treat others with the same consideration and respect that you wish to be treated. It does not mean do to others exactly what you like to be done to you. For example, if you like peanut butter, it does not mean you should feed it to someone who is allergic to it, which can kill him. It does not mean you should take your wife who likes concerts, to a basketball game because you like basketball or invite your Hindu friend to a barbeque because you are a meat lover when you know he is vegetarian."
A lot of harm has been done historically, in the name of helping other people. Some examples:
Many individuals involved in the torture and murder of Witches during the late Middle Ages and Renaissance felt that their mission was to help the Witches, and to defend the rest of society. The Witches were tortured until they gave the interrogators what they wanted: a confession in which they renounced their beliefs. They were then executed before they recanted. The church felt that they might then attain Heaven. If they retained their beliefs in Witchcraft, it was believed that they would inevitably be sent to Hell for endless torture. Thus, any amount of torture was justified. It only lasted a few days and saved the Witch from an eternity of similar treatment in Hell.
In past centuries Christian missionaries, both Protestant and Catholic, invested enormous effort to convert North America's Native population to Christianity. The missionaries generally discounted Native Spirituality as worthless. Many thought that unless a person accepts their European version of Christianity, they would spend eternity in Hell. But the results were not as anticipated. Some suicidologists believe that the extremely high suicide rate among native people in North America is a direct result of the destruction of their aboriginal faith and other aspects of their society by Christian groups.
Welfare and other social programs that were originally designed to help the poor, can sometimes backfire and entrap the very people they intended to help into a lifetime of dependency that extends to involve their children.
Many states have passed laws that require teen age women to notify their parents or obtain permission from their parents before they are allowed to have an abortion. The legislators reasoned that when a young woman is pregnant, that she needs all the support that her family can give her. But many teens try to circumvent these laws. They may be afraid of the family disturbance that the news might cause; they may fear physical abuse; they may be concerned about the effect that the news might have on a parent who is in fragile health. For whatever reason, many seek illegal abortions, and a few die from infection.
Before applying the Golden Rule, we should take care that we are really helping people, and not harming them. This often requires more wisdom than is readily available.
Violations of Ethics
There are passages in Holy Books that violate the Ethic of Reciprocity:
Unfortunately, many religious texts contain other passages that contradict their own Ethics of Reciprocity. Most often, these texts expect believers to treat other believers with kindness and decency. But Holy Books do not necessarily extend this treatment to believers in other religions.
Consider the Christian Bible, as it contains a few passages which discuss religious intolerance, and many more sections that violate the Ethic of Reciprocity by promoting:
Also, consider the Qura'n:Religious intolerance
Genocide of people of other religions
The death penalty for a very broad range of behaviors that are not considered crimes today
The murder of individuals engaging in some same-sex behaviors
The torture and rape of prisoners of war
The execution of sorcerers, and non-virgin brides
Human slavery
An inferior status for women.
Although it contains many passages which teach Muslims to treat non-Muslims with dignity, it also has content that instructs Muslims to kill non-Muslims under certain circumstances wherever they are found.
Faith groups differ greatly in their concepts of deity, other beliefs and practices. But there is near unanimity of opinion among the world's various historical religions on how one person should treat another. Almost all religions have passages in their holy texts, or writings of their leaders, which promote the Ethic of Reciprocity or the Golden Rule.
Please remember as you go about your day, and interact with others, to treat them as you wish to be treated.
"No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted." – AesopRelated Articles
A.S. LaVey, "The Nine Satanic Statements," in The Satanic Bible, Avon Books (1969); Rev. Matt Hale, "The World to Come," The Struggle, Issue XXVIII. - http://www.creator.org/; Ali Sina, "The Golden Rule and Islam," 2005-APR-28 - http://www.faithfreedom.org/; Wikipedia - The Nine Satanic Sins, Religious Tolerance Org, The Religion of Peace
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