Golden Rule Measures Up To Everyone
Unitarian-Universalist minister Linda Whittenberg provided her congregation with some information that is of interest, I think, to all of us. According to the Rev. Whittenberg, “While there are significant differences between religions, there are some bits of religious wisdom that come close to being universal. One is the golden rule (Luke 6:31 and Matthew 7:12).”
Hindu writing of 300 B.C. said: “This is the sum of duty: Do naught unto others which would cause you pain if done to you.”
Buddhist writings from before the birth of Christ suggest: “Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.”
Confucianism, from around 500 B.C., said: “Surely it is the maxim of loving kindness: do not unto others that you would not have them do unto you.”
Zoroastrianism, a Middle Eastern religion deeply influential on both Christianity and Islam, taught: “That human character is good which refrains from doing unto another whatsoever is not good for itself.”
The Jewish elder Hillel instructed his people around 10 A.D., “What you yourself hate, don’t do to your neighbor.” This instruction came after a non-Jew had asked him to summarize Jewish law in one statement. This was it, he said: “This is the whole Law; the rest is commentary.”
In a time and culture as spiritually confused and religiously divisive as our own, wisdom that crosses religious and political boundaries is all the more important. Whenever I come across information that indicates the universal character of human beings, and the universal nature of the wisdom traditions that hold our faith, I’m struck by how antiuniversal so many of us choose to be.
Recently I flew across country on a speaking trip and sat next to a man with whom I got into a fruitful spiritual discussion. Though we came from different political and religious traditions, we spoke of human character with similar visions. Then we moved to the topic of abortion. Things changed. I noticed tension in him and said, “Look how close we really are on so much. Why does our differing view of abortion kill our connection?”
He said, with equal frankness, “For me and for my community, the abortion issue is the standard by which we judge others. If you’re prochoice, there’s something wrong with you. I’m willing to call it evil. That’s just how it is.”
I said, “What if I called you evil because you believe in bringing unwanted children into the world. Would that be OK with you?”
“That’s not evil,” he said. “I don’t think there’s much more to say.” Our conversation ended, to my great regret.
The Book of Songs teaches: “In dealing with people, we already have the perfect model of behavior inside us. Don’t do to others what you wouldn’t want done to you.”
For me, on that airplane, a personal vision of abortion’s place in the larger human story was not a matter of character; for the man next to me, it was. So he judged my character flawed based on my beliefs about an issue, and condemned me.
I learned something about him which I’m not sure he would want revealed: that he has thrown out the golden rule. For him, being condemned is wrong, but condemning another is fine. He has judged another’s character without knowing that other at all. This is a profound act of spiritual disconnection, an act of disconnection that so many traditions across so many continents have warned the generations to avoid.
Yet it is going on pervasively everywhere around us.
If the golden rule is a universal one, I have to believe that breaking it has grave consequences.
If each of us could think twice before we embroiled human character into differing beliefs on issues, wouldn’t our lives be safer, more fulfilling, more respectful, and more aligned with the original intentions of our spiritual traditions?
To attack character immediately is to invite the attack on our own. It is, thus, an act of spiritual self-destruction.
There must be a better way.
Or, as Jesus said, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
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The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Michael Gurian The Spokesman-Review