What really drives me crazy about the whole Muslim crap that’s been on the news recently is that if most Americans knew shit about the world’s religions, they would realize that fundamentally all religions boil down to some pretty basic common ethical principals about what we need to do and not do to just get along with each other. Truth be spoken, the ethical standards laid out by the world’s great religions are not all that different.
Let us consider something you are probably familiar with if you went to any Christian Sunday school called the Golden Rule. Remember that. It goes like this “Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them.” Bible, Matthew 7:12
Well, here is how Muslims express the same wisdom: Islam—Not one of you is a believer until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself. Forty Hadith of an-Nawawi 13
Pick your religion—same thing:
Buddhism—Comparing oneself to others in such terms as “Just as I am so are they, just as they are so am I,” he should neither kill nor cause others to kill. Sutta Nipta 705
Confucianism—Try your best to treat others as you would wish to be treated yourself and you will find that is the shortest way to benevolence. Mencius VII.A4 and Tsetung asked, “Is there one word that can serve as a principle of conduct for life?” Confucius replied, “It is the word shu—reciprocity: Do not do to others what you do not want them to do to you.” Analects 15.23
Hinduism—One should not behave towards others in a way which is disagreeable to oneself. This is the essence of morality. All other activities are due to selfish desire. Mahabharata, Anusasana Parva 113.8
Jainism—A man should wander about treating all creatures as he himself would be treated.
Judaism—When he went to Hillel, he said to him, “What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor: that is the whole Torah; all the rest of it is commentary; go and learn.” Talmud, Shabbat 31a.
Here is how my first grade teacher put it: Try to get along, share, and always use your inside voice.
Enough said.
1 comment:
Exactly. Enough said.
Thanks,
Verle Ellis
Texas Yellow Dog Democrat
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