The reality is that most Eastern, Pagan and secularist cultures as well as the RCC have a poor track record of implementing the Golden Rule, especially when it comes to outsiders who wish to practice in nations where their culture is the majority.
I have to agree with Coragyps on this as well. Here are just a few atrocities committed by the Christian culture and by Christians in the name of Christ:
#1 The Crusades in which millions of Muslims, Jews, and other ethnic and religious groups were needlessly slaughtered and enslaved by the Christian crusaders in the name of Jesus Christ.
#2 Forcibly converting the Jews and other non-Christians in Europe sometimes to the point of death i.e. beheading, burning at the stake, torture, etc. (i.e. read Martin Luther's On the Jews and their Lies for a start.).
#3 The American Indians were systematically slaughtered in the name of manifest destiny
etc, etc, etc
In no way am I saying that Christians are the only guilty party. Like I have said in a previous post, almost all ethnicities and religions have been on the receiving and sending end of human atrocities and downright hate and meanness. For example, many people don't realize that many of the African slaves were sold to the Europeans by some of other African slavers who worked hand in hand with the European slavers. However in no way does this excuse the Christians societies at that time for condoning slavery or any other atrocities.
My own personal view is that not all the atrocities done by Christians in the name of Christ are a reflection on Christianity as taught by Jesus Christ and in a like manner so too Joseph Stalin's ethnic cleaning or push of communism is not a reflection on atheism. You can't have it both ways. We need to separate the religious teachings from the fallible humans who enact them. Many religions (or lack of religious belief) are many times (not all the time) unjustly blamed for the actions of the people who follow them. Much of the impetus behind why these people committed these atrocities was not primarily because of religion, rather it was from outright greed and political power over other human beings. They used religion (or lack of) to attempt to rationalize and back up their actions whether it be Christian or atheism or everything in between.
So to be totally honest, virtually no societies track record whether it be Christian or non-Christian has ever come close to fully implementing the golden rule. And no the golden rule is not solely a Christian concept as I pointed out in a previous post:
Message 58. It was written down by the likes of Buddha and others over 500 years before the birth of Jesus.
Here are a few that predate Jesus teaching of the Golden Rule:
Buddhism writes:
A disciple then knowing [the law] should refrain from stealing anything at any place; should not cause another to steal anything, [2] should not consent to the acts of those who steal anything, should avoid every kind of theft. (Dhammika Sutta, v. 20)
Buddhism writes:
Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful. (Udana-Varga 5:18)
Buddhism dates back to the 6th century B.C., it is difficult to trace the exact transcription of the Udana-Varga which has been copied down from generation to generation by different schools of Buddhism for over 2500 years.
Ancient Egyptian writes:
Do for one who may do for you, that you may cause him thus to do.
TheTale of the Eloquent Peasant, 109 - 110 was translated by R.B. Parkinson dating to 1970 to 1640 BC.
Hinduism writes:
This is the sum of duty: do not do to others what would cause pain if done to you. (Mahabharata 5:1517)
Hinduism clearly predates Christianity by over 800 years. The earliest surviving Sanskrit manuscript copy dates back to the 1st century A.D.
Taoism writes:
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)
and
Taoism writes:
The sage has no interest of his own, but takes the interests of the people as his own. He is kind to the kind; he is also kind to the unkind: for Virtue is kind. He is faithful to the faithful; he is also faithful to the unfaithful: for Virtue is faithful. (Tao Teh Ching)
The earliest copies of the Tao Teh Ching, the principle scripture of the Daoist (or Taoist) religion dates to about 300 B.C.
Zoroasterism writes:
That nature alone is good which refrains from doing unto another whatsoever is not good for itself. Dadistan-i-dinik 94:5
also
Zoroasterism writes:
Whatever is disagreeable to yourself do not do unto others. (Shayast-na-Shayast 13:29)
Zoroasterism is an off shoot of the earlier Babylonian and Persian religions and earliest writings dates to about 500 B.C.- roughly the same time much of the OT was written down during Israel's occupation and captivity by Babylonia and Persia (hmm, what a coincidence).
It is of my opinion that the golden rule is an altruistic axiom that translates across the entire human spectrum to all religions, races and ethnicities. No one religion (or lack thereof) holds a corner (or a clean track record i.e. history) on altruism (or barbaric) behavior.
It is the Christian fundamentalists such as the Voice of The Martyrs, Franklin Graham's Samaritan's Purse, the Salvation Army and Christian missions etc by and large who are benevolent helpers of the destitute both in our nation and abroad. This, imo, is where the rubber meets the road relative to a divinely inspired Golden Rule as per what Jesus the Christ and his apostles advocated.
Yeah right, no other ethnic group or religion does any charity work. I raise the BS flag:
Buddhism (just a few):
Buddhist Peace Fellowship -
http://www.bpf.orgThe Buddhist Peace Fellowship, founded in 1978, brings together Buddhist teachings with progressive social action. Programs include peace and justice work, prison work, Buddhist Alliance for Social Engagement, and the magazine Turning Wheel.
The Karuna Trust -
Karuna TrustUK based Buddhist organization that has education, health and cultural projects for poor people in India of any religion. Also helps fund Buddhist activities.
Tzu-Chi Foundation: Northern California Chapter -
http://sanjose.tzuchi.org/The Buddhist Compassion Relief, Tzu-Chi Foundation is a non-profit organization whose objective is to provide charity, medical treatment, educational development, and cultural promotion to the needy and the society worldwide
Amida Trust -
Amida Trust | Supporting Pure Land BuddhismFeatures group gathering a corps of people seriously interested in developing humanitarian projects on Buddhist principles to help overcome suffering in the world.
Multicultural Buddhists for Peace -
HugeDomains.comBuddhist people of color multicultural interfaith message board and speakers bureau sponsoring diversity in the heart of Americans to achieve peace, religious tolerance, heal racism, end violence, and alleviate poverty.
Rokpa USA -
http://www.rokpausa.org/Works in the areas of basic and further education, health care, relief of hunger, preservation of culture, self-help and ecology.
Himalayan Kingdom Foundation Trust -
http://www.hkft.org/A private non-profit organization based in Nepal, sponsoring projects marketing Nepali goods to benefit the educational, social, medical, artistic and spiritual needs of the Nepalese people.
Islam:
A Grain of Hope Foundation, Inc. - Islamic organization. Provides assistance to those unable to help themselves, both in the U.S. and abroad.
Helping Hand USA - A global humanitarian relief and development organization; information about their programs, newsletters, reports, and contact details.
Human Appeal - Palestine - A licensed charity working with deprived families in Palestinian society. Includes information about their programs, and photos. [Arabic and English]
Humanitarian Assistance for the Women and Children of Afghanistan (HAWCA) - Information about their health, education and training programs in Afghanistan; also includes background on the country, and details of their fundraising.
The Islamic-American Zakat Foundation - A tax-exempt religious and charitable organization whose primary objective is to serve poor and needy Muslims in the United States. Information about their work and appeals for donations.
Small Kindness - A UK registered charity established by Yusuf Islam. Promotes community development with relief and educational programs to peoples ravaged by war and conflict. Information about programs, appeals and beneficiaries.
Or how about individual non-religious and atheist philanthropists like Bill Gates, Warren Buffet and Robert Williams who have given literally billions of dollars to charities throughout the world?
Edited by DevilsAdvocate, : No reason given.
For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.Dr. Carl Sagan
you are jesting again, right? I can see you being the first to throw the stone, with a grin of delight on your face as you are following your god's will. Excellent, that first stone hit the eight year old square in the face - pulped his nose. Listen to him scream - ha, that will teach his uncle to steal from almighty god. Shit, you missed - try again... Oh, wow, did you see that. You caved half his skull in with that one. That's some right hander. Ugh, white stuff is leaking out that hole now. Quite disgusting. Hit him again and hopefully he'll stop screaming. Yeah, that's it. Let's pick another one, he'll die soon enough. Oh look, that girl must be about twelve (looks a bit like your daughter) - come on, let's sing to god while we watch her die i n agony.
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