The Would-be Golden Rule

[Snow]

breitbart.com/article.php?id=081114211405.6b9pjnso&show_article=1

"Armstrong’s wish is to combine universal principles of respect and compassion into a charter based on a “golden rule” she believes is at the core of every major religion.

The Golden Rule essentially calls on people to do unto others as they would have done unto them.

“The chief task of our time is to build a global society where people of all persuasions can live together in peace and harmony,” Armstrong said."

Ah, the Golden Rule. If some people, even at this forum, believed in it, what a different place the Christian world (or even the religious world in general) would be.

 

[ralphinal]

What if you were a masochist? What if you enjoyed being belittled? INjured? Mistreated? Can you then do that to others?

 

[Ruthie]

Funny, I was just talking about the Golden Rule on another thread.

People keep taking that rule out of context. It rests on a moral framework: loving God above all else, and keeping His commandments. That comes first.

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.” Matt 22:36-40 (RSV)

Many people are unaware that Jesus was quoting the OT. The first is Dt 6:5, the next is Lev 19:18. The verse from Leviticus is the summation of a passage about how to treat your neighbor, starting with Lev 19:9.

“Teacher, what good deed must I do, to have eternal life?” 17 And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? One there is who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” 18 He said to him, “Which?” And Jesus said, “You shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, 19 Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Matt 19:16-19 (RSV)

There are many good-hearted people who take “love your neighbor as yourself” out of context. They forget that it is **second **to the commandment to love God with everything we’ve got - heart, soul and mind.

They also forget that it is the framework from which all the other commandments hang. It is not loving my neighbor to let him steal from me. It is not loving my neighbor to bear false witness, even if doing so benefits my neighbor. It is not loving my neighbor to allow him to disrespect God.

Above all, it is not loving my neighbor to stand idly by while he does things that will deprive him of the Beatific Vision. (I cannot judge whether his sin is mortal - but I can, with the help of the Church, judge whether it is grave.)

Sinning offends God. It’s a violation of love. That is why the second of Jesus’ commandments is “like” the first.

God, be merciful to me a sinner!

Ruthie

 

[ralphinal]

Funny, I was just talking about the Golden Rule on another thread.

People keep taking that rule out of context. It rests on a moral framework: loving God above all else, and keeping His commandments. That comes first.

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.” Matt 22:36-40 (RSV)

Many people are unaware that Jesus was quoting the OT. The first is Dt 6:5, the next is Lev 19:18. The verse from Leviticus is the summation of a passage about how to treat your neighbor, starting with Lev 19:9.

“Teacher, what good deed must I do, to have eternal life?” 17 And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? One there is who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” 18 He said to him, “Which?” And Jesus said, “You shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, 19 Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Matt 19:16-19 (RSV)

There are many good-hearted people who take “love your neighbor as yourself” out of context. They forget that it is **second **to the commandment to love God with everything we’ve got - heart, soul and mind.

They also forget that it is the framework from which all the other commandments hang. It is not loving my neighbor to let him steal from me. It is not loving my neighbor to bear false witness, even if doing so benefits my neighbor. It is not loving my neighbor to allow him to disrespect God.

Above all, it is not loving my neighbor to stand idly by while he does things that will deprive him of the Beatific Vision. (I cannot judge whether his sin is mortal - but I can, with the help of the Church, judge whether it is grave.)

Sinning offends God. It’s a violation of love. That is why the second of Jesus’ commandments is “like” the first.

God, be merciful to me a sinner!

Ruthie

EXCELLENT!