The Golden Rule, proof that a higher intelligence did NOT write the Bible

by jws 21 Replies latest jw friends

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  KateWild

  You want to treat them how THEY want to be treated. -jws

  I can see your point and have come across this before. But what if they are bullies, hypocrites, jealous, spitefull or just plain selfish people? There are many bad traits that individuals have, and to treat them how they want is wrong.

  I prefer the golden rule, do unto to other as you wish them to do to you. Then they know how we like to be treated and if they follow that rule we know how they like to be treated. This is better transparency and it's easier to get along with people. Once we realise that someone likes small talk, we can then draw closer to them by having more small talk if we wish, or we can explain that we don't have time for small talk.

  Its a complex balancing act. Some in the work place just suck up to their superiors and treat their peers badly. Having good social skills is a definate advantage in life, if there was a true solution to the problems of getting along then we would have no wars.

  Kate xx
• 

  jws

  KateWild wrote:

  I can see your point and have come across this before. But what if they are bullies, hypocrites, jealous, spitefull or just plain selfish people? There are many bad traits that individuals have, and to treat them how they want is wrong.

  These are traits that would cause these people to treat others badly. It says nothing of how they want to be treated.

  Let's say somebody is a bully. Treat them how they want to be treated doesn't mean treat them like a bully would. If they want to talk about their kids before discussing the reason you came to talk to them, why not? They may want to be treated with kindness. They may want you to treat them like a rented mule.

  People having bad traits doesn't mean they want to be treated that way.

  Or are you saying because they have bad traits, don't give them any respect and do not treat them how they want to be treated?
• 

  KateWild

  If a school bully wants you to treat him like royalty and demands everyones dinner money, do you give him your dinner money as he wishes? Do you treat him as if he were important royalty?

  Some people want priority treatment, these people do not deserve to be treated how they wish.

  Kate xx
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  Laika

  You know you're basically saying the same thing as Jesus right? Have you really missed that?
• 

  wolfman85

  I used the example of hot pepper. I love hot pepper. I would love it if anyone who hosts me were to put hot pepper in the food they serve me. So should I in my capacity as a host put hot pepper in the food I give to guests because I would want others do that to me?

  I simply put the hot pepper available to anyone who wanted it without putting it into their food .
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  EndofMysteries

  Way to reinvent the wheel. If you treat others as you yourself want to be treated, then you will treat others as they want to be treated because you would want others to treat you the way you want to be treated.

  I'd like to have those 3 minutes of my life back now please.
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  rocketman

  In the context of both NT quotes (Matt 7:12, Luke 6:31) Jesus is talking about giving to others, rather than witholding something unpleasant. As the Wikipedia article quoted above states, it's a positive form of the idea rather than the negative.

  As far as treating others they way they would want to be treated, that's a worthwhile endeavor, but to me it doesn't really go beyond Jesus's words, simply because I think Jesus is stating something about giving in general. So in essence, the rule is a general one, and if a person wants to discern what others might want or how they want to be treated, that's all well and good, but I don't see how it makes the concept superior or the Golden Rule inferior.
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  Apognophos

  Way to reinvent the wheel. If you treat others as you yourself want to be treated, then you will treat others as they want to be treated because you would want others to treat you the way you want to be treated.

  EoM said it best.
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  SAHS

  Given the small percentage of human population on the fringes as to how they specifically would like to be treated (bullies with low self-esteem, sadomasochistic folks, people who just love a good fight), I would say that Matthew 7:12 would be a socially acceptable and morally valid principle in the vast majority cases compared with the average. As to being able to tell exactly which personality type you are dealing with at any given moment, I suppose that it would be kind of similar to quantum mechanics in that you cannot ascertain exactly where an electron is located at any specific time due to the “Heisenberg uncertainty principle” BUT, however, you can determine the orbital area (the “electron cloud”) wherein an electron is likely be present about 90 percent of the time.

  So in other words, deciding to start from the precept that “most people respond to kindness” and going from there would, in fact, be your best bet, or at least probably a good 90 percent of the time.
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  wolfman85

  SAHS I totally agree with you.