Some years back was in a leadership postion and visiting the Primary. Had the chance to talk and asked the kids about The Golden Rule. NONE of them knew what it was. This was Brigham City, Utah. Have been to a number of wards after this and have seen similar results in them.

Maybe I know it because of protestant upbringing early in Kansas - but I thought it was a normal teaching across the board in all Christian religions. Even Mormonism.

What kind of group doesn't teach and emphasize this to the children?

what kind of group steals a saying of Confucius and claims it it is the "golden rule" ?

whoever said it first, it is golden and if everyone lived by it, we'd need no police. etc.

And it is unlikely Jesus stole it from Confucius since he wouldnt have been aware of him. It is possible for two.people to.come up withmsimilar ideas.

your imaginary jesus character didn't steal anything from anybody.

That's what make imaginary friends so great.

Sigh.

I've never looked this up for myself, but when I was going through my conversion to Judaism classes, the Golden Rule came up in class one night, and the rabbi teaching our class said that the Jewish version of the Golden Rule is:

Do not do to others what you would not want done to you.

And then he asked us to think about the difference(s) between the Jewish version and the Christian one, and said it was one of the important differences between Judaism and what became [contemporary] Christianity.

I never did understand exactly what point he was trying to get to (he did not answer the question himself; he wanted US to figure out our own answers)...

...and I have extremely complex feelings when the Jewish version of this is applied to the contemporary situation of Israel vis-à-vis Palestine, but it is an interesting difference.

I also still don't understand what he meant because, in most of the controversial issues of any period in American history, Jews have often been in the forefront of active, positive change. (The abolition of slavery...women's right to vote...civil rights...the Vietnam War, etc.---and this is true today regarding GLBT rights...the substantial raising of the minimum wage to an actual living wage...practical protections for hotel maids and domestic workers...extending voting rights to those STILL disenfranchised...children's rights...animal rights, etc.). Historically, Jews have worked VERY hard (and often at the cost of their own lives) to effect positive change...something that they have steadily continued to do to this very minute.

Anyone, however, who cares to venture any answers as to the rabbi's question about the fundamental differences between the way the two different (Christian and Jewish) Golden Rules are phrased, is very much invited (by me) to do so. :)



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/18/2014 11:22PM by tevai.