Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Thus, we also have Jesus' New Commandment found at John 13:34-35; John 15:12-14
We are to treat others as Jesus treated others.
In other words, we are now to have the same self-sacrificing love for others as Jesus has.
We are Now to love neighbor MORE than self, More than the Golden Rule ( Platinum Rule too )
The Golden Rule ("Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.") is often referenced when morals are discussed but I don't think it's enough. It doesn't work when you get varying beliefs and personality types. An evangelical can bring up the fear of hell and the atheist can bring up that therapy may be needed for neurosis. Both are honestly trying to help each other yet neither is going to get very far, and will just generate angst.
There's also the Platinum Rule "Treat others the way they want to be treated." Sounds nice, yet doesn't work well with narcissists and other personality types, especially the fringe.
So if you want to grow and fine tune your moral compass how do you strike a balance? Do you try to emphasize self-awareness, stepping outside one's comfort zone / vacuum, more education? Does learning more about psychology and sociology help? Do you emphasize the need to have complete personal comfort and a certain amount of selfishness before you can help make a difference? Do you work on humility? Do higher morals lead to greater happiness? Or do you simply not care?
I don't feel there's a single right answer, but curious how others feel.
Hey Jumbo where you been man?
Looks like a fun thread, I still have hope for man kind and after I hit 60, I have become cynical. I spent most my life trusting people and thinking most are honest and live by such rules, nowadays I dont know. I guess growing up in the ministry you expect most everyone believes in God, you expect honesty and loyalty at least from the people you try and help but that is just n not reality, but then I believe most things are meant to be, and that maybe the crimes against me will tare on their heartstrings when they get older and maybe they needed that. I always forgive people and not some fake forgiveness, I wont suffer unforgiveness in my life, I will think of my enemies as poor abused children and genuinely form a love for them, the worse the crime, the more I think of them, the more I love them. Tell you the truth, the Atheists I know or my honest and trustworthy than believers, had a couple of them try to help me.
Unfortunately, it seems like a blindness has fallen on people, an insanity not knowing good from bad, or their left from their right.
Interesting to say ' puppets to those who hold the power ' because in Scripture Satan is the Puppet Master.
Satan is the behind-the-scenes Puppet Master pulling the strings - 2nd Cor. 4:4; Rev. 12:12,9
The perfect ruler has already been chosen, chosen by God and pleading with us to recognize His choice - Psalm 2:10-12
So, yes, we can expect to see a ramping up of political activity in " who do you support ? "
Jesus is truly qualified to be earth's rightful ruler because he can get to the root cause of man's problems.
Politicians are puppets to their donors. They prostitute themselves for money. No Satan needed to explain that.
If per Psalm 2:10-12 god's son is his chosen ruler then he had better get busy running his campaign and getting on ballots.
I think of the Meat Puppet’s song “Lake of Fire “ where the verses go “look for a dry place to rest my bones, while the angels and the devils try to make you their own.†It all seems pretty pointless if this is what life is about- a spiritual quest in the realm of Christianity at least for me seems silly. Choosing this or that for some eternal reward- what the heck?!?!?!
I think of the Meat Puppet’s song “Lake of Fire “ where the verses go “look for a dry place to rest my bones, while the angels and the devils try to make you their own.†It all seems pretty pointless if this is what life is about- a spiritual quest in the realm of Christianity at least for me seems silly. Choosing this or that for some eternal reward- what the heck?!?!?!
That has been the major mistake of Christian dogma. God is our Father wanting us to "mature" our Spirits like His. The word translated as "perfect" in the Bible means "mature." Jesus is the firstborn of us to achieve it. That is our goal. It is completely SELF-CENTERED to worry about YOUR salvation (Jesus took care of that!). If you believe God is granting rewards in Heaven or dispensing punishments in Hell, you are NOT believing in the God of Jesus Christ (Abba), IMO. How immature or mature we BECOME as "saved Spirits" before our "death" (which is a "birth" as Spirit) determines our status in Heaven, period.
The Golden Rule ("Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.") is often referenced when morals are discussed but I don't think it's enough. It doesn't work when you get varying beliefs and personality types. An evangelical can bring up the fear of hell and the atheist can bring up that therapy may be needed for neurosis. Both are honestly trying to help each other yet neither is going to get very far, and will just generate angst.
There's also the Platinum Rule "Treat others the way they want to be treated." Sounds nice, yet doesn't work well with narcissists and other personality types, especially the fringe.
So if you want to grow and fine tune your moral compass how do you strike a balance? Do you try to emphasize self-awareness, stepping outside one's comfort zone / vacuum, more education? Does learning more about psychology and sociology help? Do you emphasize the need to have complete personal comfort and a certain amount of selfishness before you can help make a difference? Do you work on humility? Do higher morals lead to greater happiness? Or do you simply not care?
I don't feel there's a single right answer, but curious how others feel.
Very old thread but anyway...
It's not 'treat others the way they want to be treated', it's 'treat others as YOU would expect to be treated'.
We have no way of knowing how someone else expects to be treated, all we can know is how WE expect to be treated and treat others the same way.
It's a good rule in general, if only people actually abided by it.
For a lot of people it's more like one rule for me and another rule for you, if you want to throw idioms around.
I don't think these sort of "rules" work very well because each situation is different, and what may be appropriate in one scenario may not be in another. Beyond the usual maxims of being honest, not stealing etc, it's probably better to be present and not have to refer back to something that's memorized, and may not be what's needed at that moment anyway.
Just try and be nice to others but don't be a doormat. Some people are just impossible to get along with, so in my smarter moments I'll remember to just nod and move on. This stuff isn't difficult if we keep it simple, and we're all going to make mistakes now and then.
We usually run into these dilemmas when someone wants something from us, or we want to give something to someone else. I keep my giving to what I can afford, whether it be time or money. It works a lot better to just let go of how that works out. If they use the money for drugs and not food that's not my problem and not my business. The moment I give it away I don't own it anymore. The same w/ my time, I don't expect anything back. These are really ethical issues, not religious.
Last edited by stephenMM; 02-08-2024 at 07:56 PM..
Thus, we also have Jesus' New Commandment found at John 13:34-35; John 15:12-14
We are to treat others as Jesus treated others.
In other words, we are now to have the same self-sacrificing love for others as Jesus has.
So not a new commandment, as this idea existed before Christianity did.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Matthew 4:4
We are Now to love neighbor MORE than self, More than the Golden Rule ( Platinum Rule too )
So not a new commandment, as this idea existed before Christianity did.
Which is not in the text you listed.
Yes, Jesus loved neighbor MORE than he loved himself - see John 13:34-35 and John 15:12-13
The Golden Rule of Leviticus 19:18 was to love neighbor as you love yourself.
Jesus' New commandment goes past love of self to surrendering one's life as mentioned at 1st John 3:16.
Jesus sacrificial love for us moved Jesus to die for us.
God surrendered His Son for us. What parent would willingly sacrifice their son in place of you.
Very old thread but anyway...
It's not 'treat others the way they want to be treated', it's 'treat others as YOU would expect to be treated'.
We have no way of knowing how someone else expects to be treated, all we can know is how WE expect to be treated and treat others the same way.
It's a good rule in general, if only people actually abided by it.
For a lot of people it's more like one rule for me and another rule for you, if you want to throw idioms around.
Yes, the Golden Rule is a good rule in general because if people everywhere abided by it there would be No wars on Earth.
Whereas Jesus expanded upon the old Golden Rule of Leviticus 19:18 and enlarged upon it. - John 15:12-13; John 15:17-25
Love to the point of surrendering one's life for his spiritual brothers - 1st John 3:16 - as Jesus did - John 10:11.
So, it is No longer how someone expects to be treated but rather now to treat others sacrificially as Jesus does. John 13:34-35
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
