Religion and Psychology

We would all do well to remember those words and accept the challenge, atheists included, Godless.
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So what the hell does that mean? THE GOLDEN RULE?

Thre's no such thing, it's not writen, the bible. LOL, :p No golden rule there.
The Qua'ran, no golden rule there either.
The Torah?. more nonsense.

Basically I don't understand what you mean by that, since I'm not the only atheist on this thread.

What is the GOLDEN RULE to you?.

Godless.
 
The Christian golden rule - do to others what you think would be good for them whether they want you to or not.
 
The Golden Rule (do unto others as you would have them do to you) and the Wiccan Rede (If no harm is done, do as you will).
I prefer the latter.


"Every atheist I have known has always fallen back upon the one concept echoed worldwide, and taught by religious and secular leaders throughout all time: the so-called "Golden Rule." Jesus was repeating an old Jewish proverb when he said "Do unto others as they do unto you," and Confucius was recording an old Chinese saying when he wrote "Do not do to others what you would not want done to you."
All atheist systems of morality seem to derive in various ways from this core principle, and so it would be appropriate to say that atheists stand for the Golden Rule in its fullest meaning and significance. I believe that any rule or belief which violates this principle is discarded by most atheists as immoral..."

Richard Carrier, 1999

and so crunchy and step:
I cant see were, anybody has broke the golden rule (do unto others as they do unto you).

Unfortunately, it is merely a goodwill gesture, and is not a practical belief to enforce. Because, for example, a violent warrior is going to have a very different idea of what normal conduct is. One who fights for survival is both willing to attack others, and defend himself, and upholding the ethic of reciprocity appears to tell him that it is ok for him to attack others, just because it's something he expects to happen to him too. Survivalists and those who expect others to treat them badly, who are happy in a tooth-for-tooth world are given the all-clear to go forth and act as they wish. The ethic of reciprocity is too idealistic, and can only ever maintain the status quo rather than create an atmosphere of goodwill. Most support it because they are unable to think of a better way, and it has a feel-good factor because the statement is "seen as good".
 
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Cris said:
The Christian golden rule - do to others what you think would be good for them whether they want you to or not.
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Yes, but the moral guidance is that you would have to truly want the same thing for yourself.

You know you can use the Golden Rule in a reverse way. You can see how other people treat you, and infer from there behavior toward you how they wish to be treated themselves. For instance, people from the East Coast are abrupt and rude to others, but do not feel insulted in the least when others are abrupt and rude to them -- abruptness and rudeness are simply part of their accepted Community Golden Rule.

But the Golden Rule can then get a person into trouble. A New Yorker in California will be abrupt and rude because quite honestly that is what he would expect for himself. But on the West Coast everyone cries and is horribly offended. This is where the Golden Rule must be tempered with the Old Roman Adage -- "When in Rome, do as the Romans do", that is, 'do unto others as they would have you do unto them, and expect the same treatment in reciprocation'.
 
fahrenheit 451 said:
The Golden Rule (do unto others as you would have them do to you) and the Wiccan Rede (If no harm is done, do as you will).
I prefer the latter.


"Every atheist I have known has always fallen back upon the one concept echoed worldwide, and taught by religious and secular leaders throughout all time: the so-called "Golden Rule." Jesus was repeating an old Jewish proverb when he said "Do unto others as they do unto you," and Confucius was recording an old Chinese saying when he wrote "Do not do to others what you would not want done to you."
All atheist systems of morality seem to derive in various ways from this core principle, and so it would be appropriate to say that atheists stand for the Golden Rule in its fullest meaning and significance. I believe that any rule or belief which violates this principle is discarded by most atheists as immoral..."

Richard Carrier, 1999

and so crunchy and step:
I cant see were, anybody has broke the golden rule (do unto others as they do unto you).

Unfortunately, it is merely a goodwill gesture, and is not a practical belief to enforce. Because, for example, a violent warrior is going to have a very different idea of what normal conduct is. One who fights for survival is both willing to attack others, and defend himself, and upholding the ethic of reciprocity appears to tell him that it is ok for him to attack others, just because it's something he expects to happen to him too. Survivalists and those who expect others to treat them badly, who are happy in a tooth-for-tooth world are given the all-clear to go forth and act as they wish. The ethic of reciprocity is too idealistic, and can only ever maintain the status quo rather than create an atmosphere of goodwill. Most support it because they are unable to think of a better way, and it has a feel-good factor because the statement is "seen as good".
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Nice post Farenheit. I'll take the blame for not being specific here. I did
not realize there were so many interpretations of the 'Golden Rule'. I am
defining it as:

"Do unto others as you would have done to you."

Regardless of how the concept came to be (various religions, philosophies,
etc.), it is at the very least a nice target to shoot for as it produces positive
behavior.

Leo has a good point about 'When in Rome...'. That's actually adaptation
hes describing there. In the east-coast / west-coast example Leo has made
some correct observations that east-coast directness used to be interpreted
as hostility to west-coasters (I am not sure if this is still the case).
 
Cris: The Christian golden rule - do to others what you think would be good for them whether they want you to or not.
*************
M*W: Another version of the Christian golden rule - Do unto others before they do unto you.
 
Medicine Woman said:
Cris: The Christian golden rule - do to others what you think would be good for them whether they want you to or not.
*************
M*W: Another version of the Christian golden rule - Do unto others before they do unto you.
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Damn MW, you are like comedy central nowadays :p
 
Crunchy Cat: Damn MW, you are like comedy central nowadays :p
*************
M*W: Thanks, Crunch, there's no one else I like to poke fun at
than xians!
 
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