RE: How can Christians not admit Christianity is all a pile of garbage when ...?
February 28, 2012 at 2:10 am
(February 20, 2012 at 7:38 pm)Abracadabra Wrote:(February 20, 2012 at 6:32 pm)coffeeveritas Wrote: The fact that you used the golden rule as your definition of "good" shows that you are operating out of a subsumed idea.
No, it doesn't mean that at all.
On the contrary I had absolutely no idea at the time that any such "golden rule" existed. The fact that my natural intuitive feelings on the matter can be stated via the"golden rule" are pure coincidence.
In fact, all that goes to show is that the very concept of the so-called 'golden rule' is extremely natural and intuitive.
It didn't originate with Jesus. This idea was taught by Buddha, Confucius, Lao Tzu, and many others long before the rumors of Jesus ever came to be.
Oh absolutely, a sort of reciprocity ethic has been common to almost every culture on earth. This is actually a part of the kind of Christian metaphysics I was talking about earlier where there is truth everywhere, including other religions. As far as my claim that you were quoting from Luke goes, I said that because you used the exact wording that Jesus did. The Golden Rule is in many cultures, but the way it's stated is very different. Which brings me to . . .
(February 20, 2012 at 7:38 pm)Abracadabra Wrote: The God of Abraham never taught anyone to "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you". On the contrary, the God of Abraham taught people to seek and eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, and to stone sinners to death.
The "eye for an eye" stuff was actually from Babylon and the Jewish people borrowed it. Funny thing is, that particular saying is the Babylonian way of expressing the Golden Rule. So like I said, the version you chose to cite, and the version you chose to critique is important. The Golden Rule may translate roughly across cultures, but each one has a different way of saying it and a different way of thinking about its meaning.
There are quiet a few others who responded to my posts while I was gone for the last week or so, so I apologize if I don't get to them all.
@Minimalist, I love Handel's Messiah as well!
