R. Loeffelbein's Whatchama Column: 12 RELIGIONS WITH THE SAME PRIME THOUGHT: THE "GOLDEN RULE"

                   
      I was surprised to learn it was Frederick the Great, one of the most astute military minds in history, who said, “All religions must be tolerated, for every man must get to heaven in his own way.”
      Yet, when we study religion, we wonder how people - living within other religions than ours - can do some of the things they do. Until we know more about these other religions, and the people who follow them, though, how can we know they don’t believe basically as we do, just with different interpretations?
      Are we looking at the road others are taking, rather than at the destination?  Maybe we need to take a look at the religion in our diverse religions. Perhaps if all religions could be brought together to discuss a common goal, differences could be lessened.
      A start might be made by realizing that the 12 major religions in the world today all have a guiding tenet that presents an amazing parallelism. It was first introduced to me from a now forgotten philosophy textbook used in 1948 at Washington State College (now University). An article in it, titled “A Sheaf of Golden Rules from Twelve Religions”, impressed me enough so I copied and filed it for periodic reference through intervening years. The piece had no listed author, though the book was authored by Ross Hoople, Raymond Piper and William Tolley of Syracuse University.
      We know the Christian religion is summed up in the Golden Rule: “All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so unto them: for this is the law and the prophets.” Our surprise, however, is that each of these other 11 major religions all have a similar “law” in their teachings. Here they are.

Baha’i: “If thou lookest toward justice, choose thou for others what thou choosest for thyself. Blessed is he who prefers his brother before himself.”

Buddhism: “In five ways should a clansman minister to his friends and familiars: by generosity, courtesy, and benevolence, by treating them as he treats himself, and by being as good as his word.”

Confucianism: “Is there one word which may serve as a rule of practice for all one’s life? The Master said, ‘Is not Reciprocity (Sympathy, Consideration) such a word? What do you not want done to yourself, do not do to others‘.”

Hebrewism: “Thou shalt love they neighbor as thyself.”

Hinduism: “This is the high religion which wise men esteem: the lifegiving breaths of other creatures are as dear to them as the breaths of one’s self. Men gifted with intelligence and purified souls should always treat others as they themselves wish to be treated.”

Islamism: “No one of you is a believer until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.”

Jainism: “Indifferent to worldly objects, a man should wander about treating all creatures in the world as he himself would be treated.”

Sikhism: “As thou deemest thyself, so deem others; then thou shalt become a partner in Heaven.”

Taoism: “Regard your neighbor’s gain as your own gain, and regard your neighbor’s loss as your own loss.”

Tenrikyo Shintoism: “Irrespective of their nationality, language, manners and culture, men should give mutual aid, and enjoy reciprocal, peaceful pleasure by showing in their conduct that they are brethren.”

Zoroastrianism: “Him who is less than thee consider as an equal, and an equal as a superior, and a greater than him as a chieftain.”

      Interesting, isn’t it, that the 12 main religions of the world have one thought uppermost? Couldn’t that be a great starting point for world peace?
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