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The Golden Rule of Unicorns
By karen | April 9, 2008
Yesterday in my stumbling around I came across this post about Unicorns (the actual title is “How to Actually talk to Atheists, if You are Christian”). It spoke of how awesome Unicorns are and the beer, massage, chocolate and steak club. Of course, with just this small amount of information I made my decision. I’m in. I want to join. Count me as a member. I wouldn’t want to miss out on Promises in Heaven. If Unicorns will get me there I’m in.
“and the loveliest of all was the Unicorn”
***
But seriously, I really did like this post, enough to write about it here. And it all comes back to what I’ve written about many times over — allowing others to be, do and believe as they will and hopefully having others offer you the same privilege.
The best way to win some one over to your way of thinking is by example; and only example. Coercing, explaining, arguing, ridiculing or reasoning does not work and just serves to antagonize the other.
I don’t know if that post was written by an Atheist or if it was written by a Christian. It makes no difference to me. Apparently I don’t qualify for either belief system. I’m definitely not an Atheist and if I have to agree with the premise of Christianity that their way is the “only” way to God, I don’t qualify there either.
I believe there are many ways to God, many ways to live, love and grow in this life. There are wonderful people who call themselves “Atheists” and wonderful people who call themselves “Christian” and wonderful people who call themselves something else. None is better or more superior than another. Just different ways for different people. When it comes right down to it, we’re all in this human race together and much more connected than most of us realize.
I included this in the post “The Golden Rule” from March 25, 2007. Again it seems apropos. It bears repeating.
(as expressed by the World’s Religions)
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Christianity: “In everything, do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.”
Jesus—Matthew 7:12
Hinduism: “This is the sum of duty: do not to others what would cause pain if done to you.”
Mahabaratha 5:1517
Taoism: “Regard your neighbor’s gain as you own gain, and your neighbor’s loss as your own loss.”
T’ai Shang Kan Ying P’ien, 213-18
Native Spirituality-“We are as much alive as we keep the earth alive”
Chief Dan George
Buddhism: “Treat not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.”
Udana-Varga 5.18
Judaism: “What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. This is the whole Torah; all the rest is commentary.”
Hillel, Talmud, Shabbat 31a
Islam: “Not one of you truly believes until you wish for others what you wish for yourself.”
The Prophet Muhammad, Hadith
Sikhism: “I am a stranger to no one; and no one is a stranger to me. Indeed, I am a friend to all.”
Guru Granth Sahib
Baha’i Faith: “Lay not on any soul a load that you would not wish to be laid upon you, and desire not for anyone the things you would not desire for yourself.”
Baha’u’liah, Gleanings
Jainism: “One should treat all creatures in the world as one would like to be treated.”
Mahavira, Sutravitanga
Unitarianism: “ We affirm and promote respect for the interdependence of all existence of which we are a part.”
Zoroastrianism: “Do not unto others what is injurious to yourself.”
Shayast-na-Shayast 13.29
____________________________
We’re all here to find a way to live our lives in the best way we know how.
We are all special, unique and worthy of love and grace, just because we are human.
Perhaps we should respect each other, allow each other and rather than fight our differences, acknowledge and honor our oneness.
Related Posts:
The Golden Rule
Allowing Others and Practicing Non-judgment
Reflections on the Path
Co-Creating with a Significant Other
Freedom of Thought
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Topics: Living the Power, Reflections |
April 9th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
Thanks for sharing, Karen - I couldn’t agree more with you about unconditional acceptance. The would be a much less stressful place if everybody could learn to embrace our differences rather than reject them.
I know I have been challenged in this regard in many ways, both large and small, and even today find myself challenged by that in more subtle ways.
It’s easy to say “Oh, I accept other people as they are.” But what if they do something that truly is opposed to our way of living?
Can we accept that child abuse happens in the world? What if it were our next door neighbor, or our brother/sister abusing their child?
Those are more extreme examples, but in my daily life I find myself challenged with smaller bits and pieces.
For example, when my wife and I have differences to work out… it is so easy to think that the issues she has with me are about me, and that the issues I have with her are about her.
But more often than not, our issues are our own and the other person acted in a way which forced us to see our issues… and nobody really likes to look at their own issues.
So when we talk about unconditional acceptance, if we can see that the issues we have with the way other people act are actually our own issues… our own pains that we don’t want to look at, then we can take a significant step towards healing those issues and moving to a place of truly unconditional acceptance.
Easier said than done, and that’s why it often takes lifetimes to unconditionally love 100%. I know I’m not there yet, but as awareness is the first step I do feel I’m moving in that direction.
April 9th, 2008 at 7:11 pm
Awareness is the first step.
And so often the fault we see in another is the fault we cannot accept in ourselves….
All part of our Spiritual journey…
May 1st, 2008 at 6:45 pm
Whoah, Karen, you quote Chief Dan George. That is too cool. This is my second posting to your blog after reading My Internet Business. And I am totally with you on this stuff. Unconditional acceptance out of universal love. With a happy appreciation of the ironic thrown into the mix. Now I’m gonna check out this Unicorn site you mention. Hooray, hooray . . . .
May 7th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
Thank you, Iago,
I really love this collection from all the great religious/spiritual traditions. It reminds me that we are all connected and that it is just our ego’s that keep us apart.