{"id":64,"date":"2013-01-01T16:30:19","date_gmt":"2013-01-01T16:30:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.all-creatures.org\/blog\/?p=64"},"modified":"2013-01-03T15:17:29","modified_gmt":"2013-01-03T15:17:29","slug":"the-golden-rule","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.all-creatures.org\/blog\/the-golden-rule\/","title":{"rendered":"The Golden Rule"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Golden Rule<\/h2>\n

Most people seem to know the Golden Rule as: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” And only a relatively small percentage of these people seem to realize that there are no limits to its meaning. The compassionate message of the golden rule extends to the whole of creation, to every other human being, to every other animal, and even to the environment in which we all live.<\/p>\n

There are also several Bible references that parallel the common expression of the golden rule cited above. As an example in Matthew 7:12, Jesus said:<\/p>\n

12. “Therefore, however you want people to treat you, so treat them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
\nNASB<\/p>\n

What Jesus is saying is that the golden rule of unlimited love and compassion fulfills the whole of the Hebrew Bible\u2019s intent of the Law and what the prophets taught. As an example note Leviticus 19:18.<\/p>\n

18. ‘You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD.
\nNASB<\/p>\n

And Jesus said that the second part of this verse was the second greatest commandment, and that it also fulfilled the whole Law and the Prophets.<\/p>\n

By now, some of you are probably saying that this only applies to human beings, but we believe that you are missing a key point.<\/p>\n

If there is a very loving and compassionate person who also deeply loves animals to the extent that they neither eat their flesh nor byproducts nor wear their skins, and we belittle them or flaunt our hunting and fishing skills and eat the products of tortured animals before them, we cause such a person to be extremely emotionally hurt, which is against the entire meaning of the golden rule.<\/p>\n

For, to do such a thing is a deliberate act of not loving your neighbor as yourself, which is also what Paul wrote in Galatians 5:14.<\/p>\n

14. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
\nNASB<\/p>\n

That one word is \u201clove\u201d: God\u2019s unconditional love.<\/p>\n

And for people like us, our neighbors include all the animals.<\/p>\n

Join us in this golden rule effort to live as loving, compassionate, and peacemaking children of God for the benefit of the whole of creation.<\/p>\n

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