The Golden Rule is a fundamental ethical principle adopted by many cultures, religions and philosophies. It states, as a positive statement: treat others as you would wish to be treated. It may also be expressed negatively: do not treat others as you would not wish to be treated.
The Rev. Mark Sandlin, a leading progressive christian has this to say:
"We've missed the point of the Golden Rule. It's not to treat people as we would like to be treated. It's to treat people as we would like to be treated if we were in their shoes. It's a subtle difference that makes a massive difference."
It is a radical change of emphasis and, of course, a difficult one to comprehend. Just how can be know what it means to be in their shoes unless we have experienced the circumstances and issues face by the other person(s)? With difficulty. It does not mean we should not try. On the contrary, if we are to truly love our neighbour the ability to empathise is a first order imperative.
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