And is affecting our world in profound ways, even as we speak... Democracy and transparency remain the biggest victims of the euro crisis
Faith-based initiatives are a waste of money, and I do not consider them to be subjectively legitimate charities or worthwhile endeavors. Additionally, the Hoover Institute is extremely conservative, and seems to be quite biased against the non-religious minority. The fact that he supported this party, and whoever their candidate was, is enough for me. How did you arrive at that conclusion? I already stated several times that the Golden Rule and the Silver Rule are completely different. This can't be the first instance that you've ever heard this, or is it?
I find this quote, from your link, to be very instructive as to the origin, intention and meaning of the Golden Rule. It is based entirely on religion, which futher diminishes the case for it's validity as a code for human behavior.
From the study: Yawn. If you don't trust the data because you are skeptical of the source then surely you have a study that contradicts these findings? Over 3 dozen institutions gathered over 30,000 observations across 50 different US communities. The Hoover Institute simply analyzed the data. Those who attended church once or more per week are "religious", and those who attend once a year or not at all are "secular". It even breaks it down between religious and non-religious giving. I'm sorry to hear that. It is the first time I've heard of the silver rule, but I cannot see how they are "completely different". One is phrased positive, one is negative. That doesn't make them opposites. Positive: Murder is wrong Negative: Murder is not right I'm still saying the same thing...
I wouldn't know, I'm the biology major. This is more my speed.... [ame=http://www.amazon.com/Biology-Religious-Behavior-Evolutionary-Religion/dp/0313364303]Amazon.com: The Biology of Religious Behavior: The Evolutionary Origins of Faith and Religion (9780313364303): Jay R. Feierman: Books[/ame] Religion, a way humans interpret their world-are all rules derived from this attempt at knowing automatically invalid?
I value the golden rule from the perspective of rational self interest, it is inherent within the state of nature. It has nothing to do with religion for me.
The Silver Rule and the Golden Rule are not saying the same thing, and supporters of either of them recognize this. The Golden Rule justified such historical events as the Inquisition, and the Church's rationale was that if they (the religionists within the Church) were non-believers, they would wish to be saved by whatever means necessary. Naturally, their victims did not feel this way, and the Church's actions were based on superstition, and a large amount of greed, as a result of the teachings of Christ in the New Testament. The Silver Rule would not advocate torturing and killing people because of their faith, or lack of any. The Constitution Party, which Ron Paul has supported, is an example of faith-based politics that should have been extinct long ago - it it the antithesis of what America was founded upon - despite the claims of Ron Paul and this party.
i am in inqusitionist (for the purposes of this discussion) i will use the silver rule to torture, molest and eventually kill you....it goes like this: i am a messenger of god. i would never want a person to harm me unless i strayed from the path of righteousness, then i deserve to be imprisoned, raped, tortured and eventually killed. you are straying from the path, but i would never harm you had you not strayed. aaronman is dead on. they are not converses of each other they are inverses of each other
The Silver Rule cannot be correctly used as an excuse to torture, maim and kill - ironically unless it contained the word "unless" followed by reasons. There is no basis for blaming acts of wanton destruction and murder on the Silver Rule. I doubt that there is an example in hisory of the Silver Rule being misinterpreted, and used for devious purposes, in this way - but there are numerous examples of the Golden Rule's negative effects, to this very day, and it's not based on misinterpretation: This bible quote is what the founders of Christianity needed, and used, to spread their revised belief system to both willing, and very often unwilling, new converts.
I'd say the NAP better serves people that any other rule, no matter which precious metal you associate with it.
[quote name='"metalplusweed"']guess what.. ron paul also believes people can worship Allah!! he has stated he supports freedom of religion in middle eastern countries where radical muslims rule. he is a whore!!! what a hypocrite[/quote] You do realise that Allah is the Arabic word for god. Also that Christians, Jews, and Muslims worship the same god, they just disagree on who the messiah is. And who cares what religion people practice half way around the world. Lastly how is Dr. Paul a hypocrite?
There's a reason our founding fathers were all Christian. There's a reason on all of our money it says "in God we trust". Jesus was one of the holiest, humblest, and influential people in History. There are very few people I would rather model my beliefs after.
Your comparison is way off, its more like if the man raped the woman because he likes getting raped by men himself. Sounds like somebody who should be on an Uncut episode of Springer... [quote name='"garrison"']Worship of gods and dieties is beneath the dignity of any member of the human race.[/quote] But worshipping Evolution, a Big Bang, Global Warming, etc. Of course that isn't beneath the dignity of the human race, oh no. Good analogy, I see it like a gun. Guns by themselves, won't kill a fly. But a man behind the gun can stick the bullets in, cock the trigger and let fly death itself.