To read THE GOLDEN RULE TWISTED ~ PART 1 click HERE.
As I noted in part 1 of this series, Scarborough Missions' version of the Golden Rule is interfaith in its agenda, and it appears to be targeting children in particular. It is expedient for the parents of young children in school these days to pay attention to what is being taught in the classroom.
Above is a picture of The United Buddy Bears, the brainchild of Eva and Klaus Herlitz. Take note of the religious symbols on the right bear. The Golden Rule in the various faiths are represented on the bear on the left side of the picture. These bears(in the foreground) and 140+ others (in the background) representing different countries have been on tour to major world cities since 2002, the last one being Jerusalem in November, 2007. Artists representing their countries created the bears, and the proceeds from any funds raised relating to the their exhibition go to Unicef and other charitable organizations. The bears are exhibited in a circle to represent love, peace, friendship, tolerance, and international understanding. You will notice the Golden Bears at the front of the picture which stand outside of the circle. They symbolize one of the requirements for a peaceful co-existence of the people in this world, and represent the global ethic or Golden Rule. Another name for them is The Golden Rule or Global Ethic Bears. Here is a statement on the United Buddy Bears official website about their interpretation:
As the peaceful co-existence of people, nations and states often breaks down because of conflicts between the different religions, the GLOBAL ETHIC BEAR is dedicated to this subject.
No peace among the nations without peace among the religions.
No peace among the religions without dialogue between the religions.
No co-existence on our globe without a global ethic.
These are the theses that Prof. Hans Küng puts at the beginning of his “Project Global Ethic“. It is not intended to create a new religion with Global Ethic, it is much more the effort to identify and emphasize the similar thoughts that all religions have in common, in order to enable and support the dialogue between the religions. Without this dialogue a peaceful co-existence is not possible.
“From my own experience I know all the dark sides of the religions – the Christian religion as much as all the others. Up to the present day religions have often played a fatal role in many conflicts all over the world” writes Prof. Hans Küng in the preface to his brochure.
“WORLD RELIGIONS – UNIVERSAL PEACE – GLOBAL ETHIC “
but he continues: “However, I also know the bright sides of religions: As doctrines and ways of salvation they can provide a sense of purpose and can be patrons of peace and reconciliation. They can provide ethic standards and personal orientation for the people of our days.“
Our modern society is increasingly characterized by a lack of orientation which is mainly due to a lack of an education for young people giving them a sense of purpose.
Thoughtlessness, an increase in crime rates and more violence are the results.
In our pluralistic society it is becoming increasingly difficult to acknowledge a universally binding formula for all people in one single religion, philosophy or ideology. “The “Project Global Ethic“ is supposed to show that the religions of this world can only contribute to peace in this world, if they think about what they already have in common. In 1993 in Chicago, at the “Parliament of the World’s Religions“ 200 delegates representing all religions and continents signed the “Declaration towards a Global Ethic”. On the GLOBAL ETHIC BEAR the four basic commandments of this declaration branch out in rays from the seven main world religions.
Above all is the so-called “Golden Rule”, its original quote from all the world religions can be read on the back of the GLOBAL ETHIC BEAR.
These are the original quotes of the "Golden Rule" as you can find them on the back of the “Global Ethic Bear”.
They are quoted from the brochure "WORLD RELIGIONS, UNIVERSAL PEACE, GLOBAL ETHIC" (www.global-ethic.org).
HINDUISM
This is the sum of duty: do nothing to others which would cause you pain if done to you.
Mahabharata XIII, 114,8
JAINISM
A person should treat all creatures as he himself would be treated.
Sutrakritanga I.11.33
CHINESE RELIGION
Do not do to others what you do not want them to do to you.
Confucius talks 15,23
BUDDHISM
A state that is not pleasant or delightful to me must be so for him also; and a state which is not pleasant or delightful for me, how could I inflict that on another?
Samyutta Nikaya V, 353.35 – 354.2
JUDAISM
Do not do to others what you want them to do to you.
Rabbi Hillel, Sabbat 31 a
CHRISTIANITY
In everything do to others as you would have them do to you.
St. Matthew 7,12; St. Luke 6,31
ISLAM
None of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself.
40 Hadithe (The Book of Muhammad) by an-Nawawi 13
Please find further information on this project under www.global-ethic.org.
You’ll find ideas for school projects on the subject under www.berlin-message.com.
This especially concerns our children. Having in mind that this way of thinking is an important tool for a peaceful coexistence, I would like to apply to all teachers and nursery-school teachers. This homepage can be used for finding information on this topic as a part of your teaching. Thank you!
Eva Herlitz(1)
To go to Global Ethic Foundation for Intercultural and Inter-Religious Research, Education and Encounter click HERE.
To read the DECLARATION TOWARD A GLOBAL ETHIC by the Parliament of the World's Religions click HERE.
**************************************************
There is a video on Youtube of a grade 2 class talking and singing about the Golden Rule in which young students recite some of the different aspects of it, including color, race, etc. and then religion, implying that this is something that all people share that is equal, in its message. This is really sad, when you think of these children growing up to think that they all contain the way of salvation. This makes the work of the cross of no effect to them. They will die in their sins if they don't accept God's gift of grace, His Son, as the atonement for sin. This is an abuse of the Golden Rule, which should act more like a mirror reflecting the inability of man to obey God. Instead it is promoting it as the means of salvation for the world. (The embedding for this video has been disabled, but you can view it by clicking HERE if you want to see it.
***************************************
Below is a video labeled Religious Tolerance: The Golden Rule which is made by an older student as a class assignment. It includes depictions of witchcraft, spiritism and animism in it. This is the message that children are receiving in school, believing and sharing with others. This will lead to the persecution of anyone considered intolerant by this new religious order.
So as you see, from their point of view there is no need to eliminate any religions from this picture. One must merely lay aside fundamental differences within the religions and unite in the areas of commonality. It seems to me that the "Golden Rule" is about the only thing they do have in common. All this says is that these religions all recognize the presence of the conscience within every man. However, only one of these religions deals with mankind's fallen, sinful state in an effective manner, and that would be Christianity. If Christianity is willing to lay down its claim on the truth and its claim to the only way for the salvation of man, it would fit nicely with its agenda. Within Christendom, those who will not lay this aside will be considered intolerant and counter to the peace process they so dearly want to promote. They will be labeled extreme and divisive. Unfortunately, many Christians are unaware of where this is leading and will likely be duped by the syrupy rhetoric of those who will purchase peace at the expense of truth. This Utopian type of thinking was present in Hitler's day too, don't forget. This is why so many German people followed him. The Holocaust had moral underpinnings; but without the anchor of truth it became a regime of brutality.
Are you prepared to honor all religions, agreeing that they are all truth? Attempting to witness to and win someone of another religion to your own will be forbidden as this will be seen as claiming to have something better than another, rather than equal to it. The Bible is very clear that there is salvation in no other than Jesus Christ. To deny that this is so would be to deny the very faith I base my life on. If you are a Christian and hold to God's Word as your standard it is time to prepare for persecution. At the rate these false religious ideals with their false unity are being spread, it won't be long before it happens.
****************************************
Let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead--by this name this man stands here before you in good health.
He is the STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS, but WHICH BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone.
And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.
Acts 4:10-12
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life;
no one comes to the Father but through Me.
John 14:6
You shall have no other gods before Me.
You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.
You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me,
but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
Deuteronomy 5:7-10
***************************************
Read the ADDENDUM TO THE GOLDEN RULE ~ PART 2
Read the THE GOLDEN RULE TWISTED ~ PART 3
***************************************
No comments:
Post a Comment