Read the THE GOLDEN RULE TWISTED ~ PART 2
Read the ADDENDUM TO THE "GOLDEN RULE TWISTED ~ PART 2
I have been having a little trouble getting back to this topic to create Part 3 as I said I would, part of the reason being that I have been discovering a new connection to another post I wrote not long ago (END TIMES WATCH ~ NOAHIDE LAWS ~ "EVERY KNEE SHALL BEND") which also links with this topic. Anyone doing research understands that it takes time to gather material and assemble it into something that makes sense, and the revisions that have to take place when additional material is discovered and needs to be incorporated. In between I have been customizing a new computer, as my old one is on it's deathbed, so I have been a little distracted lately. But now, forward we go...
The United Religions Initiative began as an idea in 1993 in the mind of Episcopalian Bishop, Willliam Swing after a sleepless night following a United Nations invitation to host an interfaith service, when he asked himself, "If the nations of the world are working together for peace through the UN, then where are the religions of the world?". His question and the resulting idea of a united religious organization came to fruition with the creation of the United Religions Initiative, which could be considered to be the spiritual counterpart to the global political entity, the United Nations. Here is its stated purpose:
Written by Mussie Hailu
Tuesday, 17 April 2007
Addis Abab, Ethiopia. Athlete Haile Gebreselassie Appointed Goodwill Ambassador of Golden Rule by URI CC in Ethiopia.
Golden Rule Day proclaimed for April 5. World renowned, holder of many world records and superstar athlete, Haile Gebreselassie, was appointed Goodwill Ambassador of the Golden Rule by the Interfaith Peace-building Initiative (IPI), a peace-building organisation whose purpose is to promote the Golden Rule, interfaith harmony, a culture of peace, reconciliation, nonviolence, justice and healing for the Earth and all living beings.
Handing over the certificate of appointment, trophy, peace medal and the framed “Golden Rule,” the Board Chairman of IPI and Coordinator of Golden Rule Goodwill Ambassador Program Hon. Mussie Hailu said “this honor is bestowed upon athlete Haile in recognition of his outstanding contribution in promoting a culture of peace, harmony, and international solidarity among people of different cultures, ethnic groups, religions, and nationalities through the Great Ethiopian Run program.” The Board Chairman further said “his exemplary work in promoting, throughout the world, the universal message of the Golden Rule which says ‘Treat others the way you want to be treated’ is highly appreciated and commendable.” The Golden Rule has been affirmed in many religions, traditions, indigenous cultures and secular philosophies as a fundamental principle of life and the foundation upon which a global ethic is founded. It is the best tool to educate people about respect and mutual esteem in order to achieve peaceful coexistence and solidarity among members of different ethnic groups, cultures and religions, and it has played a major role in promoting the culture of dialogue so that understanding and interest may develop among individuals and peoples as these are the conditions of authentic peace. The message is simple, universal and powerful and is the most prevalent and universal moral principle in human history.
The Board Chairman further said “It is high time to promote the Golden Rule throughout the world as it is a fundamental principle that addresses critical issues such as peace, non-violence, interfaith harmony, democracy, human rights, respect for each other, gender equity, social development, constructive dialogue among nations, conflict prevention and right human relationship.
With this in mind, IPI declared this day, April 5, as Golden Rule Day and calls upon all citizens of the world, religious leaders of the world, mayors, heads of state of the world, the United Nations, the African Union, the European Union, the League of Arab States, interfaith organisations, schools, higher learning institutions, the business community and civil society to join IPI in proclaiming this day as Golden Rule Day and to live accordingly to make this world a better place for all and the coming generation." Athlete Haile, on his behalf after receiving the award, expressed his profound appreciation for the work of IPI and thanking IPI for the honor bestowed upon him and he affirmed to the board members of IPI that he will do all he can to promote this principle which is a key to life. Further he said, “There will not be development without peace as peace is the foundation of everything.” He strongly emphasized that, by promoting the Golden Rule, it will open up the door for peace to prevail on Earth and the betterment of this world. In response to the board’s invitation Athlete Haile accepted to be an honorary member of the Interfaith Peace-building Initiative and United Religions Initiative, an international interfaith organisation which is working throughout the world to build global interfaith cooperation for a better world. IPI is a member of the United Religions Initiative.
All board members, on behalf of all the members of IPI, expressed their appreciation and gratitude for the great work Athlete Haile is doing by promoting his country and building a good image for Ethiopia and Africa through sport, and by bringing people all over the world together for the common good. This kind of collaboration is what is needed in our world to bring a positive change and create a better future for the coming generation. The Proclamation of the Golden Rule, which was declared on this occasion, will be sent to all Heads of State, religious leaders of the world, United Nations, African Union, European Union, interfaith organisations, international organisations and members of civil society and the business Community. It is the hope of IPI that this proclamation will be endorsed through the United Nations General Assembly and that “International Golden Rule Day” will be proclaimed by the UN so that all member states can use this day as a neutral platform where policymakers and citizens of the world could meet together and pave the way for a better world.
May Peace Prevail on Earth! (3.)
Bishop Swing, initiator of URI, also authored a book entitled The Coming United Religions, in which he equates proselytizing with religious violence. A customer at Amazon.com left this comment about the book:
This is a ridiculously impossible ideal! I am not a fatalist; I am, however, a realist. Once again, we have a utopian, socialistic ideal. It has NEVER worked, and WILL NOT, because this world is full of sinners who live before a Holy God who cannot abide sin. I think it would be cruel not to be willing to share God's way of salvation with others, in effect to proselytize. He only gave the world one solution ~ His Son, Jesus Christ ~ and it is by faith in Him alone that we can escape the the eternal consequences of our sinful condition. Truth is not what we want it to be, it is what God says it is. It is narrow and concise, and it is embodied by the person of Jesus Christ, and it is exclusive by its very nature. Every time an organization has tried to implement socialistic ideals it has ended in disaster for all those involved and those who had to endure its ideology against their will. But I move on...
The following is a video of the Public Interfaith Service for Peace, hosted at NYC's historic Riverside Church - Sept. 2005. Sponsored by the Tanenbaum Center, International Committee for the Peace Council and Union Theological Seminary.
Peace Is Possible - Peacemakers read the Golden Rule
And now I assert: Apart from from faith in Christ alone and His work of atonement on the cross, PEACE IS IMPOSSIBLE! It will never prevail upon the earth until the PRINCE OF PEACE physically returns in power and glory to reign in righteousness and justice. (Matthew 24:29-31 and Revelation 1:7). Those who have rejected Him will have no part in His kingdom. The promise of worldwide peace and safety are lies of the Antichrist which will end in disaster and bondage. I am reminded of the verses in 1 Thessalonians 5: 1-11, which say ~
I am all for tolerance when it comes to believing that every human being is a creation of God, and should be treated with dignity and respect. But not all ideas, all beliefs, and all faiths are equal or valid or truthful. The battle for the truth is a spiritual battle, by the way, not a physical one. There are some who have named the name of Christ who have gone to war in His name. This is due to a false understanding of the nature of the kingdom of God, which is a spiritual kingdom at this time. I in no way advocate the use of force, physical or otherwise, and do not equate proselytizing with force. The Christian is never to force anyone to accept their beliefs, but an invitation to examine the truth is not a forceful thing. If it is done with force, it is done contrary to Christ's own teaching, and that person is no true Christian, or is one who is acting contrary to the faith. However, when Christ does return in the flesh, he will conquer the evil one and his followers and destroy them. So now is the time to choose to follow and obey Christ, before that time comes, and it is too late to change your mind.
We must be able to answer the question, "What is truth?". This is the question Herod asked Jesus as He stood before him preceding the crucifixion, and the answer and response to this question will determine your eternal destiny. Truth cannot be relative, for if that could be possible, then it would cease to exist. It would cease to be the truth. Truth by its nature is fixed and stable, not relative. Those who would claim tolerance as their creed will not tolerate this statement. And they must reject the embodiment of truth according to God's Word, Jesus Christ, who said, "I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life. NO MAN comes to the Father BUT BY ME." (John 14:6), because this is an exclusive statement, and counter to the religious tolerance movement. We cannot follow a Christ of our own making, or He is nobody but a figment of our imagination. The Christ who we are to accept is the Christ we are told of in the Bible, an historically and spiritually accurate document of His life and His nature. We can not cut out the passage in which He claims exclusivity. Those who do not have a love of this truth will accept a lie and delusion in the days to come, and must be warned of the consequences. To remain silent would be the greatest tragedy and error of all, for it is this truth that sets us free to live as we ought in this world, not any rule or law.
The golden rule is only an ethic. It has no power to rescue or save. It is a standard and a law, not a savior. It does not have the power to change a person's heart and it cannot create peace or make the world a better place to live. It never has, from the day it first came into being. It does not have the power create peace within one single individual, so how can it create peace worldwide? It does not solve mankind's inability to measure up to the standard, as it is not inherent within it. Its existence within every religion only proves that man was created with a conscience, a sense of right and wrong. This is proof that he is a created being with a sense of justice, not proof that he is capable of solving the world's problems. The power to follow the golden rule comes only outside of it, through Christ and His indwelling Holy Spirit, to the believer.
Those who would include Christianity within the spectrum of the religious tolerance movement want to say that the golden rule is what it is all about, the underlying principle of its beliefs, and the most important element it contains. But those in the movement reject its exclusivity and embrace an ethic contained within it as the basis of unity with all other faiths. Just because it contains a common element (ethic) does not mean that other religions are equal to it or should be equally accepted. That is like saying that aspirin and arsenic are equal and can be used interchangeably because they both come in tablet form or contain cornstarch as a filler ~ possibly true, but deadly if confused one with the other. The golden rule/global ethic is the filler, not the active ingredient. When it comes to matters of faith, unity in diversity is a deadly combination, with no good outcome. To believe otherwise, I would have to deny my faith. And remember, those within the movement have redefined tolerance to include acceptance and agreement without proselytizing. Shall we tolerate untruth according to these terms?
That would be THE GOLDEN RULE ~ TWISTED.
(1.) http://www.uri.org/About_URI.html
(2.) http://www.uri.org/United_Nations.html
(3.) http://www.uri.org/CC_News/Africa/Gebres.html
(4.) http://www.amazon.com/Coming-United-Religions-William-Swing/
dp/0963789759/ref=sr_1_1/103-0203452-6738268?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1185476920&sr=1-1
The United Religions Initiative began as an idea in 1993 in the mind of Episcopalian Bishop, Willliam Swing after a sleepless night following a United Nations invitation to host an interfaith service, when he asked himself, "If the nations of the world are working together for peace through the UN, then where are the religions of the world?". His question and the resulting idea of a united religious organization came to fruition with the creation of the United Religions Initiative, which could be considered to be the spiritual counterpart to the global political entity, the United Nations. Here is its stated purpose:
United Religions Initiative (URI) was founded in 2000 by an extraordinary global community committed to promoting enduring, daily interfaith cooperation and to ending religiously motivated violence. Today the URI includes thousands of members in over 65 countries representing more that (sic) 100 religions, spiritual expressions, and indigenous traditions. (1.)The organization advanced until it joined together with the United Nation to declare an international day of peace:
On June 20, 2006, The Global Council Trustees, on behalf of the members of the UNITED RELIGIONS INITIATIVE throughout the world, issued a Peace Proclamation, joining with the United Nations in proclaiming September 21 as The International Day of Peace. We urge all our members to encourage all citizens of this world to work together to create peace, justice and healing for the Earth and for all living beings. (2.)Moving steadily forward, in April 2007 the Interfaith Peace-building Initiative (IPI), a member of the URI, has proclaimed April 5th to be "Golden Rule Day", calling for it to be recognized as such by all citizens and organizations of the world, including the UN. This should not be a difficult task to accomplish, since a poster of "The Golden Rule" ala Scarborough Missions is already hanging on the walls of the UN Headquarters, and its agenda is worldwide peace. (See previous posts on this topic). Below is the news account of the "Golden Rule Day" Declaration by the IPI:
************************************************
Written by Mussie Hailu
Tuesday, 17 April 2007
Addis Abab, Ethiopia. Athlete Haile Gebreselassie Appointed Goodwill Ambassador of Golden Rule by URI CC in Ethiopia.
Golden Rule Day proclaimed for April 5. World renowned, holder of many world records and superstar athlete, Haile Gebreselassie, was appointed Goodwill Ambassador of the Golden Rule by the Interfaith Peace-building Initiative (IPI), a peace-building organisation whose purpose is to promote the Golden Rule, interfaith harmony, a culture of peace, reconciliation, nonviolence, justice and healing for the Earth and all living beings.
Handing over the certificate of appointment, trophy, peace medal and the framed “Golden Rule,” the Board Chairman of IPI and Coordinator of Golden Rule Goodwill Ambassador Program Hon. Mussie Hailu said “this honor is bestowed upon athlete Haile in recognition of his outstanding contribution in promoting a culture of peace, harmony, and international solidarity among people of different cultures, ethnic groups, religions, and nationalities through the Great Ethiopian Run program.” The Board Chairman further said “his exemplary work in promoting, throughout the world, the universal message of the Golden Rule which says ‘Treat others the way you want to be treated’ is highly appreciated and commendable.” The Golden Rule has been affirmed in many religions, traditions, indigenous cultures and secular philosophies as a fundamental principle of life and the foundation upon which a global ethic is founded. It is the best tool to educate people about respect and mutual esteem in order to achieve peaceful coexistence and solidarity among members of different ethnic groups, cultures and religions, and it has played a major role in promoting the culture of dialogue so that understanding and interest may develop among individuals and peoples as these are the conditions of authentic peace. The message is simple, universal and powerful and is the most prevalent and universal moral principle in human history.
The Board Chairman further said “It is high time to promote the Golden Rule throughout the world as it is a fundamental principle that addresses critical issues such as peace, non-violence, interfaith harmony, democracy, human rights, respect for each other, gender equity, social development, constructive dialogue among nations, conflict prevention and right human relationship.
With this in mind, IPI declared this day, April 5, as Golden Rule Day and calls upon all citizens of the world, religious leaders of the world, mayors, heads of state of the world, the United Nations, the African Union, the European Union, the League of Arab States, interfaith organisations, schools, higher learning institutions, the business community and civil society to join IPI in proclaiming this day as Golden Rule Day and to live accordingly to make this world a better place for all and the coming generation." Athlete Haile, on his behalf after receiving the award, expressed his profound appreciation for the work of IPI and thanking IPI for the honor bestowed upon him and he affirmed to the board members of IPI that he will do all he can to promote this principle which is a key to life. Further he said, “There will not be development without peace as peace is the foundation of everything.” He strongly emphasized that, by promoting the Golden Rule, it will open up the door for peace to prevail on Earth and the betterment of this world. In response to the board’s invitation Athlete Haile accepted to be an honorary member of the Interfaith Peace-building Initiative and United Religions Initiative, an international interfaith organisation which is working throughout the world to build global interfaith cooperation for a better world. IPI is a member of the United Religions Initiative.
All board members, on behalf of all the members of IPI, expressed their appreciation and gratitude for the great work Athlete Haile is doing by promoting his country and building a good image for Ethiopia and Africa through sport, and by bringing people all over the world together for the common good. This kind of collaboration is what is needed in our world to bring a positive change and create a better future for the coming generation. The Proclamation of the Golden Rule, which was declared on this occasion, will be sent to all Heads of State, religious leaders of the world, United Nations, African Union, European Union, interfaith organisations, international organisations and members of civil society and the business Community. It is the hope of IPI that this proclamation will be endorsed through the United Nations General Assembly and that “International Golden Rule Day” will be proclaimed by the UN so that all member states can use this day as a neutral platform where policymakers and citizens of the world could meet together and pave the way for a better world.
May Peace Prevail on Earth! (3.)
***********************************************
Bishop Swing, initiator of URI, also authored a book entitled The Coming United Religions, in which he equates proselytizing with religious violence. A customer at Amazon.com left this comment about the book:
Swing...identifies Judaism, Christianity, and Islam as "exclusive religions" (p. 31) and says, "if billions of people from exclusive religions are commanded to oppose the godly claims of other exclusive religions, what hope is there for peace among religions? In order for a United Religions to come about and for religions to pursue peace among each other, there will have to be a godly cease-fire, a temporary truce where the absolute exclusive claims of each will be honored but an agreed upon neutrality will be exercised in terms of proselytizing, condemning, murdering, or dominating. These will not be tolerated in the United Religions zone" (p. 31). (4.)
This is a ridiculously impossible ideal! I am not a fatalist; I am, however, a realist. Once again, we have a utopian, socialistic ideal. It has NEVER worked, and WILL NOT, because this world is full of sinners who live before a Holy God who cannot abide sin. I think it would be cruel not to be willing to share God's way of salvation with others, in effect to proselytize. He only gave the world one solution ~ His Son, Jesus Christ ~ and it is by faith in Him alone that we can escape the the eternal consequences of our sinful condition. Truth is not what we want it to be, it is what God says it is. It is narrow and concise, and it is embodied by the person of Jesus Christ, and it is exclusive by its very nature. Every time an organization has tried to implement socialistic ideals it has ended in disaster for all those involved and those who had to endure its ideology against their will. But I move on...
The following is a video of the Public Interfaith Service for Peace, hosted at NYC's historic Riverside Church - Sept. 2005. Sponsored by the Tanenbaum Center, International Committee for the Peace Council and Union Theological Seminary.
And now I assert: Apart from from faith in Christ alone and His work of atonement on the cross, PEACE IS IMPOSSIBLE! It will never prevail upon the earth until the PRINCE OF PEACE physically returns in power and glory to reign in righteousness and justice. (Matthew 24:29-31 and Revelation 1:7). Those who have rejected Him will have no part in His kingdom. The promise of worldwide peace and safety are lies of the Antichrist which will end in disaster and bondage. I am reminded of the verses in 1 Thessalonians 5: 1-11, which say ~
But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you,
For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord
so cometh as a thief in the night.
For when they shall say, Peace and safety;
then sudden destruction cometh upon them,
as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
But ye, brethren, are not in darkness,
that that day should overtake you as a thief.
Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day:
we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
For they that sleep sleep in the night;
and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
But let us, who are of the day, be sober,
putting on the breastplate of faith and love;
and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
For God hath not appointed us to wrath,
but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep,
we should live together with him.
Wherefore comfort yourselves together,
and edify one another, even as also ye do.
I am all for tolerance when it comes to believing that every human being is a creation of God, and should be treated with dignity and respect. But not all ideas, all beliefs, and all faiths are equal or valid or truthful. The battle for the truth is a spiritual battle, by the way, not a physical one. There are some who have named the name of Christ who have gone to war in His name. This is due to a false understanding of the nature of the kingdom of God, which is a spiritual kingdom at this time. I in no way advocate the use of force, physical or otherwise, and do not equate proselytizing with force. The Christian is never to force anyone to accept their beliefs, but an invitation to examine the truth is not a forceful thing. If it is done with force, it is done contrary to Christ's own teaching, and that person is no true Christian, or is one who is acting contrary to the faith. However, when Christ does return in the flesh, he will conquer the evil one and his followers and destroy them. So now is the time to choose to follow and obey Christ, before that time comes, and it is too late to change your mind.
We must be able to answer the question, "What is truth?". This is the question Herod asked Jesus as He stood before him preceding the crucifixion, and the answer and response to this question will determine your eternal destiny. Truth cannot be relative, for if that could be possible, then it would cease to exist. It would cease to be the truth. Truth by its nature is fixed and stable, not relative. Those who would claim tolerance as their creed will not tolerate this statement. And they must reject the embodiment of truth according to God's Word, Jesus Christ, who said, "I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life. NO MAN comes to the Father BUT BY ME." (John 14:6), because this is an exclusive statement, and counter to the religious tolerance movement. We cannot follow a Christ of our own making, or He is nobody but a figment of our imagination. The Christ who we are to accept is the Christ we are told of in the Bible, an historically and spiritually accurate document of His life and His nature. We can not cut out the passage in which He claims exclusivity. Those who do not have a love of this truth will accept a lie and delusion in the days to come, and must be warned of the consequences. To remain silent would be the greatest tragedy and error of all, for it is this truth that sets us free to live as we ought in this world, not any rule or law.
The golden rule is only an ethic. It has no power to rescue or save. It is a standard and a law, not a savior. It does not have the power to change a person's heart and it cannot create peace or make the world a better place to live. It never has, from the day it first came into being. It does not have the power create peace within one single individual, so how can it create peace worldwide? It does not solve mankind's inability to measure up to the standard, as it is not inherent within it. Its existence within every religion only proves that man was created with a conscience, a sense of right and wrong. This is proof that he is a created being with a sense of justice, not proof that he is capable of solving the world's problems. The power to follow the golden rule comes only outside of it, through Christ and His indwelling Holy Spirit, to the believer.
Those who would include Christianity within the spectrum of the religious tolerance movement want to say that the golden rule is what it is all about, the underlying principle of its beliefs, and the most important element it contains. But those in the movement reject its exclusivity and embrace an ethic contained within it as the basis of unity with all other faiths. Just because it contains a common element (ethic) does not mean that other religions are equal to it or should be equally accepted. That is like saying that aspirin and arsenic are equal and can be used interchangeably because they both come in tablet form or contain cornstarch as a filler ~ possibly true, but deadly if confused one with the other. The golden rule/global ethic is the filler, not the active ingredient. When it comes to matters of faith, unity in diversity is a deadly combination, with no good outcome. To believe otherwise, I would have to deny my faith. And remember, those within the movement have redefined tolerance to include acceptance and agreement without proselytizing. Shall we tolerate untruth according to these terms?
That would be THE GOLDEN RULE ~ TWISTED.
********************************************
(1.) http://www.uri.org/About_URI.html
(2.) http://www.uri.org/United_Nations.html
(3.) http://www.uri.org/CC_News/Africa/Gebres.html
(4.) http://www.amazon.com/Coming-United-Religions-William-Swing/
dp/0963789759/ref=sr_1_1/103-0203452-6738268?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1185476920&sr=1-1
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