In response to ongoing international crisis’s (Mid-East, Ukraine, etc.), religious animosities, domestic polarization AND a long conversation I had with a family member, we boiled everything down to The Golden Rule as being the North Star. We decided that it’s a workable common denominator for a pathway out of the forrest of hate that we seem to be lost in.
That said, we agreed that there are some circumstances when application of The Golden Rule will be bumpy at best and impossible at worst. Those situations are when moral values and deeply entrenched beliefs distort what should be uniform implementation of The Golden Rule
Examples:
The pro-life vs. pro-choice debate. The Golden Rule only works when each side operates in somewhat of a Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) mode. To express it more bluntly, I may want to punch you but I also don’t want to be on the receiving end of your punch. Therefore, we both refrain from punching. This equilibium breaks down in the debate arena on matters such as pro-life vs. pro-choice.
The same break down occurs in other debates where morality, beliefs, religion, blind patriotism, cultish indoctrination, misinformation, indoctrination and good old fashioned hatred, prejudice and racism all cloud what should be the clear eyed logic of The Golden Rule. If either side in the Golden Rule equation suffers from blurred vision (like a person who has cataracts), the rule falls short.
Topics such as capital punishment, assisted suicide/right-to-die, and even the gun rights/restrictions debates do not fit neatly in the Golden Rule equation.
Despite the afore mentioned limitations, The Golden Rule remains important in its simplicity. It lacks the complexity of the bible, the tora, the quoran and the US tax code (well maybe that document doesn’t belong mixed in with these documents). Also, in the midst of any heated argument, whether it’s between family members, irate drivers, poitical parties or even nations, The Golden Rule can act as a “time out” when the conflicting parties can take a deep breath and reassess if this really is the path they want to follow. Unfortunately, The Golden Rule will fall flat for those who are hell bent on breaking it due to whatever distorted visions, motivations and beliefs drive them.
The bottom line…keep The Golden Rule for its beautiful simplicity and its applicability to most of lifes situations. It serves as a sound-bite conscience for most of us who have a conscience. However, be aware that not everybody plays by the rules or they twist the rules to fit their circumstances.
Dunn Writes Well 