The Platinum Rule

Many of us have heard of the "Golden Rule".
It has its roots in Scriptural teachings:

Leviticus 19:18
Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD .

Recorded by Moses in the Torah/Pentauech circa 15th century B.C.

Matthew 7:12
So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

Recorded by the disciple Matthew in his Gospel Matthew around 60-70 A.D.

Luke 6:31
Do to others as you would have them do to you.

Recorded by the doctor Luke in his first letter to Theophilus around 60-70 A.D.

and now in today's society most people (regardless of relgious orientation) have accepted this rule to be true.
It is now known as The Golden Rule.

However, Jesus Christ said this was the the second greatest though in Matthew 22:39.
The Pharisees got together (a relgious sect of the Jews who believed in the existenece of spirits, the ressurection of the dead, angels, demons, etc.) after they heard Jesus has "silenced the Sadducees" (a religous sect of the Jews who did not believe in the supernatural). They tested him with the question, "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"

Matthew 22:37-38
Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.

This being the greatest commandment,
and the golden rule being second greatest,
I now coin the greatest commandment as, "The Platinum Rule"
(considering Platinum is worth more than Gold).

It is ironic how society chose the lesser of the two and accepted it as it's model.
Was the Platinum Rule rejected because of it's reference to God?

Thoughts?
- Tass

[edit on 13-3-2005 by Tassadar]

Being that I just had this conversation with another member on this page, and still have all the research open, allow me to chime in.

Originally posted by Tassadar

Was the Platinum Rule rejected because of it's reference to God?

Yes. It requires conversion and submission. Non-Christians reject Christianity. The tautology is self explanatory.

Originally posted by Tassadar

It is ironic how society chose the lesser of the two and accepted it as it's model.

No. It's really not. It's ironic that a common universal introduced in all world religions, reformations, and ethical discourses since the recording of history is attributed in some circles as singular to Jesus, or that in ascribing to this common universal one must theoretically accept (as Christians assert) the Platinum Rule of their reformed belief system that happened to make the common universal second in support of the first.

What's ironic to me is a belief system with a Platinum Rule needs supportive argumentation at all, much less from The Mahabharata, Udana-Varga, The Talmud, The Book of Certitude, Isocrates and the Analects of Confucius.

Furthermore, I'm of growing concern about the witnessing of both Islam and Christianity, much as I am my neighbor that sells Amway.

What to do, what to do.

Was the Platinum Rule rejected because of it's reference to God?

I would have to say that the reason for accepting the Golden Rule, or atleast the fact that it's the more commonly known and accepted rule is due to the fact that it can be understood and/or discovered for one's own without any religious/spiritual concepts as the source. Even a "True Atheist" who never once bothered thinking about God's or Souls or whatever, can fully grasp the idea behind not doing something to someone else that he himself doesn't like having done to him.

Yea I gotta agree the "Golden Rule" is accepted because of its use in a multitude of cultures. Also, the Catholic Church, and most liberal Protestants reject the idea of a "Platinum Rule" because it excludes all who do not practice one of the big three western religions, and is theologically very very hard to argue for.

Thousands of years of theologians came to the answer they did for a reason. Simply, inclusivity breeds less hostility.

I also agree with RANT that the Christian evangellism is becoming much more in-your-face as of late and has taken on quite a hard edge to it. Be careful guys, you may just see the world take a hard turn from your message if you keep force feeding it to everyone.

~Astral