Has it ever occured to Christians that the concept of...?

Question

'Do unto others as you would have done to yourself' was preached by Plato hundreds of years before Jesus was even born?
(and to think, we're given the impression everyone was barbaric before the time of Christianity)

I didn't realize Plato associated himself with a Jewish belief in a singular deity...

to byhisgrace70295:
doesn't loving your neighbor contradict the order (in some cases commitment) of murdering neighbors by God, who is supposed to be Jesus (wearing a human body)

To D00ny: I've never heard that Jesus related the story of the Good Samaritan to writings of Moses. I grew up in church and have interacted with very knowledgable Bible scholars and no one has ever related the two

Answer 1

Once again the people above me leave no evidence of their claim.

That rule is attributed to Jesus and I dare you to find me a scripture in the OT that even comes close to such a mantra. Find me any scripture that talks about loving your neighbor in the OT. Good luck with that...

The questioner is correct in her claim that this was a teaching of Plato and he was around 500 years before Christ. The Christians have hijacked this wonderful idea and taken it as theirs.

the republicans did the same thing with "family values" in the last election.

Answer 2

Yes and the concept comes from the law of God given many years before Plato.

Answer 3

The Parable of the Good Samaritan
25On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

26"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"

27He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'[c]; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[d]"

28"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."

29But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

30In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35The next day he took out two silver coins[e] and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'

36"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"

37The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."
Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

3. Luke 10:27 Deut. 6:5
4. Luke 10:27 Lev. 19:18
5. Luke 10:35 Greek two denarii

Well this is straight from the gospels, and they were discussing the writings of Moses.

Christianity arrived on the scene long after people had worked out how to live together and provide for themselves a philosophy for living, so if Christian teaching on behaviour reiterates what has gone before, that should be no surprise.

Answer 4

Your right ,it was even preached to Adam and Eve who were born before Plato.

Answer 5

Yes, it has and was. But the point is not whether Jesus or Plato said it. I'm sure both did. The difference was the way Jesus expounded on it by telling us not just to treat others as we wish to be treated, but also to love them - even our enemies. I doubt that such thought ever even occurred to Plato.

" 'But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful." ' - Luke 6:27-36

EDIT:
There are two misconceptions in your response to me. First, Jesus is not just God with skin on. Jesus is a separate entity from God and yet is still God. This is the mystery of the Triune God (with the Holy Spirit being the 3rd person).

Secondly, I don't see it as contradicting God's order. At one time, humans were barbaric and needed to be held in check by having every step explained. Sometimes God used war as a way to protect His people. At other times He allowed them to be overtaken so that they would feel the pain behind their choice of turning away. Without painful consequence there is no aversion to evil.

But we are no longer as barbaric as we once were. Jesus recognized and refined that. That’s why He came exactly when He did – “in the fullness of time.” Because until then we (humanity) were unready for His arrival. We were still too barbaric. But now we have the refined mental ability to understand and infer. So Jesus refined the Law. He didn’t do away with it, but now instead of being guilty of sin when we are in adulterous relationship, we sin when we even think about it. In the days of Moses, the Law stated that they “shall not murder.” Jesus said that when we are angry with our neighbor and consider it, it is the same sin as carrying it out. So today, instead of recoiling in fear or striking out in anger at our enemies, we are told to love them. Note that this does not change the nature of God, but instead reflects the changing nature of humanity from the result of having God guide and direct our progress over the millennia.

Answer 6

No it's never occured to me! Because That's not a christian concept! You answered your own question!

Answer 7

"Do unto others..." is the simple law of karma, known to all wise men.

Answer 8

Sure its occurred to me. So??