Christians, did you know Jesus was NOT the first person to espouse "The Golden Rule"?

Question

~700 BCE "That nature only is good when it shall not do unto another whatever is not good for its own self." - Dadistan-i-Dinik 94:5, Zoroastrianism.

~500 BCE "Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful." - Udana-Varga 5:18, Buddhism.

~500 BCE "One word that can serve as a principle of conduct for life [is] reciprocity. Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire." - Doctrine of the Mean 13.3, Confucianism.

If Jesus wasn't even the first man to espouse the Golden Rule, how can it be said that humans would not be moral without God?

Confucius didn't believe in God, yet he got it right long before Jesus came around. So doesn't it seem that humans were pretty capable of figuring out how to be a good, moral person even before Jesus showed up?

Jesus is the person you remember most for the Rule only because when you were growing up that's who you were taught said it.

If you had grown up Buddhist or Confucian, you would remember Buddha's or Confucius' teachings.

Answer 1

Actually, you're off by 800 years + or -.
Jesus precedes His advocacy of the Golden Rule and all the dates you site. The Golden Rule is actually a fulfillment of the Ten Commandments.
As God, He gave the Commandments to Moses circa
1500 BCE.

Answer 2

i'm a little confused by the last part in your question. God did tell the Jews about His Son. Jesus professed that He was the Son of God. The Bible says that Jesus was the only begotten Son of God. Second, the golden rule is a commandment and should be followed. But, just because there is some parrallelism in some aspects of religions does not mean that the religions are coincident. For instance, the Mormons teach a lot of really good family values that are parallel to Christian teachings, yet, the basis of their faith is very different than Chrisitanity. To say that Buddha was a Son of God is to call Jesus a liar. Since God doesn't lie, how can both be the Son of God? They can't. Good question, though.

Answer 3

Yes. And Jesus himself said that people could be moral and good without God. But there is a difference between morality and salvation. The only way to be saved is to accept Jesus as savior because no matter how good or moral, we are all born in sin. And by the way, the Ten Commandments say pretty much what the Golden Rule says: Love God and love your neighbor as yourself." And God said that, not Jesus, he was just quoting his father!

Answer 4

First of all, the person who became known as Jesus Christ did not begin life here on earth. He had a 'prehuman existence'.
He himself spoke of his prehuman heavenly life. (Joh 3:13; 6:38, 62; 8:23, 42, 58) John 1:1, 2 gives the heavenly name of the one who became Jesus, saying: “In the BEGINNING the Word [Gr., Lo′gos] was, and the Word was WITH God, and the Word was a god [“was divine,” AT; Mo; or “of divine being,” ]. This one was in the BEGINNING with God.”

He [Jesus] was Wisdom personified. What is recorded concerning the Word in the Scriptures fits remarkably the description given at Proverbs 8:1; 8:22-31.

NB: "When he prepared the heavens I was there; when he decreed a circle upon the face of the watery deep, 28 when he made firm the cloud masses above, when he caused the fountains of the watery deep to be strong, 29 when he set for the sea his decree that the waters themselves should not pass beyond his order, when he decreed the foundations of the earth, 30 then I came to be beside him as a master worker, and I came to be the one he was specially fond of day by day, I being glad before him all the time, 31 being glad at the productive land of his earth, and the things I was fond of were with the sons of men."

Secondly, since the Creatour [Jehovah] is eternal and had no beginning (Ps 90:2; Re 15:3), the Word’s being with God from “the beginning” must here refer to the beginning of [JHVH] Jehovah’s creative works. This is confirmed by other texts identifying Jesus as “the firstborn of all creation,” “the beginning of the creation by God.” (Col 1:15; Re 1:1; 3:14)
Thus the Scriptures identify the Word (Jesus in his prehuman existence) as God’s first creation, his firstborn Son. That would mean that Jesus may have been with his Father [Jehovah] for millions of years before being sent to the earth.

In conclusion, considering this fact we can conclude the following that as the word (or spoke person of God [JHVH] He [Jesus] would rightly be the second person to espouse "The Golden Rule".
The first being the Father [Jehovah].
While most people view the Golden Rule as a moral teaching enunciated by Jesus, he himself stated: “What I teach is not mine, but belongs to him that sent me.”—John 7:16.

Answer 5

God and His principles existed in eternity past. God speaks to many people for the first time. That doesn't mean that He hasn't spoken it to others earlier, and that it hasn't been passed on to others. It doesn't mean that the original source can't be misattributed to others. I have realized things that are right, and have later found them to be in the Bible. I could just as well have realized those things before Jesus spoke them, I'm sure, if I had been born then, but only because what is good had been impressed upon me...by God. Many principles that Jesus related to us were spoken earlier by someone else. But the source of anything good is always God; hence, Jesus said that only God is good.

Answer 6

Jesus is Lord. When God created man he gave him the gift of knowing right from wrong. That is why he gave Adam instructionons concerning the trees in the garden of Eden. (See Genesis 2:16-17) When Adam disobeyed Gods instructions, he knew he did and he hid from the presence of God. (See Genesis 3:7-8) More than 6,000 years ago God creatd man with the capacity to tell right from wrong. Jesus, the Verb, knew best what he was talking about, he had spoken it so.

Answer 7

INTERESTING !

If you read the nine faces of Christ . Then Yeshua was after learning the way of the Essenes . It is stated that he went to area now known today as Iran . Which is the
org ins of Zoroastrianism . Which there they taught the war in the heaven ( heaven inside your mind) . Being your you do great things and good thing good will be onto you. Also the pro type of good and evil ( live)

Do you realize that Christ is a title not a name . Being Zoroatianism is one of the faces


Please excuse my spelling I did use the spell check

Answer 8

The account of Satan in scripture is not one of a half-goat, half-man creature with a pitchfork in hand. As a matter of fact, it is said of him to be "perfect in beauty" and "full of wisdom". One can read an account of him in Isa 14 and Eze 28. He was the covering cherub, high in stature amongst the angels, until sin was found in him. He coveted the throne of God, and thus incinuated a rebellion in Heaven, "And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." Rev 12:7-9. Satan has not changed. How can one be continually in the presence of God and not know of the wisdom of God. It has been Satan's studied aim to unsettle the faith of those who would believe in the only begotten Son of God, to take their eyes off the "the way, the truth and the life" Jn 14:6. Satan still presents himself to man, claiming that in disobeying God's clear word, man can obtain to higher spiritual levels, to be as gods. We must take head lest we fall to his temptations. In Christ, we can ever find a source of strength to overcome.

Answer 9

I guess you mighty desire to also understand this. Jesus is God in human form he also said this 6000 years ago. What ever a man sows that to shall he reap. That was many thousands of years before any of these peopel were alive.
Did you know it is writen "all men are liers'
Did you know it is writen "all are condemned already"
Did you know it is writen "i am the God of the living and not the dead"
Did you know it is writen " a fool have said in his own heart there is not GOD"
Did you know that God was adressing you in these scriptures.
No other name spoke any truth conpared to Jesus he is truth and he is the only way anyone is saved period. No mediator between God and man with out Jesus. Jesus stepped out of the Father to become the bridge between man and God and in him alone is found life and forgiveness of sin. You may think you know sonthing but in the end with out Jesus the only think you will know is that every deed, every action, every lie shall be your death sentence and when you are in hell for all time you will have but one thing in the back of you tormented mind. Why did i not lisen to the words of all those people pointing me to the truth? Why was i a fool until the very end?
Why was i seeking to show my widom which was my one shame. You will be tormented with out end. No mercy not even a drop of water as you are chained to hell and wickenss shall abound and all wickness shall mock and defile you daily and every minet of time shall be a burden upon you and your body. Satan followers shall be your reward, They are a perverted race of angles, demons to torment and destruction, They shall feed upon the people of hell, You have seen the suffering of people on the earth yet it is nothing compared to the suffering of the people who shall enter into hell and become as the dung of existence. So speak on, sow you seeds and reap that which you have sown. You shall it is writen hell and the grave enlarge themselfs daily.
You have not power to take up you life and you have not power to give life. You have not power to even raise your head in the morning unless God has given it and you mock the living God. Did you cause the lungs in your body to breath this morning. No you did not God did. Is your heart beating at your command. No it beats at the command of God. Even a fool should know not to speak of that which he has no knowedge or power over.
There is no other name given under heaven by which a man must be saved then the name of Jesus.
Confusius is burning in hell shall you join him.

Answer 10

Yes. we've heard it all before and many think everything in the Bible is copied from some other source and unoriginal. But whoever says that has obviously never read the whole Bible.

Thanks for the enlightenment!

God bless you-
And my new American blessing-
Many your lights be green and you lines be short!