the golden rule for this life

[DavidFirth]

You would think, except that before Christianity, the most advanced civilizations like Rome, considered watching innocent people being maimed and killed to be the height of sophisticated public entertainment, without a twinge of pity.

In less civilized places, having your relatives and neighbors for dinner meant something else entirely

I think many of us take certain Christian values we were brought up with for granted as 'natural' or inherently human, when history does not show that to be so

That's true. Also, the Romans enjoyed feeding Christians to the lions in their stadiums, it was prime entertainment for them. Gross!

 

[Thief]

"Do unto others...' is self-seeking. There is nothing more in our own best interest, especially over the past 3 million years prior to civilization, than acceptance by the group. "An eye for an eye" can best be seen as rejection by the group. Nothing but the other side of the same coin.

one is reactive
the other proactive.....you first
and it places the other guy ahead of you

 

[arthra]

as there is no life after death.....(not my belief)
why not do as you see fit?
every man for himself
take all you can ....give nothing back (Capt. Jack Sparrow)

Behaviours in this life can carry consequences... What we need as a society .. a community are standards of behaviour. The Golden Rule is found in most religions:

Versions of the Golden Rule in dozens of religions and other sources