A surprising discovery with interesting implications.

I preached a sermon series on love back when I was a pastor. It was one of the more difficult sermon series to deliver, not because of the difficulty of preparing and preaching it, but rather because its content was not well demonstrated in my own personal life. It's hard to preach to yourself in public.

One of the things I stumbled upon as I put the first sermon together was that the idea of the critical nature of love is not unique to Christianity. It is a core thought in every one of the world's major religions. I remember researching 21 different religions and finding that to be true. Here are expressions of what we call the Golden Rule in a few of the world's major religions. Many of these religions predate Christianity.

CHRISTIANITY:
All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye so to them; for this is the law and the prophets. (Matthew 7:1)

BUDDHISM:
Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful. (Udana-Varga 5,1)

CONFUCIANISM:
Do not do to others what you would not like yourself. Then there will be no resentment against you, either in the family or in the state. (Analects 12:2)

HINDUISM:
This is the sum of duty; do naught onto others what you would not have them do unto you. (Mahabharata 5,1517)

ISLAM:
No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself. (Sunnah)

JUDAISM:
What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellowman. This is the entire Law; all the rest is commentary. (Talmud, Shabbat 3id)

TAOISM:
Regard your neighbor’s gain as your gain, and your neighbor’s loss as your own loss.
(Tai Shang Kan Yin P’ien)

ZOROASTRIANISM:
That nature alone is good which refrains from doing another whatsoever is not good for itself. (Dadisten-I-dinik, 94,5)

One of the startling things this discovery reveals is that any follower of one of these non-Christian religions who sincerely seeks to keep this tenant of their faith is at the same time sincerely seeking to follow the core expression of the Christian religion! Gal. 5:14 For everything we know about God’s Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others 


What are the implications here??