Sunday, December 4, 2011

Trust

Religionists talk about trust,
how only their views are just.
If your moral guide's
that ass in the sky
I'll treat your views with disgust.

The headline is "STUDY: RELIGIOUS PEOPLE TRUST ATHEISTS ABOUT AS MUCH AS THEY DO RAPISTS".  They get their morality from a book that endorses slavery and says that a rape victim should be forced to marry her attacker. I get my morality from the idea that this is the only shot we have at life, and we should treat each other like it's their only shot as well. The idea of the Golden Rule, treating other people as you would have them treat you, is a central idea of religions and belief systems across the world, and predates Christianity by millennia. I prefer Confucious's version, personally:

"Zi Gong asked, saying, "Is there one word that may 
serve as a rule of practice for all one's life?" 
The Master said, "Is not RECIPROCITY such a word?"

I touched on the reciprocity idea almost 4(!) years ago in a limerick. Not as eloquent as Confucious, but I think it gets the point across.

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