Prickly City by Scott Stantis for December 08, 2017

The religion might say it, but doesn´t mean people abide by it.

For too many, treating themselves is better than treating other people that well.

What did I say yesterday? Also, making the liberal coyote the insensitive one? Sorta disconnected from reality I would think.

The homily “Treat others as you would treat yourself” relies on the unspoken and erroneous assumption that there is a universal standard of behavior that should be applied to all others.

Yeah, that’s not how it works.

“Treat others as they wish to be treated” is the basis of international diplomacy. Of course, that is derided as PC.

For example: You may enjoy a backrub. G.W. Bush’s unexpected backrub of Angela Merkel didn’t go over so well.

G.W. Bush treated Angela Merkel as he wished to be treated, Angela Merkel preferred to be left alone.

You may enjoy treating others to your favorite, hot spicy food. Uncle Al can’t eat that without becoming ill.

You may enjoy a spirited political / religious discussion at the dinner table, your parents, aunts, uncles, brothers or sisters, may not.

“Treat others as they wish to be treated” not as you want to be.

Judaism and Christianity – two of the religions that have some form of the Golden Rule – also have the concept of a fallen species that is not what it was intended to be.

Now, whether you buy the specific concept of an Adam or not (literally or symbolically), the fact is that the idea seems to be true. We’re can be pretty rotten. But – bizarrely – we know that we can be pretty rotten, we recognize our rotten behavior as rotten behavior (usually), and don’t want to be rotten. But we keep being rotten, and are not what we feel like we should be. It’s hard to figure out how this is even possible, for an animal being to decry and abhor its own behavior. It’s a conundrum.

So Republicans want you to grope them, take their money and healthcare then blame them for it?

Does the Golden Rule include not lying about every issue?