There Is No Monopoly on Love

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Over the years, I have written and spoken about our need to love others without making exceptions. Today, our world needs to remember that this idea - to love one another - is not just a Christian concept. In fact, this is an ideal that has been passed down the generations for millienniums. 

The following is a list in chronilogical order of that same ideal (said differently, but meaning the same) from around the world. 

Hinduism: 3200 BCE, From the Hitopadesa - "One should always treat others as they themselves wish to be treated." 

Judaism: 1300 BCE, from the Old Testament, Leviticus 19:18 - "Thou shalt Love thy neighbor as thyself." 

Zoroastrianism: 600 BCE, From the Shast-na-shayast 13:29 - "Whatever is disagreeable to yourself, do not do unto others."

Confucianism: 557 BCE, From the Analects 15:23 - "What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others." 

Buddhism: 560 BCE, From the Udanavarga 5:18 - "Hurt not others with that which pains yourself." 

Taoism: 6th century BCE, From Tao Te Ching, - "Chapter 49 of the Tao Te Ching, describes how a Sage, embodying the principles of Tao, treats everyone with goodness and kindness, seeing all as part of themselves and loving everyone as their own child."

Shinto: 8th century CE - “The heart of the person before you is a mirror. See there your own form“ 

Christianity: 100's CE, From -John 13:34-35 - “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” 

Islam: 80's CE, From Sunnah - "No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself."

Iroquois Confederacy: 1000-1400 CE, The Great Law of Peace: "Their hearts shall be full of peace and good will, and their minds filled with a yearning for the welfare of the people..."

Sikhism: 1500's CE, From Guru Arjan Devji 259  - “Don’t create enmity with anyone as God is within everyone.” 

Native American: Early 1900's CE,  Black Elk  - “All things are our relatives; what we do to everything, we do to ourselves. All is really One.” 

Wicca: 1964 CE, Wiccan Rede - “If it harm no one, do what thou wilt.”





 

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