The Golden Rule and the Foundation of Objective Morality

[Richard Amiel McGough]

Hey there John,

For example, I see "God" as "all that is.
All the best,

Richard

Colossians 1:16-18 (KJV)

16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

Richard, you are really close on this. A sure sign of progress.

John

Very

There are only three points that I would need to "expand upon" for that passage to accurately reflect my perception.

1) The masculine pronouns are inaccurate. They do not describe the true nature of the Living Reality which gave birth to us. They are used only because of the limitations of human language caused by the fact that all humans are classed as either male or female.

2) The sense of "separateness" between God and the Living Reality that is an expression of the Divine Source. We remedy this by remembering that God is "all in all" and "through all and in all." There can be no "separation" between "all things" and the Source of Being though we may losed sight of the Unity of All when our eyes become transfixed by the "ten thousand things."

3) The seeing of God as an "agent" that chose to create "things" rather than as the Source from which those things inevitabley unfold like leaves on a tree.

I have had a transformative experience over the last week. I am now looking at the Bible with new eyes that are like the eyes I had when I came to a living faith in Christ and wrote the Bible Wheel book, only now on an entirely new level that sees both the good and the evil in it. I was once blinded by the light, and could not see the darkness in the Bible that is so obviously not a revelation of the Love and Light that is God.

In my previous incomplete and unbalanced faith, I never noticed the clue at the beginning of the story. Most people focus on the fact that we all "died in Adam" and must therefore be "saved" by the Messiah. But they have failed to grasp the key - if we inherit the death effect of "eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil" it means we also inherit the other effect, namely, we have had our eyes opened and we too "have become like God, knowing good and evil."

Every person is an unspeakably glorious Divine Being made in the "image of God." This is our true inheritence. The glory is hidden under the veil of flesh. All we need to do is part that veil and the limitless Light and Love of God will pour forth from your belly to give drink to a thirsty world.

Matthew 10:42 And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

To "give drink" is to pour out the abundant Spirit of Life that we receive from God as the Source of Reality. It is an outpouring of sustaining love and grace. It is the opposite of "judgment" which constricts. Of course both are needed in life, but anyone who sees a person dying of thirst and chooses rather to constrict them more with judgment has failed to perceive and receive the grace of God.

Did Christ withhold this water from the "sinning" Samaritan woman? Did he even say a word about sin to her? No. On the contrary, he mentioned her hard life - IMAGINE what it would have been like to be a woman having gone through five men in that patriarchal society! - to let her know that he fully accepted her regardless of her struggles, and that the water of life was free to all who ask without conditions.

John 4:7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. 8 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) 9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. 10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. 11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? 12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? 13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. 15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. 16*¶ Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. 17 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: 18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly. 19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. 21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. 25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. 26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he

This is the Royal Law of Universal Love. Go and do likewise.

[Rose]

Very

There are only three points that I would need to "expand upon" for that passage to accurately reflect my perception.

1) The masculine pronouns are inaccurate. They do not describe the true nature of the Living Reality which gave birth to us. They are used only because of the limitations of human language caused by the fact that all humans are classed as either male or female.

2) The sense of "separateness" between God and the Living Reality that is an expression of the Divine Source. We remedy this by remembering that God is "all in all" and "through all and in all." There can be no "separation" between "all things" and the Source of Being though we may losed sight of the Unity of All when our eyes become transfixed by the "ten thousand things."

3) The seeing of God as an "agent" that chose to create "things" rather than as the Source from which those things inevitabley unfold like leaves on a tree.

I have had a transformative experience over the last week. I am now looking at the Bible with new eyes that are like the eyes I had when I came to a living faith in Christ and wrote the Bible Wheel book, only now on an entirely new level that sees both the good and the evil in it. I was once blinded by the light, and could not see the darkness in the Bible that is so obviously not a revelation of the Love and Light that is God.

In my previous incomplete and unbalanced faith, I never noticed the clue at the beginning of the story. Most people focus on the fact that we all "died in Adam" and must therefore be "saved" by the Messiah. But they have failed to grasp the key - if we inherit the death effect of "eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil" it means we also inherit the other effect, namely, we have had our eyes opened and we too "have become like God, knowing good and evil."

Every person is an unspeakably glorious Divine Being made in the "image of God." This is our true inheritence. The glory is hidden under the veil of flesh. All we need to do is part that veil and the limitless Light and Love of God will pour forth from your belly to give drink to a thirsty world.

Matthew 10:42 And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

To "give drink" is to pour out the abundant Spirit of Life that we receive from God as the Source of Reality. It is an outpouring of sustaining love and grace. It is the opposite of "judgment" which constricts. Of course both are needed in life, but anyone who sees a person dying of thirst and chooses rather to constrict them more with judgment has failed to perceive and receive the grace of God.

Did Christ withhold this water from the "sinning" Samaritan woman? Did he even say a word about sin to her? No. On the contrary, he mentioned her hard life - IMAGINE what it would have been like to be a woman having gone through five men in that patriarchal society! - to let her know that he fully accepted her regardless of her struggles, and that the water of life was free to all who ask without conditions.

John 4:7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. 8 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) 9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. 10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. 11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? 12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? 13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. 15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. 16*¶ Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. 17 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: 18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly. 19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. 21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. 25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. 26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he

This is the Royal Law of Universal Love. Go and do likewise.

WOW! Now that was a good sermon... I'd start going to church again if I could preaching like that...

Much love to you my dear,

[Richard Amiel McGough]

WOW! Now that was a good sermon... I'd start going to church again if I could preaching like that...

Much love to you my dear,

Wow - words like that coming from my teacher! I am humbled ...

[heb13-13]

Did Christ withhold this water from the sinning Samaritan woman? Did he even say a word about sin to her? No. On the contrary, he mentioned her hard life - IMAGINE what it would have been like to be a woman having gone through five men in that patriarchal society! - to let her know that he fully accepted her regardless of her struggles, and that the water of life was free to all who ask without conditions.

Hi Richard,

I totally agree, Richard. That is how I came to the Lord. And once you are His and have His Spirit, the Spirit of God will lead you to put to death the deeds of the flesh. The Spirit of God will then lead you to do and think those things that are pleasing and in harmony with Jesus Christ.

Are you saying you originally came to God through a spirit of judgment and legalism? That will surely cause one to burn out as the Christian walk will be one of drudgery and lifelessness. One will never know about God's mighty delivering power from sin and self if they come to Him with their mind. Now, you can come back to Jesus by the spirit of Grace and love.

No one can live the Christian walk in their own strength and flesh. It is impossible! The Christian life, unlike other religions doesn't take discipline. It requires the power of God (life of Christ).

Trying to be a Christian and understand God with the mind only, makes for a judgmental walk, because the Spirit of Grace is absent from that person. Once that person burns out, they then leave Christianity and now judge it and God as phony because it never "worked" for them.

Rom 8:9
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

A big problem today, indeed in all centuries, is that people are coming into the "church" without having repented (turned around) of their pride and ambition and other sins which take advantage of other people. So what do they do? They continue in the church to take advantage of others having never repented of their sins. They now have put on a religious cloak. The outside of the cup is "clean", but the inside is dirty. And formerly they were in the world, stepping on top of everyone to get to the top, they are now in the church, stepping on everyone to get to the top.

Jesus always came for those who were sick and did not come for the healthy. Unfortunately, many don't know they are sick. Their mind tells them they are "healthy".

And it is true, He did not kick a man when He was down. But once the Life of Christ is in a man, it will lead that man to honor and love God with all of his heart, soul, mind and strength, putting to death the deeds of the flesh. That is the new heart that is given to men. He is a Strong Tower and will deliver any man from his enemies if one wants that.

Good talking with you again,
Rick

I will be leaving soon for a trip and try to check in when I can.

[Richard Amiel McGough]

Hi Richard,

I totally agree, Richard. That is how I came to the Lord. And once you are His and have His Spirit, the Spirit of God will lead you to put to death the deeds of the flesh. The Spirit of God will then lead you to do and think those things that are pleasing and in harmony with Jesus Christ.

Are you saying you originally came to God through a spirit of judgment and legalism? That will surely cause one to burn out as the Christian walk will be one of drudgery and lifelessness. One will never know about God's mighty delivering power from sin and self if they come to Him with their mind. Now, you can come back to Jesus by the spirit of Grace and love.

No one can live the Christian walk in their own strength and flesh. It is impossible! The Christian life, unlike other religions doesn't take discipline. It requires the power of God (life of Christ).

Trying to be a Christian and understand God with the mind only, makes for a judgemental walk, because the Spirit of Grace is absent from that person.

Hey there my friend,

It's great to be in agreement!

I didn't come to faith because of "judgment and legalism." Not at all. On the contrary, it was a living revelation. But over time, as I studied the Bible and interacted with "normal" Christians, I fell more and more away from the direct revelation I had received and into the dogmatic version of the faith - much as your posts seem to me sometimes, as when you seem to be putting the dogmas of sin and hell over the direct revelation of God as Love and Light. I understand that you are looking for a total logical coherence to the Bible under the assumption that it is all Divine Truth, but that's the very thing that kills the Living Truth that is Christ.

The Bible is designed to kill the ego so that it can give new life. The "fundamentalists" are resisting the Spirit when they insist that every word of the Bible must be fit into a logically coherent doctrine. That is not only wrong, but it kills the message by attributing darkness of hell and eternal merciless judgment unto God and so destroys the image of God.

Great chatting, brother-man,

Richard

[heb13-13]

Hey there my friend,

It's great to be in agreement!

I didn't come to faith because of "judgment and legalism." Not at all. On the contrary, it was a living revelation. But over time, as I studied the Bible and interacted with "normal" Christians, I fell more and more away from the direct revelation I had received and into the dogmatic version of the faith - much as your posts seem to me sometimes, as when you seem to be putting the dogmas of sin and hell over the direct revelation of God as Love and Light. I understand that you are looking for a total logical coherence to the Bible under the assumption that it is all Divine Truth, but that's the very thing that kills the Living Truth that is Christ.

The Bible is designed to kill the ego so that it can give new life. The "fundamentalists" are resisting the Spirit when they insist that every word of the Bible must be fit into a logically coherent doctrine. That is not only wrong, but it kills the message by attributing darkness of hell and eternal merciless judgment unto God and so destroys the image of God.

Great chatting, brother-man,

Richard

Is there any light without darkness?

Is there any love without hate?

Is there any good without evil?

Is there any humility without pride?

How do you tell the difference?

Or is it all the same to you?

Best to you,
Rick

[Richard Amiel McGough]

Is there any light without darkness?

Is there any love without hate?

Is there any good without evil?

Is there any humility without pride?

How do you tell the difference?

Or is it all the same to you?

Best to you,
Rick

They are all examples of dualities that are inextricable bound together. Yin/Yang. But then there is the WAY. The TAO in which all is unified. There is a state of cosciousness that transcend such dualities and sees the Unity of All. But it's not easy to talk about. It needs to be experienced directly. GNOSIS.

[heb13-13]

They are all examples of dualities that are inextricable bound together. Yin/Yang. But then there is the WAY. The TAO in which all is unified. There is a state of cosciousness that transcend such dualities and sees the Unity of All. But it's not easy to talk about. It needs to be experienced directly. GNOSIS.

Who has not experienced them?

[jce]

Who has not experienced them?

I willingly admit that I have experienced both sides. I also was once blind... but now I see!

Keep runnin' the race brother Rick! That's some good news about brother Richard too!!!

John

[jce]

Before I came to the forum today, I read an article about a retired man who was taking a walk when an armed gunman forced him to walk back to his home. The details were a little sketchy, but in essence, the gunman intended to rob them in their own home. There was a struggle and the elderly man was shot. Sometime during the event, the elderly man pleaded for the life of his wife telling the gunman that she was in remission from cancer. The robber left the woman unharmed, but her husband, who pleaded for her life, died at the scene as the gunshot wound was fatal.

I couldn't help but think that, as we debate the issues of life here in this forum, the world is in dire need of the good news of Christ. The Grace & Redemption, Love and Peace that He offers to all who will come to Him. I pray that as we leave our differences here in the forum, we will enter the world with God's offer of hope to those who are hurting all around us.

John