사람은살아가는동안자기스스로를위한내면생활과타인과함게생활하게된다.내면생활을위하여서는
인간의참된삶을위하여자기가지향하는바를정하여살아가게된다.그과정에서신을의지하거나성현들의
생애을본받으며살아가는가아닌가한다.또한대인관계에서성경에는네가대접을받고저하는대로남을
대접하라는말이있는가하면공자는네가싫어하는것을상대에게하지말라는말이있다.
전자를황금율이라한다면후자는백금율이라고나할까?우리는긍정적으로는황금율를생활양식으로삼아
가야하겠고이것을너무심취하여실행가는서로다른생각과문화권에서는종종부정적이메지로
나타날수가있다.예를들어애완용을좋아하는사람이모두자기처럼생각한다고이해한다고지하철에
애완견을가지고와서짖어대거나배설물을보이는행동은빈축을살수도있기에백금률도황금율못지않게
중요한것이아니겠는가?
GoldenLaworSilverLaw?
Ineverythingdotoothersasyouwouldhavethemdotoyou”.ThisisthesocalledGoldenLaw,appearedintheBible.“Donotdotoothersasyouwouldnotwishdonetoyourself.”ThisisthesocalledSilverLaw,appearedinConfuciusAnalects.SilverLawsometimesisconsideredonlyasapassiveandinferiorexpressionoftheGoldenLaw.
However,nowIthinkSilverLawisgoodenough,whileGoldenLawmayleadtomisbehave.Forinstance,ifyouareagayman,youwantothermantohavesexwithyou,soyoualwaystrytosuggesthomosexualitywithotherman.Butifthatmanisnotagay,yourkindofferwillbecomeoffensive.Otherinstance:ChineseandKoreanpeopleenjoydogmeat,butiftheytrytointroducedogmeatonAmericandinningtable,theywillbeconsideredoffensive.
So,weshouldnotalwaysdotoothersaswewouldhavethemdotous,becausewehavenowaytoprovethatotherpeoplealwayshavethesamedesireandinterestswithme,ortoprovethatmyowndesireorinterestsisuniversal.IfweonlypersistontheSilverLaw,wewillnevercommitsuchkindofmistake,andtheworldmaybemorepeaceful.
20061212
