Text: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”

Context: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” is a common statement rooted in Christianity. The participant grew up with Buddhist parents, but she was baptized and went to church, as her parents wanted her to be a part of the religion that the majority of Canada believes in. She was taught this phrase in Sunday School, and understood it to be the Golden Rule. She told me, “I learned from a young age that it is important to treat others with kindness, the same way that you would like to be treated yourself. I took this saying very seriously, as I saw my other family members treating everyone, friends, family, or even strangers, with kindness. This is something that I taught to my children early on, as I believe that it is necessary to be empathetic and moral towards everyone. It is no longer a religious belief to me, but instead a moral saying that I use every day.”

Analysis: The Golden Rule is a saying that I grew up using, but one that I never associated with a religion. To me, it was more of a moral code that I followed. The Golden Rule is very universal, and it has the feature of folklore related to multiplicity and variation. The general, vernacular saying that is most commonly expressed is even a different variation from the original, it is known as, “treat others as you would like to be treated.” For example, in Confucianism, they say “Do not do to others what you do not want them to do to you” and in Judaism, they say “What is hateful to you, do not do to others.” This shows that this idea of moral reciprocity and responsibility is a fundamental human value and it is not specific to one region. However, it is oicotypified because it is expressed differently in different cultures. In Christianity, it is institutionalized as it is taught formally, however, the way that people use it in everyday life is vernacular.