The Golden Thread

Bahai
(H)
Regard not that which benefits yourself, but hold to that which benefits mankind.
Buddhist(C) Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.
Christian
(H)
Whosoever ye would that men should do to you, do even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
Hindu
(C)
Do not do to others what you would not like yourself.
Islamic
(H)
No man is a true believer unless he desireth for his brother that which he desireth for himself.
Jain
(C)
A man of religion should treat all beings as he himself would be treated.
Sikh
(C)
As thou deemest thyself, so deem others. Then shalt thou become a partner in heaven.
Tao
(C)
Regard your neighbour's gain as your own gain, and your neighbour's loss as your own loss.
Zoroastrian
(H)
That nature is only good that does not do unto another whatever is not good for its own self.

 

 

Religions of history and circularity

(H)
religions:
historical, with intervention by God, by a prophet or incarnation, the human history it portrays usually having a beginning point and an end (last days, resurrection). These religions are Near Eastern/Persian in origin and shaped the West, leading to ideas of science as historical progress but ultimately challenged by them. More prone to dogma, exclusivity, contest. More lately science and religion both challenged for realism. Magic elements of historical religions tend towards some cyclical flavour.
(C)
religions:
cyclical, usually mythical (at least at the popular magical level), founders or no founders, with usually some form of Samsara (the endlessness of suffering human living with rebirth), Karma (the building up of life merit including through reincarnation) and an end to rebirth (the Atman joining Brahman in Hinduism or Nirvana in Buddhism). These religions are Indian and Eastern in origin. Also most myths and Pagan home religions are cyclical. These religions tend to flow together, distinct but more easily co-operative and less exclusive. Also, with higher rational forms, and with mythical story like forms, tend to run with modern challenges to realism and concrete truth (except for given beliefs in reincarnation).
Religions share transcendent (God/s/ess/es, Nirvana), word (prophet, book), way (moral codes), communion (worship, meditation), healing/ salvation.
Modernity is the challenge of science and discovered truth to religion in battle for rationality (with secularisation debate). Postmodernity is the challenge to all truth, the complete death of all supernatural guarantees, the fantasy remythical nature of text, the expressive nature of art where we invent our own truths. Historical religions (e.g. churches) must decide whether to attack, defend, draw boundaries or go with environment.