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The Golden Rule now gets booed in the Bible Belt. Two weeks ago, during a debate in South Carolina, presidential candidate Ron Paul stated, “If another country does to us what we do to others, we’re not going to like it very much. So I would say that maybe we ought to consider a Golden Rule in foreign policy: Don’t do to other nations what we don’t want them to do to us.” Before he could finish speaking, Paul was practically booed off the stage.
It is a sad state of affairs when the Golden Rule gets booed in the heart of the Bible Belt. According to Gallup’s enormous 2009 survey, “State of States: Importance of Religion,” 80 percent of South Carolinians stated that religion was an important part of their daily lives. Only two other states had a larger percentage of residents who claimed that religion was an important part of their daily lives.
Hopefully, the booing did not come from audience members who are part of this 80 percent. The Golden Rule is the age-old maxim that states one should treat others as they would like to be treated. When it comes to the Golden Rule, the Bible is far from silent. During the famous Sermon on the Mount, the gospel of Matthew records Jesus as preaching, “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.”
A full reading of the Sermon on the Mount shows that it is highly relevant to conducting foreign policy. In the same sermon, Jesus said, “blessed are the merciful … blessed are the peacemakers;” to agree with adversaries quickly; if somebody smites you in the face, turn the other cheek; love your enemies, bless them that curse you; do good to them that hate you and pray for them which despitefully use and persecute you.
The gospel of Luke records Jesus saying, “and as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.” The Bible even takes Paul’s suggestion further by repeatedly commanding Christians to love their neighbors as themselves.
In fact, when asked what was the greatest commandment, Jesus stated that the second great commandment was to love your neighbor as yourself. It was surpassed only by the first great commandment — to love God with all your heart, soul and mind.
So when the Republican audience booed the Golden Rule, they were booing a rule advocated by Jesus himself. Advocating an American foreign policy that follows the Golden Rule is not a novel idea; rather, it was also espoused by some of the Founding Fathers.
In his farewell address, George Washington stated, “Observe good faith and justice toward all nations; cultivate peace and harmony with all.” During his first inaugural address, Thomas Jefferson called for “peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations.”
John Quincy Adams, who many regard as one of the greatest diplomats in U.S. history, gave a speech on July 4, 1821. He said America benefitted mankind through its respect of other nations and their independence, as well as its abstinence from interfering with the internal affairs of other countries.
A Golden Rule in foreign policy is not something to be booed. Instead, it should be cheered and embraced. Americans should want their government to treat people of the world how they want other governments to treat themselves. This is not only the sensible way to conduct foreign policy, but it is also morally superior to the foreign
policies carried out under the Bush and Obama administrations.
A version of this article appeared in the Jan 31 issue of the Collegiate Times.
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Good column. What annoys me is the media (and some teachers at Tech) constantly referring to Paul's foreign policy as "isolationist." Ummmm no, his foreign policy is "non-interventionist." North Korea is isolationist, Switzerland is non-interventionist. Switzerland, Sweden, New Zealand, etc show that there is another choice beside isolation (North Korea), and interventionism (United States).
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Trying to label Ron Paul as an "isolationist" is like calling your neighbor a "hermit" for not breaking into your house and smashing up all your windows.
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"The real isolationists are those who impose sanctions and embargoes on countries and peoples across the globe because they disagree with the internal and foreign policies of their leaders. The real isolationists are those who choose to use force overseas to promote democracy, rather than seeking change through diplomacy, engagement, and by setting a positive example. The real isolationists are those who isolate their country in the court of world opinion by pursuing needless belligerence and war that have nothing to do with legitimate nation security concerns."
- Ron Paul in 2008
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"The real isolationists are those who impose sanctions and embargoes on countries and peoples across the globe because they disagree with the internal and foreign policies of their leaders. The real isolationists are those who choose to use force overseas to promote democracy, rather than seeking change through diplomacy, engagement, and by setting a positive example. The real isolationists are those who isolate their country in the court of world opinion by pursuing needless belligerence and war that have nothing to do with legitimate nation security concerns."
- Ron Paul in 2008
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"The real isolationists are those who impose sanctions and embargoes on countries and peoples across the globe because they disagree with the internal and foreign policies of their leaders. The real isolationists are those who choose to use force overseas to promote democracy, rather than seeking change through diplomacy, engagement, and by setting a positive example. The real isolationists are those who isolate their country in the court of world opinion by pursuing needless belligerence and war that have nothing to do with legitimate nation security concerns."
- Ron Paul in 2008
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Ron Paul supporters, if you haven't already, please go to VoteRonPaul and make your pledge to vote for him. Take a look at the map that is shown. It'll show supporters from across the country. Please share the page with your friends, family and other Ron Paul supporters and scroll down to the bottom to like their facebook page. I would love to see EVERY Ron Paul supporter make their pledge to vote for him. We know that Ron Paul has faced and will face continued efforts to marginalize him and even attempts at voter fraud (Iowa for example!) If we could get every single Ron Paul supporter to this site and make their pledge, it is my belief that it will be hard for them to ignore especially when we start seeing numbers into the millions. We would make people's eyes pop out of their heads when they see the sheer number of us and no one will ever have a reason to say he is "unelectable" ever again. Thanks.
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Ron Paul supporters, if you haven't already, please go to VoteRonPaul and make your pledge to vote for him. Take a look at the map that is shown. It'll show supporters from across the country. Please share the page with your friends, family and other Ron Paul supporters and scroll down to the bottom to like their facebook page. I would love to see EVERY Ron Paul supporter make their pledge to vote for him. We know that Ron Paul has faced and will face continued efforts to marginalize him and even attempts at voter fraud (Iowa for example!) If we could get every single Ron Paul supporter to this site and make their pledge, it is my belief that it will be hard for them to ignore especially when we start seeing numbers into the millions. We would make people's eyes pop out of their heads when they see the sheer number of us and no one will ever have a reason to say he is "unelectable" ever again. Thanks.
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Ron Paul supporters, if you haven't already, please go to VoteRonPaul and make your pledge to vote for him. Take a look at the map that is shown. It'll show supporters from across the country. Please share the page with your friends, family and other Ron Paul supporters and scroll down to the bottom to like their facebook page. I would love to see EVERY Ron Paul supporter make their pledge to vote for him. We know that Ron Paul has faced and will face continued efforts to marginalize him and even attempts at voter fraud (Iowa for example!) If we could get every single Ron Paul supporter to this site and make their pledge, it is my belief that it will be hard for them to ignore especially when we start seeing numbers into the millions. We would make people's eyes pop out of their heads when they see the sheer number of us and no one will ever have a reason to say he is "unelectable" ever again. Thanks.
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I grew up in SC so I can tell you this as a matter of fact - religion doesn't supersede over prejudice and warmongering.
I can't tell you the number of times, and sadly many times in public, when I've heard racial slurs aimed at blacks, Muslims and Chinese people. Man I remember one time in particular when I was at a Chinese buffet, and the endless slurs at the Chinese people bringing out the food. I'm glad SC is a past residence.
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Does the CT even have editors? THE SAME SENTENCE IS REPEATED TWICE IN THIS ARTICLE, LITERALLY ONE PARAGRAPH AWAY. This article is also extremely repetitive in its arguments.
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Article is not repetitive at all. My guess is that he wanted to show that the Golden Rule is found throughout the Bible, to drive the point home that those in the Bible Belt should not boo something that is clearly a Bible principle.
Instead of attacking style, try attacking the substance of the argument. CT commenters always get their panies in a bunch of the silliest of things.
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