Article March 8, 1924 Issue

Signs of the Times

with contributions from D. E. Shumake, J. Thacher Sears, Fred W. Morrison

[From the Journal, San Francisco, Calif., Oct. 13, 1923]

Down through the ages, from the earliest human record, whether graven on stone or lettered on parchment, comes the universal solvent of human troubles—the Golden Rule. Not many know the true antiquity of this rule of conduct so succinctly stated by the Nazarene, nor its universality....

The Chinese have the saying, "What you would not wish done to yourself, do not do unto others." Hindu scripture declares, "The true rule of life is to guard and do to the things of others as one would do to his own." The Persian puts it, "Do as you would be done by." The Greek philosophers said, "Do not that to a neighbor which you would take ill from him." The Romans had it, "The law imprinted on the hearts of all men is to love the members of society as themselves." Buddha taught, "One should seek for others the happiness one desires for one's self." While the version known to the Christian world is, "All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them." The Golden Rule is as old as man, and as universal as life. Yet by some queer quirk of human nature we neglect and forget this great solvent for our troubles. It is the simplest rule in the world.

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