Respect for the rights of others is the principle behind the Golden Rule. ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’ It is so important for harmonious relationships that the principle is taught by every major religion as well as most who identify with no religion.
As with all ideals, we each can probably think of situations where remembering the Golden Rule could have prevented problems. Which brings us to the article below which is shared to assure others that Christian Scientists do respect the rights of others. Not only in terms of respecting each individual’s right to make their own healthcare choices, but as a basic principle springing from love for our neighbor. Please follow the link to read the entire article.
Christian Scientists and respect for the rights of others
Like people of many faiths, Christian Scientists take the Golden Rule as basic ethics. It guides our relations with society, and while we can’t claim to have been always perfect in this regard, we feel strongly about respecting the rights of our neighbors and fellow citizens, and not imposing our own religious choices on others. Love for family, neighbor, community and the world is at the core of our values just as in most other churches.
These values apply to choices relating to medical care and the issues raised in the current health insurance debate. The denomination doesn’t dictate in these matters either to its own members or to others. Long before the Affordable Care Act, for example, the church’s headquarters made available medical insurance benefits for those of its employees who wished to have this coverage.
We don’t see this as a contradiction of our Christian commitment or healing ministry. It’s just a matter of respect and consideration for valued colleagues. It would be surprising if business owners who are Christian Scientists didn’t naturally share this respect for the rights of their employees.The same values extend to issues of public health and safety. From the early years of our church’s history, obedience to law has been foundational to the practice of Christian Science. We’ve conscientiously sought to observe reporting, vaccination, and other public health requirements mandated by law or considered necessary for the protection of public health in specific situations.
