I don't do religion well. Except for that tenet.

No religion involved.

...try to leave the world better than you found it.

I would offer that this version includes your rule as an axiom.

Has always struck me as better than "do unto others". Each human has their own individual positives and negatives. I would hate being "done unto" by a Republican!

I't ok to murder innocent cheerios?

I just don't like smiling cereals I guess.

I've told my religious friends that "God did not put me here on
earth to be unkind to other people, don't you agree that's a good thing?"
They usually agree.
Then I tell them "I've decided that I don't want to spend my time here on
earth being unkind to others, don't you agree that's a good thing?"
They usually agree again.
Then I ask them "What's the difference, as long as I treat other people well
and my time on earth doesn't hurt others?
If this bothers some of them, taking God out of the premise, am I being "unkind" and should I cut it out?

Last edited Fri Dec 21, 2018, 01:37 AM - Edit history (1)

...religious services - I wanted to be the only one to "warp" their young minds because I knew I would do my best to make sure they grew up to be open-minded and compassionate. We used to talk a great deal about the "treat others as you would like to be treated," rule, and how, if everyone followed that one rule, we would not need any others.

The "boys" are now 28 and 26, and did turn out to be open-minded and compassionate. People often look at you rather askance when you say you don't take your kids to church, as if you are neglecting them somehow. Lots of people home school. I decided to say that I "home churched" my kids, if the topic arose.

A list that leaves too many things off anyway. Like, don't cage babies..

Doctrine is too strong a word for my liking. It's nitpicking, I know, but it implies a degree of inflexibility I find unpalatable. Ethical situations can be complex... too complex to be solved by simple axioms.

If anything, I try to do that which will maximize hapiness for the greatest number of people.

As we see regularly, violations of doctrines are pretty common in religious organizations. So, my single doctrine is really just a single principle. For example, I would violate it in defense of myself or others. Of course, since I actually have no religion, that doctrine or principle is purely internal and individual, anyhow.