Years ago, I was part of a study and discussion group in what would later become a Progressive Christian community. This was before the term "Progressive Christian" was very well known in most circles. In this group, traditional beliefs about Christianity and particularly the inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible were under constant scrutiny.

In one of our meetings, while taking a swipe at the idea that the Bible is inspired by God, one student asserted, “Confucius thought of the ‘Golden Rule’ before Jesus. Jesus stole it from him.” Mind. Blown. What was he talking about?

It's important to understand that ideas comparable to the one Jesus expressed in Matthew 7:12, "Do to others as you would have them do to you," can be found in antiquity. Before Jesus walked the earth, similar sentiments existed in ancient Confucianism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Greek philosophy. (1) So what do we make of this? Here are 3 thoughts to consider:

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