It took me some time to find it, but with help of my computer, I did. This was the first of my CPWR Forum blogs at "interfaith-news/general-discussion" probably more than a year ago. The rest of them were presented as they were "brought to mind" by newsworthy events. This may well be the last.

But backwards or forwards doesn't matter, if the message is true; each message will "ring true" to each reader in turn. I trust that this time, many readers will save these messages for posterity on their own computers, so that the person, or organization responsible for such unholy meddling in CPWR's online Forums will be defeated in the future.

The Ethic of Reciprocity vis-à-vis the Golden, Silver, and Platinum Ru1eS “Ф”:

Dear friends and readers,

Hear the Good News !

May we “pronounce God’s name” as a blessing, at all times and in all places, so that “The Lord will bless us and keep us, and look on us all with favour, and give us peace” (see Numbers 6.24-27).

“The Golden Rule or ethic of (positive) reciprocity is a maxim, an ethical code, or a morality, that essentially states either of the following:
1. “One should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself (positive “+” form of the Golden Rule).
2. “One should not treat others in ways that one would not like to be treated (neg “–” form, also called the Silver Rule).

The positive and negative forms of the Golden Rule have the same, but complementary value. Each side would have no value (and indeed, would not exist) without the contrast of the “other”. The two forms happily spiral “in-control” and “in-balance” – for the good of both – at all times.

What is referred to as ”Tit for tat” reciprocity though, is decidedly “un-golden”, for it is inherent only in worth-less, “flawed” thought. It is a “negative quantity” for both parties, which “repels” them, for they (it) has “no-good intention” between, and thus unhappily spirals “out of control” – indefinitely, until un-flawed, thought-full agreement is reached, and good-ness prevails.

When the positive (+) and negative ( – ) forms of the “Golden” Rule are viewed as “opposing polarities” of the “same entity” – they would be mere points “together” – separated and surrounded by the “nothingness of space” – and their values “negated into nothingness”.

We know now that white light can be broken down into its colourful “rainbow” components, and each colour has a particular “frequency” accorded to it by scientists, who have studied light using sensitive measuring equipment. So we may assume for the purposes of our informal non-academic thought-process, that each “colour” or “frequency” of what we know of as “light” (which is just another form of “energy”) has its own “maxima and minima” – outside of its’ “mean”, or “average frequency”, over time. Time, here, is of critical importance, for without it, frequency has no meaning, and no colours would be seen.

So, it seems, that even “colour” moves. Within each atom of metal or gas (whether “noble”, “coloured”, “of a substance”, or “not”), scientists assure us that there is “movement” – and “polarity(s)” even. This, no doubt about it, is what makes the world go “around” The “poles” provide the “axis” or “turning point” for the “body” – the “earth”.

Gold (Au) is metallic, and when finely divided can range in colour from black, ruby or purple. Very soft, and yellow in colour, a very small amount of it can be beaten out to a large area. It is a good conductor of heat and electricity, and is unaffected by air and most reagents. It melts at 1062 degrees Celsius, and boils at 2000 degrees Celsius.

Silver (Ag) is an excellent conductor of heat and electricity, and is nearly white, lustrous, soft, very ductile, and malleable metal. It melts at 962˚C and boils at 2212˚C. It is subject to tarnishing over time as a result of oxidization.

Platinum (Pt) is also a noble metal, and melts at 1772˚C and boils at 3800˚C. Like the others above, it is lustrous, malleable and ductile, and is as resistant as gold to corrosion and tarnishing.

All of these are “precious metals”, and “hard to find’, along with most metals noble. Chemists and physicists, mathematicians and scientists have only unlocked their secrets over the last several hundred years, and have worked together to formulate the Periodic and Atomic Tables which can predict the chemical and physical interactions between metals, liquids and gases at various temperatures.

All of this is very humbling (or should be) to the ordinary person on the street, as well as to the scientists concerned, for they surely recognize that their contribution has been founded upon the shoulders and hard work of others, who in their own time, have sought the “holy grail”, and “passed on”. But equally, none of this would have been possible without the vision of those who could read and write and think “well”, and who could bravely communicate the ideas and ideals of “well-thought” kindly philosophy – and of our ever-forming and changing religious beliefs – which “the (irreligious) establishment” would like to “set in stone” (that is, personally “limit” and “control”), for their own purpose, and advantage.

It is in this sure knowledge that we can face the future: “Where you are, we are, also, and God IS….”

If we can visualize the two complementing aspects of the noble “Golden Rule” as “self-supporting”, and as “self-evident North and South poles” of the “totality” of the earliest “Pre-eminent Rule of the Uni-verse”, we should also visualize that (similar to the “earth” analogy, which should further allow that “any analogy between God and humans will always be inadequate”), something of “substance” must lie between the “Gold” and the “Silver” poles of the “one” Rule.

Since we have ascribed the value of the “poles” as the precious and noble metals “Gold” and “Silver” to the pre-eminent “first” rule of the universe, it should not come as a surprise to us that “Platinum” has been chosen to describe the “middle path” to the Golden Rule of Love “ Ф “ (God)(the Divine Proportion).

Like the North and South poles of the earth (which provide for its axis of rotation), the “poles” are separated by a mass of substance, of platinum “otherness”, which “at once” also provides a “life force” which encapsulates the whole, including the poles.

The earth is also coated with a thin layer of gases, which are held in place by “the weakest force in the earth’s Solar system” – gravity.

These gases are drawn mostly from the earth itself, and so may be said to be a vital part of “it”, and of all life which has emerged from “it” over aeons of time. “Earth” has often been referred to as “Mother Earth”, while “time” has been referred to as “Father Time”.

Since my “WordWeb” dictionary defines “aeon” as “An immeasurably long period of time”…, “The longest division of geological time”…, and (within the realm of religion) “a divine power or nature emanating from the Supreme Being and playing various roles in the operation of the universe”, it would seem that the ancient civilizations (from which our words for “concepts” are derived), knew a thing or two: they worshiped both “Mother Earth” and “Father Time” as indivisible parts of the same entity many westerners call “God”, and many easterners call “Allah”.

When we of current generations think of and pray to Allah, or God, the Creator (of both Heaven and Earth), we visualize for ourselves a “life-giving force” (infinitely greater than the earth’s weak force of gravity), which not only “holds things together” (in space), but which is encapsulated in each and every uniquely created “thing of substance” within this, our world, and in all of space “there-out” – “out there”….

In other words: Our own “uni-verse”, and in the space “be-yond” (identical to, farther along in space or time or degree, or “in addition to”). The “farther” (further) we go outward in time (away from home), the closer we get to identify the word as “father”.

Conversely, the “closer we get to home”, the “closer we get” to “mother”. These two components of the same body cannot exist without the other, and we may also envisage this relationship to the “yin” and the “yang” of Chinese mythology – “ “.

The two components can be seen as “complementary” rather than (and only) as opposing “opposites”; “complementary” as in the difference between “something” and “nothing”, like “light” and “dark”, or like the numbers “ 1 “ and “ 0 “ etc. Each of these things have meaning “made known to us” by reference to the “other”.

“Zero” (o), by itself has no value, but when placed next to a “unit” (1), it becomes powerful…, as in “a” the first letter of our Roman Alphabet (which is followed by 24 others until we reach the last, 26th letter “z”. Capitalization of these letters from “A – Z” means that we have 26 letters with which to compose our words – and to indicate emphasis – and we have some few hundreds of thousands of words in English.

If we add the words of other languages which also use the augmented Latin system, that number is multiplied many times. Most languages also use devices to break up and to separate sentences and paragraphs, ranging from a “dot” or “full stop” for sentence breaks, and “commas” to indicate appropriate pausing within them, etc.

Should we insert a “unit” (1) in the centre of the “zero” (O) we “at once” achieve the very powerful figure “ Ф “ which brings to mind “our world rotating” on its axis, and which has had its importance recognized by the Greeks and later mathematicians as the most appropriate symbol to be connected to the “Universal Constant of Beauty”. “Phi” (Ф) is a ratio of “length” to “breadth” in “Divine Proportion”, and, like the Greek letter “Pi” (π), is related to the circle of “unit radius”.

Both “Phi” and “Pi” have values which, in the decimal system, are a non-repeating and ever-lasting, on-going “series”. Surely, when we consider such powerful symbols, we are “close” to the “heart of matter”, and to the “core” or “realm” of God.

Surely then, as far as humans can intuit and feel and know, we are close to God the “unknowable” when we consider these things “in depth” – from “all perspectives” – as objective observers, without prejudice.

God then, for us, can be “GФD”: the everlasting and non-repeating, life-giving and loving entity of “Divine Proportion”, who/which should be “revered” (loved, praised, even) for creating for “us” this beautiful world, and for uniquely creating “us” – all of us – from generation to generation – and for having granted us all (to have and to hold) unique talents and skills, which should be encouraged (within the light bonds of love) equally.

When we reflect this love back to GФD, we will surely “see clearly” (and not “through a glass, darkly”) the paths we may follow as we “work together” to “lovingly” achieve “The Light”, each in our own time, and without fear or regret, as we honour our “Loving God’s Principle Rule”: “Love one another as I have loved you” (which is just another aspect of the “Golden Rule of Divine Proportion and Loving Reasonable Reciprocity”).

The “Platinum Rule” (the middle way – a minimum for civilized society to continue to exist): “The golden rule is a good standard which is further improved by doing unto others, wherever reasonable, as they want to be done by".

This “Platinum Rule” (of greatest latitude) was penned by Vienna born Professor Karl Popper (1902-1994), who, having experienced the terrors of a “closed” Nazi system of government in Germany in 1937, made his escape to work on in New Zealand, and then, with great distinction, in the UK. It was first published in his influential work "The Open Society and its Enemies Vol 2” in 1945. The key word in this rule is “reasonable”.

The “Platinum Rule” is like unto another saying “If you cannot love, then your only duty is to respect, and to do no harm, where this is an option open to you”.

“Doing as you would be done by”, includes taking into account your neighbor's tastes, just as you would that your neighbour should take yours into account.” This version of a generously workable “rule of thumb” has apparently arisen from another book, by Walter Terence Stace, in The Concept of Morals (1937), where he commented on Mr. Bernard Shaw's remark, a critique of the Golden Rule: "Do not do unto others as you would that they should do unto you. Their tastes may be different".

If these “similarities” are viewed “at depth”, perhaps they could be viewed as “Palladium” (Pd) aspects of the Golden Rule. Gold (Au), Silver (Ag), Palladium (Pd) and Platinum (Pt) sit “side by side” or “adjacent to” each of the others in the Periodic Table, and almost “slap bang” in the “middle” of it (or so it would seem to this non-professional in the field),

These foundational concepts of “Platinum hue” and “precious and noble value” are like two opposing sides of the same coin – which nevertheless would have no value without reference to the other, and to that which it is sandwiched “between”.

Like the two opposing poles of the earth, which present an “axis for rotation”, all meridians pass equally through them (on the surface, and at depth), thus: “ Ф “.

Yes, the “Gold”, the “Silver” and the “Platinum” rules are the noble components of the “One Truth” with which we should “live out” our lives, “loving”.

May we “pronounce God’s name” as a blessing, at all times and in all places, so that
“The Lord will bless us and keep us, and look on us all with favour, and give us peace”.

Let the “Heaven on Earth” we all aspire to “begin”, and let it begin with “you” and “I”:

That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. That is the whole Torah (Law);
the rest is the explanation; go (and practice what is Divine), and learn (to live in peace, one with another).
“Love your neighbor as you love yourself. Do that, and you will live (eternally free to “be”).”

Thinking people who have been blessed with “reason” or “common-sense” will not have far to “go” to achieve this goal. The key word in the Platinum Rule is “reasonable”, which must have regard for “both sides” of the “discussion”. It is folly to allow discussions to escalate into confrontations, since recriminations escalate the pitch of the meeting(s).

Since this “commonsense” approach is at least “the norm”, or “view” held by decent “homo” and “hetero” people (male and female, black and white, abled and disabled etc etc), “we” are at least 95% towards standing up to the bullies of this world, already. It is true that some corrupt regimes are hard to topple, but fall they will, to “loving people power”…, as their corrupt practices are exposed in their nakedness. Like them, we too are liable to be corrupted, unless we “steer the middle course” to the Light of God’s Love, which finds its best expression in “mutual self-help”.

“Mutual self-help” is yet another expression of the “Golden Rule” in all its finely balanced aspects, for it includes all that which is “between” and platinum, valuable, and reasonable.
“All versions and forms of the proverbial Golden Rule have one aspect in common, they all call for others the equal manner and respect we want for ourselves.

Amen, and Ameen etc ! Let it be so !

Addendum:
The above information about Gold, Silver and Platinum, was sourced from http://www.lenntech.com/periodic/elements/pt.htm and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noble_metals , while the material relating to “The Golden Rule”, “Yin Yang” , “Roman Alphabet”, and “Greek Symbols”, was sourced from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethic_of_reciprocity , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yin_and_yang , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_alphabet , http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/page/93 , http://sg.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110113042022AAqTPg0 , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_alphabet , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_letters_used_in_mathematics,_science,_and_engineering , etcetera , and of course, the Bible (God’s “Good Book”), that great work of millennia and a thousand authors (who each had their own limited and partial understanding, gradually built), which shows us clearly the “ups and downs” of lives lived over time, and “what is good” (loving), and what is not, for rich and poor alike, without prejudice.

Living as we do, at this time, said to be the “Third Millennium” and in the “Age of Aquarius” (the “Age of the Water-bearing Peaceful Warrior”)(see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astrological_age , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_Aquarius etc , “none of us” have any excuse for misunderstanding this message, nor for ignoring the imperatives of Love. There is no religion higher than Truth: “When you want only Love, that is what you will see.” (The Course in Miracles) Lest we forget !